The much-teased smartwatch from Tag Heuer went on sale today. The bottom line: it’s got a huge titanium case, a vulcanized rubber wrist band, customized watch faces, and a $1500 price tag.
If you like petite timepieces, this one is not for you. The watch is 46mm in diameter, the same size as a Moto 360. It’s 12.8 mm thick, which is 1.4mm thicker than a Moto360, and a solid 52 grams — roughly the weight of a stainless steel 42mm Apple Watch. The titanium case is blinged out with an expected complement of Tag Heuer branding; this is, after all, a luxury device and visible branding is important. The bling isn’t limited to the case. Tag Heuer has customized apps and watch faces available to registered customers.
There are the usual motion sensors and a mic but no GPS, heart sensor or speakers; all notifications are haptic. It’s splash proof but not water proof — a little fragile for a brand whose motto is “Don’t Crack Under Pressure.” It’ll work with Android and Apple phones. And if you don’t like it after two years, Bloomberg reports, you can trade it in accompanied by another $1500 and get a mechanical watch in return.
Order online, and you can get it only with a black strap. Go to a Tag Heuer store — today at the New York City flagship, starting tomorrow everywhere else — and there are six other strap colors available. And no, you can’t get it at Best Buy.
