Swatch smartwatch may promise a six-month battery life

Swatch has teased plans for its upcoming smartwatch for some time now, and the latest information reveals the device could hold a charge up to half of a year.

“Whoever brings a battery for a smartwatch to the market that you don’t need to charge for six months has a competitive advantage,” said Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek. Indeed, a battery life of six months creams the competition: The Apple Watch dies after only 18 hours of use; Pebble Time promises a charge that will hold for seven to 10 days.

Hayek said in an interview with Swiss publication Handelszeitung that Swatch is working with research group Belenos and battery producer Renata on the super battery. The goal is to come up with a battery that has uses beyond the Swatch smartwatch.

“Next year we will come to the market with a revolutionary battery, not only for watches but also for automobiles,” said Hayek. Automobiles may seem like a strange industry for Swatch to get involved in, but it’s not foreign to Hayek. His father Nicolas Hayek, Sr. was heavily involved in the creation of Smart car technology before his death in 2010.

This news about an industry-changing comes after Swatch announced initial plans for the smartwatch in March. The watch manufacturer has been working with outside partners to build certain features that Swatch isn’t familiar with, like touchscreens. Swatch plans to release its smartwatch in 2016.

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