Like the idea of a smartwatch or fitness tracker, but don’t want to give up on classic watch design for something with a digital screen?
A group of Swiss watchmakers are starting to build smart features into their wristwear. 10 different models from Mondaine, Frederique Constant, and Alpina are expected to ship this summer.
The devices will look like traditional wristwatches, but under the hood they’ll have sensors for fitness tracking and wireless technology for synchronizing your data with an iPhone or Android app.
The watches are based on something called the MotionX Horological Smartwatch Open Platform and according to the press release, they’ll be able to monitor your activity and sleep cycles, support for adaptive coaching, and always-visible time and date features thanks to their mechanical components.
MotionX technology is also used in Jawbone and Nike Fuelband wearable fitness trackers.
While most current smartwatches get somewhere between a day and a week of battery life, these watches are expected to get at least two years of battery life.
Of course you won’t get support for third-party apps, voice controls, or many of the other features offered by Apple, Samsung, Motorola, or Pebble smartwatches. But if you’re just looking fro a classy watch that’s a little smarter, that might not matter.