Despite its questioned credibility, the smartwatch has inched its way into Baselworld 2017.

Tag Heuer

 

Not-so-smart! Experts predicted that the debut of smartwatch was the next big thing in terms of horology. Was it? Despite a huge launch as an electronic organizer that was meant to be worn on the wrist—the ultimate tool in effortless time-management, it failed to make a mark. Why? Rather than make our lives any simpler, it just added to sensory clutter. No one liked resetting Twitter notifications on their desktop, iPad, smartphone and smartwatch all at the same time. It just added to the stress, rather than helped us get our act together.

That was a few seasons ago. Then we went back to a phase of questioning, where we reverted to our simplistic analogs and the fashion police declared that the smartwatch was decidedly uncool, only to be worn only by gym bunnies who were trying too hard! The old world sophisticated dependability of a classic timepiece couldn’t be shaken by some millennial gimmick.

So, it comes as a surprise that at the 2017 edition of Baselworld—the Mecca of horology trade events—a lot of big names in the industry have subtly been pushing the smartwatch with technological tweaks, practical applications on the Android platform, cosmetic changes and other bells-and-whistles.

We’re still not sure if the smartwatch will ultimately survive, given the bad rep—but here’s a list of luxury labels who believe that the gizmo truly deserves a second chance. www.baselworld.com

As is the case for all watches, only time will tell:

SWAROVSKI

Huawei Smart Watch for Women

Considering the past collaborations with Samsung for the crystal-studded Gear S and Huawei, for the latter’s Watch Jewel, we should have seen this one coming. The Austrian manufacturer of cut glass, Swarovski finally seems to have come into its own in the complicated world of tech, when it cryptically announced the launch of its own smartwatch, just days before the commencement of the current edition of Baselworld. The specifics as of now are sketchy, but we are hoping that the matter will become crystal-clear as Baselworld 2017 unfurls. www.swarovski.com

MOVADO

Movado

Movado will be unveiling a series of, and not just one smartwatch this year. The time-wear group—that also holds licensing agreements with luxury fashion labels Hugo Boss and Tommy Hilfiger, has confirmed that it will be unveiling smartwatch editions for both brands, at Baselworld 2017. Movado’s debutantes will feature innovations like customizable dials and watch hands, Google Assistant support, an always-on display and a fitness tracking app. www.movado.com

TAG HEUER

Tag Heuer

The Swiss watch manufacturer is still sage in presuming that the smartwatch may just, in the end, not work out, and its sanest feature in the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 is the custom automatic watch head module, which means that you will be able to switch from the Android Wear 2.0-packing body for a traditional automatic movement body. At a starting price of $ 1,650 it is also one of the high-end smartwatches currently available in the market. www.tagheuer.com