The company behind high-end watches and writing implements, Montblanc, has unveiled its first foray into the world of wearable tech: a smart watch-strap which aims to bring the functionality of a smartwatch to wearers of the company’s luxury timepieces.
The “e-Strap” as it has been affectionately monikered, comes as an optional extra when purchasing one of Montblanc’s Timewalker Urban Speed watches and allows the wearer to read notifications and control their smartphone’s camera and music without having to delve into their pocket for the device itself.
It’s crafted out of ‘Extreme Leather’ – whatever that may be – and comes with a carbon fibre-esque coating which gives the strap an attractive yet modern edge, while the digital module itself is crafted from DLC (diamond-like carbon) coated steel, ensuring a hard-wearing piece of tech for the end-user.
In addition to allowing wearers to view calls, texts, emails and calendar items on its 0.9-inch monochromatic OLED touchscreen, the strap also offers basic fitness-tracking features such as a built-in pedometer.
As is to be expected, these are not devices aimed at the low-end or even the middle of the smartwatch market; the strap itself will retail at €250 (just shy of £200) for Montblanc customers who just want to upgrade their current timepiece, however if you’re investing in a whole new wristwatch and want the e-strap included, you can expect to pay a minimum of €2990 (£2336) for a watch from the Timewalker series.
We can’t see Montblanc’s e-Strap being particularly disruptive amongst other smartwatches on the market as the pricing is too prohibitive for most normal folk, but in terms of bringing high-end timepieces into the smartwatch fold, it’s a nice step forward which will keep luxury watch fans, who want a slice of tech in their lives, happy.
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