(Published in Montage Magazine, January 2018)
The holiday season is all about fun and games, until it’s over and you’re faced with the reality that January has come around a lot faster than you’d anticipated. To help soften the blow, give your significant other a digital upgrade with a smart watch that will help get him or her back on track and ease them into a new year.
Although luxury smartwatches are a relatively new frontier, they make popular gifts. Watch connoisseurs will be delighted with their sophisticated design and tech lovers impressed by their intelligent connectivity.
These modern timepieces are just as much a status symbol as their established forebears–they’re also a lot of fun. And although they can do many things (like monitor your heart rate or count your steps and calories while giving you directions to the nearest Spa Montage) purists will be pleased to learn that their primary purpose is still to tell the time.
Louis Vuitton’s first foray in wearable technology is just as you would have imagined—luxurious. While the inside of the TAMBOUR HORIZON smartwatch is like most other smartwatch technology (with an Android Wear operating system, compatible with Android and iPhone), the outside—not unlike their handbags—is a statement piece. A luxury brand that’s renowned for its iconic L.V. monogram luggage and traveling pieces, it’s no accident that the company has decided to continue this tradition by creating a smartwatch with frequent flyers in mind. Housed with specific and exclusive apps (My Flight and City Guide) it’s likely to appeal to a well-connected, jet-setting crowd, $2,450, at louisvuitton.com.
The striking F-80 MOTION smartwatch by Ferragamo showcases the best of both worlds—maintaining the elegance of the traditional F-80 timepiece with its classic design, while providing high-tech capabilities that allow you to keep in touch and stay connected. Smart functions include activity and sleep pattern tracking, adaptive coaching, smart sleep alarm, automatic time zone synchronization and more. It’s accessible to Android and iPhone users through the MMT MotionX-365 app. A Swiss-made movement powers a three-hand time on a striking guilloche dial that completes the masculine design, $1,395, at ferragamo.com.
A perfect partnership, based on combining legacy and innovation, results in the creation of the latest APPLE WATCH, HERMÈS SERIES 3 model. Featuring a new built-in cellular technology means it doesn’t need to be synched to an iPhone for it to work. It also features powerful new health and fitness enhancements such as a barometric altimeter that measures relative elevation. The handcrafted Hermès leather band in perforated black Gala calfskin is inspired by the classic Hermès driving glove, and an additional Apple-designed watch face created with the Hermès Carrick font in mind completes the ultimate tool for modern life. The Unisex Single Tour Rallye band is paired with a 42-millimeter stainless steel case, $1,299, at apple.com.
Fans of the Apple Watch that have been waiting for a high-end luxury model should be thrilled with the APPLE WATCH SERIES 3 with a white ceramic chassis and sport band (both offered in white or gray). On it you’ll find an accelerometer, a GPS sensor and a heart rate monitor. If you’re a cycler, skier, stair climber or runner, it also has a barometric altimeter to track elevation data so you can watch the intensity of your workouts. The new S3 processor promises better WI-FI performance as well, with a much faster W2 chipset and brighter display. You can even ask Siri how you’re doing. $1,299, at apple.com.
Showcasing the recognizable single 12-o’clock dot, the MOVADO CONNECT touch-screen smartwatch is sleek and minimalistic, with a sturdy round watch face. Its smooth edge-to-edge crystal and an “always-on” display looks modern and cutting edge. Paired with a discreet LED window as well as a day-to-night transformation, it’s Android and iPhone compatible. It helps you connect by displaying texts, appointments and steps, and features a 46.5-millimeter stainless-steel case with black ion-plated bezel, black silicone strap and stainless-steel buckle, $595, at movado.com.
By Sabrina Azadi
By Sabrina Azadi
