As more and more luxury watchmakers join the smartwatch arms race, Swiss company TAG Heuer has partnered with two tech giants to make smartwatches that don’t look like the typical gadget you’d wear on your wrist.
On Thursday, the company announced a partnership with Intel and Google to create a luxury smartwatch powered by Intel’s wearable chip technology and Android Wear.
The slow evolution of smartwatches from wrist gadgets to luxury items began before the Apple Watch, but now that Apple now has a $17,000 18-karat-gold wrist accessory, the competition for high-priced connected fashion accessories is heating up.
Details about TAG Heuer’s smartwatch are scarce, but according to Reuters, the device will look like the company’s best-selling regular watch.
A handful of other Swiss brands recently announced a smartwatches that look and feel like their traditional quartz models but boast the capabilities of wearables, including diamond-encrusted faces and fitness tracking.
TAG Heuer’s watch is set to debut at the end of 2015, and a full set of features and pricing will be announced later this year.
While the watchmaker might be dipping its toe into tech, Intel is going all-in on fashion. Along with its TAG Heuer partnership, the chipmaker recently partnered with fashion house Opening Ceremony to create the MICA bracelet, a $500 luxury smart cuff that pairs with your smartphone to show you basic notifications.
As much as people love using their smartphones, chances are they don’t all want to wear them, which is why there’s an increasing push to make wearables that don’t look like pieces of technology and can appeal to a much larger audience. You can put gold around the face of the Apple Watch, but it still looks like an Apple product.
Photo via TAG Heuer
