The Helvetica 1 smartwatch, unveiled in March at Baselworld by Swiss watch manufacturer Mondaine, is now available for pre-order. Packing MotionX and Sleeptracker sensors, the first batch of the Swiss-made smartwatch will be limited to only 1,957 units in honor of the year the Helvetica font was introduced.
Unlike other smartwatches that essentially attempt to put a smartphone on your wrist and display like display text messages and emails, the Helvetica 1's "smart" functions are limited to fitness and sleep tracking capabilities, which users transition between hrough a dial on the side.
The device also departs from the traditional smartwatch crowd by featuring an analogue face, and although basic activity and sleep tracking data (and the date) can be viewed on the sub-dial, users will need to pair the watch with an iOS or Android device for accessing more in-depth data.
The activity tracker monitors daily steps, calories burned and total distance covered, with users able to set goals based on intensity and steps taken. At night it can be worn or placed under the pillow to monitor the length of time spent in deep or light sleep or awake, and wake you during the lightest phase of sleep.
One of the biggest advantages over most other smartwatches is the Helvetica 1's battery life, which Mondaine claims is over two years.
Mondaine has put the Helvetica 1 up for presale at US$850, with the price set to increase to $950 in September.
Source: Mondaine