If you find yourself between those who worship complex and futuristic looking smart watches and those who feel that some classic items are classic for a reason, you can bet someone has already thought of a niched version that will suit your tastes.
Today we introduce Withings Activité, a high-end designer watch, which incorporates a few smart functions, enough that it would make your watch a conversation-starter, but not too many that it would make you check your phone fewer times a day. The smart part of Withings is a fitness tracker that takes notes of your steps, distance traveled, calories you’ve burned and can even learn and recognize your sleeping patterns with the use of an accelerometer which syncs via Bluetooth to your iPhone. Inevitably, the watch comes with an app for it, called Withings Health Mate, allowing you to customize your workout and to track your progress. Additionally, it has a vibrating mechanism that will wake you up in the morning and it’s water-resistant for up to 165 ft. (50 meters).
[adsense300gray]The stylish, clean look is the result of a collaboration between Swiss watch-makers and Parisian designers, and is reminiscent of world-renowned brands that would charge a lot more for such a piece. Withings comes in two colors – black or silver, complemented by a brown or black leather strap, which, for some reason, can be changed for a plastic one. The analogue display is neat, with a classic feel and if it wasn’t for the smaller dial in the bottom right side, you wouldn’t even know you’re looking at a smart watch. The sapphire glass is solid and you change between modes by tapping it, so it’s actually a touch screen. The stainless steel body is not too bulky, making the Activité a unisex piece.
The designer of Withings believes that this sort of device is the beginning of a new trend that will integrate smart functions into traditional items, seeing as the intelligent watches we have to day are not really where they’re supposed to be in terms of looks and feel. Certainly, there is a discussion to be made here, but for the moment it is undeniable that the company has come up with a beautiful product that well deserves the attention it has got.
