It feels like the Christmas schizofrenia is already upon us and it is very evident in the fast growing and very competitive wearable tech market. Today HP launches the new Micheal Bastian designed smartwatch, the MB Chronowing Smartwatch. I definitely love the “Chronowing” naming, it brings together chronos (time) and now (flow)ing, however, for the rest it feels like a watch with a serious identity crisis. Clearly targeted to the aspirational set and sold exclusively at Gilt.com, Chronowing is esthetically quite pleasing: the masculine steel face, recalling a classic Rolex, the adventurous feeling leather strap….
but is there really a market for a smartwatch with black/white screen, characters and icons that resemble the first Blackberries and no touchscreen? What can this stylish (boy) toy do? It shows sports results, email and social media notifications, it is water-resistant up to 5 ATM and battery lasts up to 1 week.
Personally, I find a strident contradiction in trying to fit new technologies in old forms, aged containers. The success of products like Coca Cola and iPhone prove that most agree with me: new technologies go with new designs.
At $350 ($650 for a limited edition in snake leather), I really don’t know any tech collectors who might definitely want this on their Christmas list.
A final consideration: I’m surprised, well kind of, at HP for these news. Just last week it gave us a glimmer of hope, that it was trying to be once again at the forefront of new tech with its keyboardless, mouseless Sprout desktop. It is a very futuristic and also very green idea, just think of how much these projected keyboards can save in terms of natural resources.
Diagnosis: undoubtely HP is having a case of Holiday Season Schizofrenia.