These days in the Messe Basel - the third largest city in Switzerland - passes watch exhibition Baselworld, the main theme of which were chronometers that can connect to mobile devices.
Made in September last year, Apple loud announcement of the wrist device capable not only tell the time, but to be a communicator, to monitor the health of the owner and stuff, seriously worried about manufacturers of classic watches, and many of them have started to develop their smart device. Some - Frederique Constant, Breitling, Bulgari - in time for the opening of Baselworld-2015 to present their version of "smart" watches to compete with Apple Watch. Others - Swatch, TAG Heuer, Gucci - announced the launch of such developments.
Swiss Horological Smartwatch from the company Frederique Constant - c classic quartz watch dial - can be interfaced with smartphones. Among other things, they are able to measure the physical activity of the owner. Some of these readings are displayed on the watch dial, the main - the display of the mobile device.
Watches Breitling B55 Connected also able to connect with a smartphone, but in this case the smartphone acts as a tool to install multiple functions of hours, focused on the pilots.
Bulgari is in Basel their "smart" watch MagnEsium until the status of the concept and at the same time with a serial version of hours Diagono Magnesium - mechanical automatic watch in a magnesium enclosure. In MagnEsium - the same structure and the same body as that of the serial clock, but they are additionally equipped with an antenna and a chip, allowing the clock to connect with smartphones.
"Smart Watch - the hottest topic Baselworld: whether they can become luxury goods? - Says the managing director of Bulgari Watches Guido Terreni. - Luxury customers think about values. But values can be digital: PINs, bank account numbers, and so on".
Therefore Bulgari partnership with WISeKey, specializing in the protection of computer information, have developed a "wrist safe" - Watch Diagono MagnEsium. These watches are the additional key that provides access to the encrypted owner information stored in the "cloud" WISeKey: smartphone owner brings to the clock, after connecting on a smartphone is unlocked access to the application Bulgari Vault, where the owner can store information about your bank accounts, credit cards and so on. Batteries hours MagnEsium not: enough power chip smartphone.
Also in Basel was announced future "smart" watches TAG Heuer - the company will develop them in cooperation with Google and Intel - and smart watches Gucci , the Italian brand partner will make California company i.am +, the developer of "smart bracelet» PULS.
"Smart" watches have become a real headache for traditional mechanical watchmaking.However, the real masters of watchmaking look to the future with optimism: the world is still quite true fans watchmaking. Time will tell.