Thereโs a new smartwatch coming this spring, but itโs not from Apple. Also in the news are a racy new timepiece thatโs built for speed, price hikes on some major brands and a ritzy Big Apple boutique.
Swatch Plans Smartwatch
The worldโs top makers of fine watches seem to have reacted to the coming of the smartwatches in stages similar to those of dealing with grief. At first there was denial, but now theyโre working on acceptance. The Swatch Group is the latest watchmaker to have a wearable device in the works and this one may be hitting stores very soon.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the Swatch Group has plans to launch a smartwatch within the next three months. Not so coincidentally, this is about the same time that the Apple Watch will make its grand debut after months of hype and speculation.
There are few real details on the Swatch smartwatch other than that it will contain a NFC chip for mobile payments. The device is expected to work with Android and Windows rather than Appleโs iOS.
Since itโs doubtful that Swatch will be able to surprise us with anything now and innovative, letโs hope they can grab our interest with a really low price tag.
Bell & Ross Launches 30th Anniversary Watch for International Motor Show
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Luxury watches and fast cars are a winning combination with Bell & Ross enjoying a long love affair with the auto world. Now the brand is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the International Motor Showโan annual event that lets auto design professionals show off for fansโwith a new take on the BR 30.
This racy timepiece allows Bell & Ross to remind us of their long history creating innovative dashboard clocks for concept cars. The BR 30 sports a PVD-coated steel case and bright red second hand with jet-black dial and strap. At the 6 oโclock mark is the emblem of the International Motor Showโthe silhouette of a car, of course.
The 30th Anniversary BR 30 is a limited edition with only 30 pieces available.
Cartier to Raise Prices
The surge in the Swiss franc was certain to cause the makers of fine watches to raise their prices but the question was how much. Now we know that the Richemont brand Cartier will be increasing the prices on jewelry and watches by five percent in Europe. Swatch will be tacking an increase of five to ten percent on the price of watches by its brands Blancpain, Breguet, Longines and Omega.
