Is Tag Heuer getting into the smartwatch game? According to a recent Reuters report, the Swiss luxury watchmaker is ready to compete with Apple for smartwatch territory, and may even be poised to make a few acquisitions. Here are the details.
A Change of Mind
When asked about the possibility of creating a smartwatch a few weeks ago, Tag representatives told press that the company wasn’t going to compete in the smartwatch category. Now, those same reps have told press that the company is, in fact, losing money to smartwatch makers, and that the company has been working on a smartwatch of its own for some time now.
Tag reps have also stated that the company has many different partners, but who those partners are has yet to be seen. It’s likely that company like Google might be included in this partner lineup, but no details have been revealed yet, and Tag reps aren’t commenting on whether or not companies like Google are part of the deal.
What a Tag Smartwatch Might Look Like
So, what would you get if you combined the luxury styling of Tag Heuer watches with smartwatch technology? So far, the smart watches on the market aren’t exactly appealing to the style crowd, but Tag might change all of that. The Tag watch that’s in the making is rumored to have an Intel-microprocessor design combined with mechanical action, and possibly some electronic sensors.
Since the new Tag would be first and foremost a smartwatch, it will likely have things like calorie counting capabilities and other smartwatch features, though those haven’t been completely divulged yet. Tag reps have stated that the company does fear the smartwatch trend, and that this trend might tap into the luxury retail market, which would be bad for a company like Tag Heuer.
Just a Trend?
If Tag can make a smartwatch that does everything others can do, but with a great design, Tag might come out in the front of the smartwatch game. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of luxury designers entering into the smartwatch market, though. That rumor first appeared a few months ago, and it seems as though all the wheels are just being put into place now.
Since this is a luxury watchmaker (part of the LVMH conglomerate), you can expect the new watch to be priced accordingly. However, it also sounds like Tag’s new watch might be worth that price. If you like the idea of the smartwatch, but hate the way that most of them look right now, you may find that Tag’s new watch is both appealing, luxury-inspired, and comes with all of those gadgets that make smartwatches so popular right now.
Tag Heuer might just be cashing in on a popular trend with the smartwatch, but it’s unlike that a company with this much prestige would simply jump on a bandwagon and risk the company name. In other words, it looks like the smartwatch might actually be here to stay - only now it’s going to be more fashionable.