Accessory For The Week: Smartwatches For Men

The main benefit of a smartwatch is that it keeps you constantly updated without you having to whip out your smartphone,while you are trying to be ahead of time and in sync with tech you do not have to compromise and have your wrist look like it has a costume from Star Wars.

What you want to be is a man who likes the idea of a smartwatch a lot more than its appearance. In this GQ test,the smartwatch is tested with traditional dials still focused on telling the time. t

Connected by TAG Heuer (N 249,375)

Photo Credit: Wareable

A fully smart watch that doesn’t look like one. There are only four faces to choose from, yet the small dial displays smart information (weather, fitness, news etc), meaning no menu swiping. Best of all: you can swap it later for a mechanical movement. Nice.

Win: Realistic, fully digital face

Fail: At 45mm, it sure ain’t dainty

Breakdown:

Weight: 52g

Phone notifications? Yes

Touchscreen? Yes

Real dial? No

Fitness tracking? Yes

Horological Smartwatch by Frédérique Constant (N197,233 )

Frederique Constant

The thinnest watch on the test boasts delicate heritage stylings. Like the other semi-smart (ie, non-touchscreen) options, it doesn’t have smartphone notifications, instead using the same Motion X app for sleep-tracking and activity goals, but it’s perfect for lovers of tradition.

Win: By far the most beautiful

Fail: The smart functions will date

Breakdown:
Weight: 71g

Phone notifications? No

Touchscreen? No

Real dial? Yes

Fitness tracking? Yes

Helvetica Smartwatch by Mondaine (N136,022 )

Photo Credit: Forbes

The opposite of the delicate-seeming iWatch, this is satisfyingly masculine but sophisticated. A second dial works as an at-a-glance indicator of smart functions, including sleep tracking and activity goal-tracking and will even switch modes automatically between the two.

Win: Clean design, simple readout

Fail: Smart functions remain limited

Breakdown:
Weight: 85g

Phone notifications? No

Touchscreen? No

Real dial? Yes

Fitness tracking? Yes

Exospace B55 by Breitling (N1,507,586 )

Photo Credit: Bloomberg

A genuine hybrid boasting a mechanical movement and a real watch dial, along with sleep/fitness trackers and two digital strip displays. These add a genuine smartwatch/phone link-up, along with the usual Breitling pilot functions.

Win: Best battery, great app

Fail: The two digital readouts are fiddly

Breakdown:
Weight: 80g

Phone notifications? Yes

Touchscreen? No

Real dial? Yes

Fitness tracking? Yes

Active Smartwatch by Huawei (N65,517 )

Photo Credit: Currys

With 50 read-outs, this is a fully swipeable smartwatch (think football scores, fitness, weather updates and emails) using the Android Wear app. Good value.

Win: Fully smart, lots of faces

Fail: Not the most attractive

Breakdown:
Weight: 96g

Phone notifications? Yes

Touchscreen? Yes

Real dial? Yes

Fitness tracking? Yes

Source: GQ

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