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Withings has unveiled a classy hybrid diving watch, if you want a fitness tracker that also looks fab

The new Withings ScanWatch Horizon looks like a flashy timepiece, but can it do just as a good a job of fitness tracking as well?

The problem of many fitness trackers is that, no matter how well they record your vital signs during a workout, or manage your notifications during the day, they often look a bit clumsy or even tacky when put side-by-side with a real-deal analogue watch. But the Withings ScanWatch Horizon is unlikely to have that problem.

Withings ScanWatch Horizon

Image Credit: Withings

Looking just like a classy mechanical timepiece — and yet also boasting the benefits of a fitness tracker too — this is one of the few times you’ll be able to wear such a device on your wrist without it feeling out of place if you’re heading for a night out.

Set in a 43mm stainless steel case, and with a flat sapphire glass display, the watch has a laser-engraved rotating bezel and a beefy crown that really gives it the look of a genuine diver’s watch. But how do the “smart” specifications stack up?

If you’re already familiar with the Withings ScanWatch, you’ll be pleased to know that it keeps the same impressive list of features, including: a blood oxygen sensor, sleep apnea monitoring, fitness tracking for more than 30 activities, and even an in-built ECG.

As the device is a hybrid rather than a fully-fledged smartwatch, the data from these tools appears on a small in-built display at the top of the watch face rather than occupying the whole screen.

Do you like Withings’ approach to making a fitness tracker that is more or less indistinguishable from a traditional watch? Or do you think that smartwatches should continue to prioritise innovative and highly customisable displays rather than paying homage to their analogue counterparts? Let us know what you think of the new design in our poll below.

 

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