Reading Tag Heuer’s announcement about its intentions to develop a luxury smartwatch in partnership with Google and Intel certainly sounds interesting, at least on paper. From its press announcement, the company sounds ready to challenge the Apple Watch with what could be one of the best Android Wear devices yet. However, the Swiss watchmaker has not revealed any specific details about this major product nor has it shared any images that might show potential buyers what the gadget would look like.
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It’s clear that Apple is putting plenty of pressure on conventional smartwatch makers, even though the iPhone maker has never sold a watch until now. Tag Heuer is not the only Swiss company that’s developing a smartwatch, but the watchmaker is already hyping the device without really revealing anything about it.
Considering that it has partnered up with Google and Intel, it’s clear the device will run Android Wear and pack Intel chips. That means the device should offer the same features currently available from other Android Wear devices and will require pairing with an Android handset for smart features.
But Reuters has learned the device won’t launch until autumn, and it will be based on the current Carrera watch series – in other words, it appears the Tag Heuer creation will be a digital replica of the original Tag Heuer black Carrera model.
Pricing details for Tag Heuer’s upcoming smartwatch have not been revealed yet.
LVMH watches chief Jean-Claude Biver said on Thursday at Baselworld that this is his “biggest announcement ever,” in 40 years of working in the industry, Bloomberg reports. He also said the unnamed device will be the “greatest connected watch” while taking some shots at Apple in the process as well.
“The difference between the TAG Heuer watch and the Apple watch is very important,” Biver said. “That one is called Apple and this one is called TAG Heuer.”
“Apple will get young people used to wearing a watch and later maybe they will want to buy themselves a real watch,” the exec told Reuters. “People will have the impression that they are wearing a normal watch.”
