The smartwatches that stole the show at Baselworld

If Baselworld 2015 sent one message in particular, it’s that luxury watchmakers are deadly serious about the development of smartwatches.

The annual Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show, which takes place in Basel, Switzerland, is traditionally a gathering of high-end watch manufacturers to show off their latest timepieces, but this year, smartwatches stole the show.

Here is a small smattering of the noteworthy wearables that Baselworld watchmakers had to offer in Switzerland.

Famed Swiss manufacturing company Tag Heuer first announced plans for a smartwatch in September of last year. While they had no wearables product to unveil at Baselworld, they did announce a partnership with Google and Intel. Tag Heuer didn’t reveal many details about the Android Wear device, though there are rumors that the watch’s display will look exactly the same as their signature black Carrera (pictured above).

One of the more surprising collaborations unveiled at Baselworld was one between Italian fashion brand Gucci and Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am. The smartwatch doesn’t need a smartphone to support its functions; rather, it operates on 3G connectivity. What’s more, it has a camera, activity tracker, and other flashy features. Will.i.am was at Baselworld wearing a prototype of the watch, but the release date remains unannounced.

Mondaine is known for its simple design, and the company’s Helvetica 1 Smartwatch stays true to its minimalist Swiss aesthetic. This video from CNET shows how the Helvetica 1 is not only a timepiece, but an activity tracker. You can set activity goals in an iOS or Android Mondain app, which then show up on the watch’s smaller dial. The Helvetica 1 will go on sale later this year.

Vector wasn’t actually present at Baselworld this year, but the company used the event to promote its two new wearable productsL the Luna and the Meridian. Vector’s Luna (pictured above) has a round display, while the Meridian’s is square. Most impressive about Vector’s smartwatches is the battery power. Vector claimes the battery will last up to 30 days. Both watches can be pre-ordered now, though release dates have not been revealed.

Other smartwatches seen at Baselworld 2015

• Frederique Constant and Alpina’s Swiss Horological Smartwatches, which both use MotionX for activity tracking and cloud connectivity
• Swatch’s Touch Zero One, with a battery life that Swatch says will last for months
• Breitling’s B55 Connected, which tracks flight chronograph data for pilots and adjusts to timezones
• Bulgari’s Diagono Magnesium, a “concept smartwatch” that can unlock doors, start car engines, and make mobile payments
• Kairos’s Hybrid Watch, with a mechanical watch behind a 40% transparent screen
• Tissot’s prototype of a yet-to-be named smartwatch, which will be available at the end of this year

Stay tuned to Wearables.com as we demo these impending releases.

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