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Connected health technologies specialist Withings has taken the hybrid device of a watch plus fitness tracker to new heights of style with the launch of the Activite, with a watchcase made of stainless steel 316L and a crystal of sapphire glass which includes touch-screen capabilities to tap between modes.
The Swiss-made analog watch also functions as an activity tracker that monitors steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled and sleep patterns.
The watch features no buttons, rather it responds to simple taps to change between modes. Powered by standard watch batteries that last a year, the device also is water (5ATM) resistant, meaning users can wear it in the shower or while swimming in a pool.
The Activite will be available from selected retail partners and on the company’s Website in the fall, when it will hit the market in a choice of black or silver finishes and retail at $390.
The device works with the company’s Health Mate application, which allows users to develop personal activity plans while acting as a coach to help them achieve personal goals.
The platform allows users to monitor progress, share results and also vibrate with encouragement as goals are surpassed.
“At Withings, our mission is to inspire health, and with the Activite we have created a universally appealing tracker that promotes the benefits of healthier lifestyles in a chicly designed watch people are eager to wear,” Cedric Hutchings, CEO of Withings, said in a statement. “The Activite is forged with the quintessential ‘French touch’-the art of mixing design and style, inspirations and eras, traditions and innovations to create a 21st century timepiece that connects us to the time and universe around us as well as our bodies’ natural rhythms.”
Created by a team of designers in Paris and made in Switzerland, it features Connected Movement, a time mechanism certified for its precision and long-term accuracy.
The Activite also connects to Apple’s iOS devices through Bluetooth Low Energy and will automatically update when the user change time zones.
“This is a really exciting time in fashion, which until recently has not been on speaking terms with technology,” Nina Garcia, creative director of Marie Claire magazine, said during the device’s unveiling at an event in New York. “We are now seeing these worlds coming together in highly creative ways and the Activite is at the forefront of that charge. It’s unlike any smart watch I’ve seen, a true style accessory and one of the most wearable wearables out there.”
Activite will also monitor sleep patterns including time to fall asleep and length of light and deep sleep, all before waking the user up with its vibrating alarm clock function. Its smart sensors automatically detect and switch between active and sleep mode.