Watch Out for the e-Watch: a 'smart' 21st C avatar

Old pocket watch

The watch... ahem! shouldn't we call it by its proper name the wrist-watch? The term is a hangover from the days when 'real' watches were meant for the coat pockets of macho men, and not for the wrists and certainly not to be worn in that timeless style adopted by Gandhiji -- hung from the waist with the chain hooked to the loincloth!

Wrist watches or 'wristlets', as they were called, were reserved for women, and considered more of a passing fad than a serious timepiece! Like the car, the watch too had kept its resemblance to its predecessors since the early 1900s when names like Rolex emerged as a byword for durability and accuracy. But they started becoming truly popular only in the post-WW I era when soldiers returning from the frontiers started sporting 'trench watches' on their wrists, and suddenly wrist watches started becoming popular.

WW-I era watch

Admittedly till lately the wrist watch had remained a 'one-trick pony' that could tell the time, and not do much else. This changed when in the 1970s digital watches were introduced. From then on till the end of the 20th C, watches added on many capabilities to their itinerary, like calculators, games, stop watch and even GPS systems.

That was the track record for the watch for the 20th Century. But now getting into the 21st Century, the good old 'wristlest' is going through a r/evolution to perhaps wrest the title "watch of the year" in 2013. As we all know, 2012 was the year of the 'smart' phone when reality overtook the hyped capabilities of the multi-role device, which perhaps for the first time gave new meaning to the oft--repeated phrase "convergence". An equivalent 'smart' r/evolution is all set to be applied to the staid old wrist watch, thanks to the innovative dreams of nearly half-a-dozen emerging companies. Dont think these start-ups are alone; some of the industry heavy-weights and trend-setters in today's world like Apple, Sony and Google have quietly got into the bandwagon. Surely the action is going to be hectic in the coming months.

First off, let us take a look at what exactly a 'smart watch is. Well, the modern digital time-piece is a capable instrument that can do many things, and tell time too, but that doesn't make it any smarter. What makes the 21st Century e-avatar of the trusty old timekeeper on the wrist a winner? Comparing it with the 'smart' phone paradigm, it is easy to see why. Software configurability is the mantra of the smart device. A new 'app' re-defines the functionality of the instrument, and with an array of apps, the same old piece of hardware can be a dozen different things to a dozen different users. This, then, is going to be the decider in favour of the e-watch.

Custom faces (Pebble)

For starters,  the appearance of the e-watches are infinitely customizable to match your mood, activity or outfit, with beautiful downloadable watch faces displayed on a screen behind scratch-proof crystal. What makes them really 'smart' is when they connect and sync with your smart phones over a Bluetooth wireless link. (both Android and Apple standards are catered for, and there are rumours about a Blackberry compatible model too.) In addition to answering calls that come to your phone, most of them can also display incoming SMSs, let you check social media sites and postings, control your phone's music player, alert you about your calendar appointments etc. Their power  and versatility stem from the numerous 'apps' and here the limits are set by your (rather, the app programmer's!) imagination.

It is interesting to note that agile young start-ups have stolen a march over the tech behemoths in this field driven by innovation and "out-of-the-box" thinking. Companies with just a bright idea and no capital have gone online to seek what is known as "crowd funding" in order to go into production. Let us have a look at the current players in the field and what they have to offer.

Pebble Watch

It is not easy to connect the name Pebble Watch with a tech novelty. But the somewhat curiously named Pebble Watch is from a crowd-funded ($ 10 million!) start-up. It has an e-ink display that is readable in bright sunlight that can be customized with downloaded watch face designs; it connects to both Android and iPhone, and in addition to the 'basic' features, can also serve as a sports computer for cyclists, runners and hikers and as a golfer's range finder, thanks to its ability to access GPS data from the smart phone. It can access email and show weather alerts too. It is powered by an ARM micro and the rechargeable battery is claimed to hold its charge for a week.

I'm Watch

An expensive contender in the arena, though with a 'standard' feature set, is the I'm Watch with a conventional touch screen and the ability to sync to both iPhones and Android smart phones. It is powered by an Atom processor, 128 MB of RAM and has a built-in storage of 4 GB.

The Martian smart watch is a model that is closer to the 'Dick Tracy' watch of the early 20th C comic book era. It has voice recognition and you could initiate action with voice commands. In addition to the traditional analog clock face, it has an additional tiny display below that for alerts and messages.

Basis Technology squarely targets its product at the fitness crowd. It has an array of sensors (for heart rate, skin temperature etc) and it can track your workouts and measure a wide range of biometric data in real time, and even your sleep patterns.

Cookoo Watch

The Cookoo Watch is for those at the entry level, though its features too are somewhat basic and limited. It closely resembles an analog watch and has a long-lasting (1 year) disposable battery and it is waterproof up to 50 meters depth.

The inexpensive inPulse watch can sync with a Blackberry smartphone, and has also an app for slide/powerpoint presentations. It is powered by an ARM-7 processor.

Sony, the consumer electronics giant, too has joined the fray with smart watch models that have all the popular features and a stylish touch screen.

Rumours are already floating around about an iWatch that Apple is planning to release soon. With its market clout and design prowess, Apple could really set the cat among the pigeons. It is interesting to note that the company has neither confirmed nor denied the rumours about the product.

Google e-watch concept

Industry watchers have pointed out that Google, the search and tech giant, is apparently very close to releasing its own version of the smart watch. In 2012 Google did secure a patent for some features of its watch, including a flip-up semi-transparent display. Rumour mills report that Google's watch would be able to give directions, retrieve product information and display email notifications, and will be packed with sensors, radio, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and accelerometer.

It looks like the e-watch evolution is on in earnest and 2013 will be the year when the humble old wristlet of the 20th C will be taking on a 'smart' e-avatar to offer unprecedented synergy to the already powerful smart phone. With innovation and ingenuity powering the vision of designers and programmers, it is likely that today's 'smart watch' could very well rival yesteryear's sci-fi fantasy.

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