Breitling to Debut Exospace Smartwatch
Swiss watchmakers may have started out dismissing the idea of smartwatches but one by one, some are deciding that if you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em. Now Breitling will soon become the latest maker of traditional luxury timepieces to market its own wearable device.
At the 2015 Basel World watch show back in March, Breitling displayed a prototype called the B55 Connect. This watch was the basis for the Exospace smartwatch, which will be launched on December 16 in New York City. This timing means that the new connected device will not be in stores in time for the 2015 holiday shopping season but is expected to be available in most markets soon after the first of the year.
Since the Breitling brand is best known for designing watches for aviators, it’s not surprising that the Exospace comes with several chronograph and multitime-zone functions. These can be programmed from a smartphone using Bluetooth. According to the brand’s vice president Jean-Paul Girardin, the Exospace will be just the first of a line of connected products to come from Breitling, with future models to incorporate features like GPS navigation, gyroscopes and sensors for pressure and acceleration.
While some in the Swiss watch industry view the coming of the smartwatch as a threat to their business, Girardin sees the new category as presenting a unique opportunity. “All this talk about smartwatches is very positive for the industry. It will remind young people in particular about the potential for wrist watches, as well as raise awareness generally,” he stated. “We’ve never talked so much about watches before.”
How much will the Exospace cost? Breitling has not revealed an official list price but the device is expected to sell for about $1,015.
