Currently, the Apple Watch Series 7 is the most popular watch in the world, and this honestly doesn’t come as much of a surprise, when you take into consideration the number of people you see jogging or walking on the street, with their Apple Watch armed on their wrists. But the Apple Watch isn’t your only option for a smartwatch! Designers are coming up with smartwatches that not only provide perfect form and functionality but also manage to look super smart when we wear them, and they might just be the perfect replacement for your Apple Watch 7. The options are endless, so to help you pick a smartwatch that works best for you, we’ve curated a collection of innovative and cutting-edge smartwatches that will cater to everyone’s unique time-telling needs and requirements, and also totally deserve to be on your wrists. From a smartwatch with transparent sides of the dial to a fashionable smartwatch that keeps track of the air quality in your room – these futuristic designs might tempt you to ditch your Apple Watch! Enjoy!
1. The Concept One Watch
This watch conceptualized by Michael Szczególski of 2sympleks Design draws inspiration from the OnePlus Concept One phone that has an electrochromic glass (based on electronic CMF technology) for the camera module glass covering. While on first look it might seem like any other smartwatch, there’s one thing that makes it stand out from the crowd. When the camera app is activated, the glass magically turns transparent to reveal the sensors otherwise hidden from plain sight. The Concept One Watch employs this technology to blur the lines between a classic analog watch with kinetic movement and modern-day smartwatch functionality. The Android WearOS watch is a perfect hybrid capable of satisfying proponents of classic watches and ones who like the more modern approach of the connected ecosystem of smartwatches.
2. The Focus Smartwatch
While manufacturers are trying to banish bezels, Focus embraces them wholeheartedly. Taking inspiration from traffic signs, particularly the circular ones, the smartwatch uses thick bezels as a way to increase the visual focus of the small screen in the middle. There are no other superfluous markings around that screen, be it a rotating bezel or even a crown. This design is almost similar to the Pebble Time Round from 2016, but the display is even smaller, and the design decision was made by choice rather than being limited by technologies available at the time. That small screen also forces the software to be more selective in what data it shows and how. It’s pretty much limited to showing just one critical piece of information and nothing else.
3. The Wrist (1)
This is reminiscent of some of the high-end skeletal watches or the niche transparent watches that expose the innards like the watch movement and other mechanical parts. So, unlike other contemporary smartwatches on the market, the Wrist (1) will expose internal components by using a crystal clear transparent case, displaying the raw beauty of the precise engineering of what makes the wearable tick from the sides. To keep up with the competition, Nothing will inculcate health and fitness-centric features such as a heart rate monitor and step counter. This is courtesy of the LED and photodiodes that work in tandem with the AI algorithms for the most accurate measurements.
4. The Titanium Elektron
The Sequent Titanium Elektron offers the best of both worlds – the activity/fitness tracking features of a smartwatch or fitness band, and the accurate time-telling and everlasting power supply of a Swiss-made mechanical watch. The Titanium Elektron eliminates the one major compromise with most smartwatches – the fact that you have to routinely charge them. It does so by refining and upgrading a technology that has existed in mechanical watches for years but hasn’t really seen mass adoption by tech companies, that have wholly embraced the lithium-ion battery movement.
5. The Tambour Horizon Light Up
Three full years after the company announced the 1st gen Tambour Horizon in 2019, Louis Vuitton is giving the smartwatch a refresh with a newer edition that offers endless customization wrapped within a design boldly and unabashedly highlights the LV brand. The watch comes with a 1.2-inch display that sits within a stainless steel body underneath a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. However, while most smartwatches with displays often fall within the trap of having a bezel (no matter how minimal it may be), the Tambour Horizon Light Up avoids that trap by turning the bezel into an interactive dynamic element too.
6. The Nubia
The Nubia is to smart-watches what the plus-sized displays are to smartphones. The watch comes with an impressive 4-inch display that wraps around the upper half of your wrist, giving the Nubia the largest display on a smart wearable BY FAR. Designed to help lay the information out in a way that’s easy to see no matter the angle, Nubia’s vertical display is instantly eye-catching and is conveniently long enough so that you don’t need to scroll away on a tiny screen. It comes with a real-time heart-rate tracker, 4 dedicated sports/fitness tracking modes, the ability to accept and reject calls, find your phone if it gets lost, and summon your phone’s native voice assistant.
7. The Wyze Watch 47c fitness smartwatch
The Wyze Watch 47c fitness smartwatch features a range of health sensors to measure your blood oxygen levels, acceleration, heart rate, and more. Equipped with a pair of LED clusters, the watch can measure your oxygen saturation to inform you of any health risks that could occur. It also records your daily step count and tracks your sleep, as well as heart rate. Amped with 9-day battery life, the watch can be worn all day without the stress of it randomly dying off. The IP68 waterproof rating ensures that you can even wear it in the rain! The sleek display is a 1.75″ screen with 320 x 385 pixels.
8. The MedBot
The MedBot is a smartwatch concept that monitors each user’s health conditions, measures blood pressure, stores medications and pills, and sets health-specific reminders. Architectural designer Batyrkhan Bayaliev produced the MedBot, a smartwatch that monitors health, stores medication, and reminds users when it’s time to take antibiotics and various pills. Intent on exploring the intersection of health and smart technology, Bayaliev created MedBot as a means for everyone to have access to their health and catalog of medications throughout the day, wherever and whenever. Similar in fashion to an Apple Watch, Medbot maintains a sleek, inconspicuous design that leaves enough room for a storage compartment where users can keep their pills and medication.
9. The Muse
The Muse is a hybrid smartwatch with practically no learning curve. Just as intuitive as a touchscreen display, the Muse comes with the added advantage of looking like a stylish timepiece, rather than a gizmo on your wrist. With two hands on the main dial, one subdial, and one window that doesn’t show you the date, but rather displays the functions of the watch, allowing you to know exactly which function you’re running, the Muse manages to find a great middle-ground between being analog and being essentially a smart wearable. Couple that with two control buttons on the side, and you have a watch that doesn’t need a display at all. Slick and stylish, the Muse is every bit a great analog timepiece.
10. The ZOS smartwatch
The ZOS smartwatch tries to take the mystery out of sleep management and analyzes sleeping habits in order to recommend better sleeping times and conditions. It also has features like smart alarms and even ASMR audio recordings to help induce sleep. The ZOS smartwatch concept doesn’t exactly look like your typical smartwatch, especially with its elongated screen. It is, however, designed for maximum comfort since you are supposed to be wearing it even in your sleep. The choice of magnetic straps and leather material was made with that in mind, ensuring the wearer’s wrist won’t be irritated in the middle of the night, disrupting their sleep.
