In a surprise announcement by the Swiss watchmaker, Tag Heuer have confirmed their involvement in the creation of a ‘luxurious and seamlessly connected’ smartwatch. This is in partnership with both Google and Intel.
The vast majority of luxury watchmakers have steered away from involving themselves in this growing trend of internet enabled smart watches. Market analysts have advised that considering the nature of the smart watch, its arrival would only affect mid-range watches – those priced up to around £650, leaving the luxury brands relatively unaffected.
Less expensive watchmakers, are rumoured to be changing their strategy awaiting the arrival of smart watches. Swatch, the world’s bestselling watch manufacturer, announced last week that they were now planning to include smart functions in their newer ranges. The more traditional mechanical watchmakers, have maintained their position that they have no current plans to enter into the smart watch market
It was for this reason that the Tag Heuer announcement came as a surprise when they presented their intentions at Baselworld. Industry experts have been questioning if releasing the watch poses a risk of diluting the brand, but Biver, the head of Tag Heuer’s parent company, has been quoted as saying: “We believe that Tag Heuer is an avant-garde brand and our customers belong to the younger generation. There is a demand for luxury connected watches and we want to satisfy that demand”, in an interview with the Financial Times.
Expected to include similar features to the recently announced Apple Watch – such as geolocation, health-tracking software and an altitude monitor – The Tag Heuer smartwatch is expected to be launched in autumn 2016.
If you can’t wait a year to get your hands on a Tag Heuer timepiece, you can view our collection here, at Peter Jackson.