Introducing The Withings Activit, A Swiss-Made Smart-Watch That Links to Your Smart Phone...And Actually Looks Good

June 26, 2014

The Withings Activit integrates an accelerometer and digital tracker into a Swiss-made quartz movement. The Withings Activit is by and large a fashion-focused watch. This is not a fact that the maker, Withings, tries to hide. (Withings product line is design-focused, including a futuristic Smart Kid Scale that links to a smart phone to track a childs growth). Amidst the number of smart watch prototypes and accessories coming onto the market, the Activit caught our attention because it actually looks good. ReallyCthe clean Junghans-esque design is something to be appreciated. Moreover, the Activit reflects an interesting approach to the smart watch concept: by hiding the brash technical aspects of the product, in theory it will be more wearable.The Activit was designed in Paris and built in Switzerland. Inside the stainless steel case is a Swiss-made quartz 36.3mm movement called Connected Movement that automatically adjusts to local time when the wearer changes time zones. It achieves this by synching via Bluetooth with an iOS device adjusted to the correct time. The Withings Activit also features a touch sensitive-sapphire crystal. Interestingly, Withings has found a way to translate a digital metric into a mechanical format. The subdial between 4 and 5 oclock is actually linked to a digital tracker and accelerometer. The scale from 0 to 100 represents the percentage progress made toward activity targets like steps per day or hours of sleep. The watch connects to iOS devices via Bluetooth Low Energy, allowing the user to preset targets and track overall progress on an app called Health Mate. The smart watch synchs to an app called Health Mate, which tracks metabolic metrics. Even the sapphire crystal has been updated by being integrated with a vibration sensor. For example, two taps on the crystal will display a pre-set alarm time by moving the hands of the watch. Different sequences of taps will alternate between various functions of the watch.Overall, the Withings Activit is an interesting step forward in the nascent world of smart watches. It solves the problem of inelegant wearable digital technology by incorporating all the digital wizardry into a format that can be universally appreciated: a minimal, good-looking watch. Two versions are available, a black dial with red-hued accents, and a white dial with blue. Two models are available, one with a black dial and the other with a white dial. Notably, the watch is battery-powered using a standard CR2025 button cell that should last a year before needing replacement.And it doesnt hurt that at $390, it wont break the bank. The Withings Activit will be released this Fall. For more information, visit Withings online.