As a watch enthusiast, I have always questioned, why would men give up their sole symbol of prosperity and class to an e-ink display? The prime real estate in question – the wrist – is worthy of a mechanical creation that screams haute horology. However, my mindset changed when I came across the Kairos Mechanical Smartwatch, the World’s first and only mechanical smart watch hybrid.
Sounding almost like a contradictory statement, ‘Mechanical Smartwatch’ is a term that if full of promise when played right, if you balance both the ‘smart’ and the ‘watch’ aspects, you have a winner on hand. Picture yourself wearing a Mechanical Watch – your pride and joy – showcasing the movement in an exhibition caseback. And at the same time, in comes a call and your watch display transforms to a digital screen, informing you that your ex-girlfriend is calling and giving you the option of answering it or not.
Sounds very Bond-ish, but with the Kairos Mechanical Smartwatch this is a possibility. Combining the best of both the worlds there are two main models to pick from: MSW 115 and SSW 158. The biggest difference is that the MSW 115 model is equipped with a Miyota Japanese Movement while the SSW 158 is equipped with a certified SWISS Movement from SOPROD, a highly reputable SWISS movement manufacturer. Each Version comes in three variations.
Kairos Watches are available for pre-ordering at a special price.
The last bit of good news is that Kairos plans on perfecting their technology so it can eventually become the ODM suppliers to other Swiss watch brands. So for example, “Maurice Lacroix Mechanical Smartwatch – powered by Kairos”. How awesome is that!
Kairos Mechanical Smartwatch – [ Buy It Here ] Find them on Facebook here.
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(The Only Mechanical Smartwatch We Want was originally posted on Yanko Design)
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As the popularity of wearables grows, there are still some gaps in current models. A new startup seeks to add the missing ingredient to smartwatches.
It seems like a new smartwatch is announced or rumored every other day. Most of these watches are all over the spectrum, from powerhouse computing on your wrist, to minimalist functionality. All smart watches up to this point fail to provide a substitute for the most basic function of any watch: to tell the time without a regular charge.
This paradox puts most wearables in an awkward place. A watch is first and foremost a time telling device. If the battery on your smartwatch dies, it’s just an ugly bracelet. The only reason to wear a smartwatch is for the functionality. There has yet to be a smartwatch design that doesn’t sacrifice fashion for size and features.
That’s where Kairos comes in. Kairos is a new startup that aims to close the canyon between mechanical and smart varieties of watches. The Kairos smartwatch appears to be modern, reasonably fashionable–albeit, a little thick–mechanical watch, but hidden in the watchface is a transparent OLED display that lights up to provide the “smart” watch features when relevant
This design would be the penultimate of all smartwatches that have been announced yet, but it is important to note that all releases thus far are merely renders. There is no functioning prototype to speak of, yet Kairos is taking non-refundable pre-orders for various models ranging from $499 to $1,199. I, for one, will wait until I can get some hands on time, because the promise of this watch appears too good to be true, which likely means it is.
Kairos is attempting to produce a product that will contain the best of both worlds in its two halves, mechanical and smart. It’s important to note that this is its first watch model of any type. Kairos doesn’t have a smart watch or a mechanical watch currently on the market, so the ambition to produce a device that is on par with existing smart watches and mechanical watches may be a bit of a reach. It would be one thing if this was a partnership with Citizen, Swatch, or Timex, but this is an independent venture, so it wouldn’t be surprising for this first foray to provide a product that is really the worst of both worlds.
However, Kairos may produce a surprise product when the watch is released this coming December. At the very least, it serves as a great proof of concept. Even if the device is unusable, somebody had to be the first to market and an improvement on the design will likely be out sometime in the next couple of years.
Source: The Verge
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