“A Blog To Watch” is reporting that Montblanc will be stepping into the smart wearables market along with its upcoming Timewalker Urban Speed collection of timepieces. It is expected that the luxury watchmaker will announce the “e-Strap”, perhaps the first attempt by the luxury timepiece industry to embrace wearable technology.
The e-Strap will be compatible with all 42mm or 43mm wide Timewalker watches currently or previously available and have a 0.9 inch monochromatic OLED touchscreen display with a 128×36 pixel resolution. The strap will come with a stable of wearable features such as notification access, calling capability, text and email functions along with activity tracking capable of syncing with an included iPhone or Android app. Montblanc assures that the internal Li-ion battery will allow the e-Strap to have 5 days of continuous use 
between charges, so users would not have to worry about nightly trips to the charger.
This might be an indication that the luxury timepiece industry is starting to recognize both the threat that wearable technology poses as well as its possible benefits. By introducing the e-Strap, Montblanc hopes to appeal to its customers and give them the best of both worlds; smart technology without sacrificing the mechanical watch. In recent years, some outlets have predicted that the popularity of smarphones and wearable technology will spell the end of the wristwatch. But indications are that the watch industry, supported by high-end makers like Rolex and TAG Heuer, is not only strong, but growing.
So as Apple prepares to come to market with an 18K gold version of its upcoming Apple Watch, it seems clear that luxury watch brands will not go quietly. What are your thoughts? Do you think that by adding in wearable technology, luxury watch brands can prosper? Or do you think this marks the last gasps of the mechanical wristwatch? Let us know in the comments below, or on Google+, Facebook or Twitter!
[button link=”http://www.ablogtowatch.com/montblanc-e-strap-combines-smart-wearable-device-mechanical-watch-timewalker-urban-speed-collection/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: A Blog To Watch[/button] [button link=”http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-watchs-time-isnt-up-2013-07-01″ icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Marketwatch[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
