When it comes to smartwatches, they’re a dime a dozen. You have the Samsung Gear series, the Apple Watch series, the ASUS Zenwatch and more. Each come with their own mix of features, different operating systems and price tags. However, the market for premium smart watches is a bit more lacking in variety. TAG Heuer and Intel hope to remedy that by introducing the latest product of their collaboration, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 smartwatch.
Yes, that’s quite the name you’d have to memorise if you intend to purchase it.
It’s the second collaboration between the Swiss watch manufacturer and the chipset maker as well as a premium price tag. While the TAG Heuer Connected retailed for $1,500, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 starts at $1,600. However, unlike its predecessor, the price tag may be justified in this smartwatch.
That’s because the Modular 45 has interchangeable parts, hence the name. The main 45mm smartwatch module can be exchanged for a Swiss-Made mechanical option that transforms it into an “ordinary” luxury timepiece. (Your options include either the Calibre 5 or the much more premium Heuer 02T Tourbillon, which TAG Heuer claims has “the most accurate mechanical movements around.”) As a result, in the event that the connected module gets outdated, customers will still be able to have the latest, high-end TAG Heuer on their wrist.
And the connected module isn’t the only thing that can be swapped out. The straps, buckles and lugs can also be changed. The core Connected Modular 45 range consists of 11 different designs; the watch module comes in either silver or black, while the straps are available in rubber, leather, titanium or ceramic, and in a plethora of colours. Furthermore, there are an extra 45 additional options such as premium materials, including diamonds.
As a result, consumers will have a grand total of 56 different designs and, according to the company, over 500 different design combinations.
Specification wise, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 sports a 1.39-inch round AMOLED display which is enclosed by a ring that houses all the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas. The OS is Android Wear 2.0 which is powered by Intel’s Atom Z34XX processor. Battery life is expected to be at 30 hours of battery life., but I always caution readers to expect a lower figure than official estimates. Furthermore, there’s GPS but there will be a lack of LTE or a heart rate monitor.You can go diving with the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 up to 100 feet.
