Kairos Adds NFC Payments to Hybrid Watches
The Apple Watch may be getting all the media attention lately but some luxury watchmakers are quietly adding “smart” features to their own timepieces. Owners of the Kairos Hybrid mechanical smartwatch will soon be able to use their device to make payments via NFC.
Wirecard, a German provider of payments technology, developed a solution that allows the user of a smartwatch to make offline payments with NFC after downloading payment tokens from a smartphone. This lets a mechanical timepiece incorporate smartwatch technology. As Wirecard explains, “The Kairos Hybrid Mechanical smartwatch features a Swiss or Japanese mechanical movement with an integrated transparent OLED screen in the glass for smartwatch functions.”
Sam Yang, managing director of Kairos Watches, stated: “Kairos Watches believes that the future of payments is wearable. This partnership with Wirecard brings an unparalleled level of convenience and simplicity when it comes to payments.”
A luxury mechanical watch that allows the user to pay with a flick of the wrist and leave the wallet at home sounds like a happy compromise between a stylish traditional timepiece and a modern wearable device.
Abu Dhabi Jewellery & Watch Show Coming in May
If you’re expecting a really big refund from Uncle Sam this year maybe you’re planning to spend some of it on a Swiss watch or nice piece of jewelry. If so, you might want to book a trip to Abu Dhabi for next month when 150 luxury brands from all over the world will gather to show off their latest designs.
The 23rd Abu Dhabi Jewellery & Watch Show is scheduled for May 5-9 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre with exhibitors from Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, India and the USA including 40 new international brands.
Items to be on display include an 18K rose gold luxury phone adorned with diamonds from Mohammad Rasool Khory & Sons and lots of other lavish baubles for the ultra rich.