TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 with Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch launched at $1,600
Intel and Swiss watch maker TAG Heuer on Tuesday unveiled a new TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 smartwatch with Android Wear 2.0 that supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC (Near Field Communication) which mean that you will be able to complete payments, log your workout, and browse your calendar, email, and much more without tethering the Modular 45 to a larger mobile device. Fitted with a small microphone, the watch enables the user to communicate with it via voice, in addition to touchscreen capabilities.
The Modular 45, which starts at $1,650 and can nudge $17,000 depending on the options you select, is the gorgeous timepiece you’d expect from Swiss engineers. But it also appears to be a showpiece designed to make Google’s Android Wear platform look its best.
The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 smartwatch is modular: you can choose from among 56 lugs, straps, and buckles that can be swapped out in seconds with no tools required. Material options for the straps include rubber, leather, titanium, and ceramic in many different colors, so you can go as gaudy or classy as you wish.
The watch module itself even has separate versions: the main Android Wear-powered smartwatch, and two mechanical watches if you want the latest from Tag Heuer but don’t want to wear what amounts to a smartphone on your wrist.
Based on the Intel Atom Z34XX processor, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 runs the Android Wear 2.0 platform and comes equipped with 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, 2.5 sapphire cover glass, durable titanium case and 4GB of memory. There’s also a 410mAh battery, with up to 25 hours of life and a charging time of under two hours.
The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 Smartwatch will be available in satin or polished grade 5 titanium starting March 14 at tagheuer.com, TAG Heuer stores, specialty watch stores and major retailers worldwide starting at $1,600.
“This is a Swiss watch which embodies the luxury codes of tomorrow, and which not only enables you to connect to the future but also to connect to eternity thanks to its simple and smart modular design,” CEO and president of Tag’s LVMH Watch Division, Jean-Claude Biver said in a sufficiently hyperbolic statement attached to the unveiling. “This innovative, unique and distinctive watch is at the forefront of the latest technologies available in Silicon Valley and, at the same time, a genuine Swiss watch, bearing the Swiss Made label. It is the incarnation of our leading position with the luxury connected watch and with this high level of technology.”
