The Suunto Ambit offers almost everything you need to track your outdoor performance, including a full-featured GPS with 3D Compass that lets you pinpoint your location using multiple coordinate systems. It features an altimeter that determines your altitude and logs your vertical gain should you go mountain climbing and a heart rate monitor that works in combination with a chest strap.

The built-in SiRF IV low power GPS chipset allows for a long battery life of up to 15 hours with continuous GPS tracking and 50 hours with GPS tracking every 1 minute. The watch is water resistant to 100m and comes in either black or silver for $550 or $600 with the optional heart rate belt. It will be available starting in March.

[via Gizmag]

What this band represents is the simplest way to get the beats of your body, it able to connect to your profile through mybasis.com and update you on how your body is working out. This Web dashboard is updated by data you feed to it through the microUSB port on the side of the face of the band. The whole thing is also waterpoof for you sweaters out there.

You’ve got an accelerometer, Galvanic Skin Response sensors to track perspiration and body temperature, and your ambient temperature as well. You’ve got a lot of running to do, in other words, and uploading your worst days might just be more fun now than uploading your best – have at it! We’ve got photos of the device here as well as hands-on video incoming soon – stay tuned!

This was back before we all had a smartphone in our pocket that could give us that info and a lot more on a screen you can actually read. I remember trying one of the watches out back in the day and being rather “meh” on the thing. The SPOT watch was discontinued back in 2008, but Microsoft was going to continue the service for the geeks still rocking the device.

As of January 1 2012, the service that the SPOT watches used to get their data has been discontinued. That date wasn’t a surprise though, it was announced in 2009. Do you have one of these watches? If so were you still wearing it? I would wager the service hasn’t had many users in years.

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Operation is via touch and swipe, with a side-swipe unlocking the touchscreen and then tapping the corner points to access the alarm and the settings. Scrolling your finger around clockwise sets the time in either of the two zones, or the alarm. There’s also room to show the date.

Three LCD colors are on offer – red, blue and green – with optional backlighting and an animation mode for when you want to mesmorize someone. If you think the rest of your Steampunk-inspired outfit can live up to the Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch, it’s on sale now for $149.

There’s also the ability to locate your phone, with the PP-SHOCK watch reminding you if you walk away leaving it on a table or down the back of the sofa. Finally, the watch’s time is automatically kept up to date via the smartphone’s connection. The system was initially demonstrated back at CES 2011 in January, taking advantage of Bluetooth 4.0′s advances in reducing power consumption to maintain a persistent link without draining the battery.

Even so, the PP N-01D still brings a decent sized power pack to the party: a 1,700 mAh unit rated for up to 630hrs standby or up to 450 minutes talktime. There’s also a 1.4GHz MSM8255 processor, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth, world phone 3G roaming, and mobile TV support. NTT DoCoMo will also offer wireless file transfers using the inductive charging plate: drop your smartphone down to recharge, and it will automatically transfer your recent photos and videos to your computer.

The DoCoMo NEXT MEDIA PP N-01D phone will go on sale come December 9, and is available to preorder now. The PP-SHOCK GB-6900 watch won’t arrive until the new year, however, pricing tbc.

Update: We’re hearing the GB-6900 will be the equivalent of around $235, and the battery is supposedly rated for a whopping two years based on 12hrs of Bluetooth 4.0 connection per day.

This watch is one that’s meant to speak to mathematic geeks and will be produced by the Philadelphia-based Cadence watch company soon. This watch combines the unit circle with the 12 hour dial like you’d normally see, but wait – right there at the 3 position is a 0, and pi sits where you’d normally see a 9. The angle measurements at each of the hours are called out by Thompson, and the eighths are in there as well. All this make sense to you?

Behind the numbers that’s no ordinary twirl, that’s the Archimedean spiral, one that graphs the equation r = a + bθ, and is described as looking “cool” by Thompson, who placed it there for that reason, of course. You can win one of these watches by simply placing your email in the slot on a Radian watch giveaway page at Cadence, or just wait a brief period before the watch is release formally. Look like something you’d wear to your local math convention? How about a present for your favorite math professor?

And for the inevitable commenters screwing up their fingernails typing furiously on what the definition of the word “technology” is, the real question is this: are you, the SlashGear reader, interested in seeing non-digital watches daily?

E Ink has the incredibly advantageous nature of extending battery life as none of the backlighting or power that is usually needed for conventional displays is needed for the World Time Sport watch’s E Ink display. And the fact that your watch usually goes with you everywhere, either inside or outside, all the time, makes the application of this technology even more relevant and useful. The World Time Sport makes it Phosphor’s second commercially available E Ink digital display watch to date.

Furthermore, the World Time Sport is able to select from 24 time zones from one display mode, while being able to simultaneously display a second time zone, which is easily configurable by the user. It’s initially available in three colors of your picking, black white and orange. The Phosphor watch also features a lightweight silicone band and a durable plastic casing. Pre-order the watch now for $79, or at retail later for $99, available from Phosphor online and select retailers nationwide.

[via Phosphor Watches]

Hardware

Tiny display and tiny chassis: the WIMM One is certainly compact. The 32 x 36 x 12.5 g case weighs a mere 22g, and is fronted by a 1.8-inch 160 x 160 capacitive touchscreen. The display panel itself is actually a bimodal one: it can operate as a regular LCD, in full color, for indoor use, or as a monochrome transflective panel for low-power and outdoor use, visible even in direct sunlight.

Inside, there’s a 667MHz processor paired with WiFi, Bluetooth, an accelerometer and digital compass, speaker and a vibration alert. The case itself is splashproof, and has only one physical control: a recessed power button on the right side. On the back, there’s an 18-pin proprietary connector, which matches up to a microUSB sled that the WIMM One magnetically latches to for recharging and synching with a computer (where it mounts as an external drive, showing 2GB of onboard storage). We did find the watch could shift around on the charger base and lose contact if we weren’t careful with how we placed it, though there’s an LED to show when it’s actually charging.

WIMM One Hardware Overview:

WIMM also includes a microUSB cable, a USB power supply and a rubberized watch strap. The latter – which has a frame into which the WIMM One slots – is a chunky, oversized thing, bulky on the wrist and hardly shows the smart watch off at its best. WIMM has plans for alternative options, like lanyards, clips and third-party watch straps, but for the moment this is your only option.

Battery life is billed at a whole day’s use, and we found – with a persistent Bluetooth connection to our smartphone – the WIMM One lasted well into a second day. The low-power screen mode helps on that front, switching into transflective mode automatically after a few moments of sitting idle. When left to sync over WiFi, battery life was worse of course, though we still got a day’s casual use out of it.

Software

Setup of the WIMM One is through a web-based interface, shown in your desktop browser and in a browser-based tab of the Android and BlackBerry smartphone apps. WIMM is working on an iOS app, but it’s not ready for release yet. Initial setup requires a WiFi connection and then punching a code shown on the smart watch’s display into WIMM’s site: that pairs the watch with your account.

From there it’s a matter of setting time and date, choosing your home city and setting up sync frequency. Further tabs take you into a selection of different watch faces, which can be hidden and reordered, as well as settings for the Micro Apps. Again, these apps can be shuffled around in the order they show on the app carousel, or hidden altogether if you don’t find yourself using them. Some have further settings, such as choosing cities in the Weather and World Clock apps, or registering your Google Calendar or Exchange Calendar to be shown in the WIMM One’s Calendar app.

Under the hood it’s a modified version of Android keeping things ticking, though you wouldn’t know it to look at the smart watch. WIMM has customized the whole UI to suit the compact display, and in general it works well. The standard control scheme is tapping or swiping up to open an app, swiping down to close it, and using two fingers to pull down the watch face (with its date, time and weather information). A further swipe down shows the battery gage, Bluetooth and WiFi status, and whether the WIMM is in flight mode with all radios shut off.

WIMM One Functionality:

In general, the WIMM One proved responsive. We occasionally experienced issues getting the touchscreen to respond to taps or swipes first time, but there was none of the prolonged lag that leads you to wonder whether or not you’ve actually pressed a control. Apps load quickly and, while 1.8-inches and 160 x 160 is hardly spacious, do a reasonable job of showing sufficient on-screen information while also accounting for normal eyesight.

On its own, the WIMM Android app supports pushing SMS and Caller ID notifications to the smart watch. Receive a text message and it’s shown on the WIMM, complete with sender and the message body. Incoming calls show Caller ID – if you have the name of the person stored in your phone – and an option to divert to voicemail. It’s worth noting that you can’t respond to an SMS or answer a call from the watch; instead you have to pull out your phone in the usual manner.

Apps

Out of the box, there are six native apps loaded on the WIMM One: Weather, Calendar, World Clock, Timer, Alarm and Stopwatch, then the Settings page. Functionality is pretty much self-explanatory. The Weather app shows day by day forecasts for the cities you’ve selected, side-swiping taking you through each location, as with the World Clock. The Calendar pulls in your appointments from a single Exchange or Google Calendar, flagging up notifications on-screen. The Timer, Alarm and Stopwatch let you set count-downs, timed alerts and measure time respectively, including a lap feature on the stopwatch.

WIMM has bold ambitions for its smart watch platform, and key to fulfilling them is getting developers onboard. They’ll be able to release so-called Micro Apps, adding functionality to the WIMM watch that’s either an extension of your smartphone’s abilities, or standalone features that you might want easy access to on your wrist.

Eventually, there’ll be a WIMM Micro App Store – available online and in the companion smartphone app – through which users will be able to browse apps, read reviews and install/uninstall them. At present, it’s a case of downloading a .apk file, transferring it via USB to the WIMM One and then watching as it shows up in the app carousel. Uninstalling is a more tricky procedure right now – you can either use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to remove individual apps manually, or do a Factory Reset to get rid of them all – but that will be changed in the future.

Apps are currently distributed through WIMM’s forums, though there’s relatively slim pickings today. Currently there are five stable titles to try, though given developers are only just being allowed to buy WIMM’s hardware, that’s no great surprise. There’s a Coffee Card for Starbucks app that allows you to register your loyalty card and scan it when you grab your morning latte, and a News Reader app that lets you either choose from a preset list of RSS feeds (including news, tech, politics, sport, etc.) or log into your Google Reader account and see your own feeds. Stories are presented as headlines in a list, and tapping them takes you to the full article; swiping left and right moves through the articles in order. It’s a useful way to catch up on the latest happenings, though there’s no way to flag or share articles for the desktop or other people.

The Simple Calculator app does what it says in the description, giving a straightforward way to make basic calculations, while SportyPal Active is a companion app for the existing SportyPal Android software: you can track your current and past exercise from your wrist. WIMM is also working on a pedometer API to track steps and lifts, which should make fitness apps like these even more useful.

Finally there’s the app we could perhaps spend longest with, Balance Ball Micro, a Labyrinth style balancing game where the WIMM One’s accelerometer is used to navigate a ball through a maze. It’s a good demo of the sensor’s sensitivity. WIMM also has an area of its forums for untested applications, though given the early nature of the platform (and the difficulties in removing apps that potentially don’t work) we stuck to those titles the company thought were ready for primetime.

Unfortunately there are still some obvious apps that are missing in action. We receive far more Gmail, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ notifications than we do calls and text messages these days, but so far there’s no way of seeing those alerts flagged up on the WIMM One. In fact the smart watch doesn’t even ping when they come in, meaning you’ll still have to listen out for your phone beeping whenever there’s an update. Similarly, no IM apps are represented in WIMM’s catalog: it would be great to see Google Talk, Skype and other IM clients flag up incoming messages on the smart watch’s display.

Future

Omissions are understandable, however; this is a product that’s only just hit the market after all. Developers were invited to buy the WIMM One watch kit earlier in the week, priced at $299.99, but even without the hardware itself it’s possible to download the SDK and begin coding for the platform. Porting Android functionality over from app to Micro App is apparently a relatively straightforward process, so that should help reduce lead-time before we see more titles become available.

Meanwhile, WIMM is pushing ahead with its hardware development program, kicking off an HDK (Hardware Developer Kit) alongside its software counterpart that includes the WIMM One module’s precise dimensions and various CAD files, the latching mechanism, tech specs and recommendations on what materials accessory manufacturers might want to use. The hope is that soon WIMM One owners won’t have to use the clunky rubber watch strap bundled with the smart watch face, and will instead have a range of alternative straps, clips, badges and other options.

Beyond that, there’s open peripheral support, using the WIMM One’s fourteen pin connector to develop active accessories that will integrate new sensors and outputs. We’re yet to see the first fruits of third-party developers taking advantage of the HDK, but WIMM has a “preferred supplier” agreement with manufacturing giant Foxconn that certainly suggests the firm means business.

Wrap-Up

Usually at this point in the review we’d give a final opinion: is the WIMM One worth buying, or should you steer clear? In the case of this smart watch, however, it’s far too early for such decisions. WIMM is taking its first steps, and the WIMM One is targeted, today, at developers rather than the mass market.

What we can say is that, of the smart watch projects we’ve seen to-date, WIMM’s is the one that has captured our attention most thoroughly. The combination of a broadly-accepted Android base, open approach to software and hardware standards, and pre-emptive agreements with well-known manufacturing partners adds up to probably the best chance of succeeding in a segment that has seen many launches and many failures. The WIMM One Developer Kit isn’t something we’d recommend everyday users buy, but we’ll certainly be following the WIMM One project with interest.

It’s the unmistakable set of Hello Kitty’s ear bow, ears, and nose, set amongst Nooka’s classic Zub Zirc face. In the upper left-hand corner you’ll find what you’ll easily recognize as an abstraction of a conventional analog clock. Below this you’ll find the minutes of the hour ticking away along a line of digitally-placed marks, along with AM and PM marks to the right of the circle. Control buttons sit around the outer bits of the face, and the whole casing is white outside the printing of the kitty face.

This device is going to cost you $130 USD if you pick it up today, and take note, because the innards as well as the outer bits are high quality. This watch has 3ATM water resistance, alarm, chronograph, date, time, and the display is TDF LCD Display that’s Electroluminescent(EL). The lens is Mineral Crystal, the case back is Stainless Steel, and you get a 1 year warranty right out of the box.

The box, by the way, is what Nooka calls an exclusive siliconezone food-grade silicone package that you’ll be able to use for cooking and general storage if you wish. What a wacky green situation! Pick this device up over at Nooka.

These watches are utterly simplistic, having just a simple leather wristband and a 43mm stainless steel casing around the clock which display which has several different optional sets of information. For the 4-Bit Retrograde, you’ve got the same binary clock times with the ability to display dual time or Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) so you’ll be sure to be able to get to where you’re going without worrying any face is slow. You’ll have the choice of either a white or a black face with features in the opposite color.

Next there’s the 4-Bit UTC Chrono, which, as the name suggests, has a chonograph on the face. You’ll get the same 42mm stainless steel case and some lovely luminescent hands to show up smoothly across the black face of the watch – plus the UTC to keep you synced. Finally there’s the 4-Bit Chrono, which is essentially the same watch at the UTC Chrono but without the UTC. Each of these watches uses a Japanese Miyota movement, this meaning you’ll never have to wind the watch, plus a sapphire coated quartz glass to prevent the face of the watch from getting all scuffed up with scratches.

The 4-Bit Chrono and the 4-Bit Retrograde will cost you $185 while the 4-Bit UTC Chrono jumps up slightly to $195. There’s also a Binary Day sale going on today which will get you 25% off on any of these watches. Grab em at Cadence Watch Company (if they’re not up when you click in, they’ll either be available later today or they’re completely sold out.)

Pair the FR70 with an optional Garmin foot pod, however, and it can track your speed and distance while walking, jogging or running. There’s also a speed and cadence sensor that will work on your bike, or you can use ANT+ to wirelessly connect to compatible treadmills, spin bikes, elliptical trainers and other gym equipment that want to tattle on your performance. However, there’s no GPS integration.

Meanwhile, used with Tanita’s BC-1000 body-composition platform – basically a very fancy set of scales – your  weight, body fat, body water, muscle mass, metabolic age, bone mass, visceral fat and other intimidating-sounding measurements can be collected. Those can be shared using Garmin Connect, the company’s socially-enabled online tool, so that others can coo in an impressed way or gasp at how unfit you are.

The Garmin FR70 will go on sale in November, priced at $129.99. Both men’s and women’s versions will be on offer, though that basically means you can have the FR70 in either blue or pink.

Compared to some of the company’s other watches, which demand deciphering and calculations before you can tell whether you’re late or otherwise, Kisai Seven is very straightforward. The inner ring shows hours and the outer ring counts 5 minute blocks; the L-shaped bars underneath both show 1-4 minute modifiers, allowing you to figure out the exact time.

The plastic body is attached to a polyurethane strap with a seamless butterfly clasp, and you can trim the strap to fit. Both white and blue LED versions are available, each recharged via USB, and there are several display settings so that you can have the time pulse periodically, show up on-demand only, or be illuminated permanently.

The Tokyoflash Kisai Seven is on sale now, priced initially at $99 (and then jumping to $139 at the weekend).

The watch has dual sapphire crystals with one of the digital watch face and the other over the rotor for that little micro-generator that keeps the thing powered up. The watch stays powered for 45 days so it won’t go dead overnight on you. The watch features LED backlight, dual time zones, alarms, and a perpetual calendar.

The watch also has some sort of OS behind the scenes. That would mean that updates might come to add other functionalities to the watch as well. It’s cool looking for a digital watch. The big downside to this watch is the price; it sells for $5,500. The black watch is a limited edition. A silver version is available as well for $5,250.

[via Wrist Watch Review]

At 35g it’s certainly light, but it’s also reasonably bulky for a watch (if not for an Android-powered device). There’s no integrated cellphone functionality, of course, but you can pair the MOTOACTV with your Android phone and have text messages and other content pop up on-screen when they arrive. Alternatively there’s the MOTOACTV’s own abilities, including media playback and location tracking.

The touchscreen is bright and responsive, though we’ll need to see how it copes in direct sunlight; an important consideration for a gadget intended to be used outdoors. The UI has been modified to make it easier for stabbing at buttons on the move, prioritizing clean design over any fussy MOTOBLUR tendencies.

The biggest hurdle will be the price: $249 for the 8GB version (or $50 more for twice that capacity) which is a whole lot for a glorified remote display.

The watch is water resistant to 50 meters and is the first multisport watch from Garmin that offers swim metrics like distance, stroke identification, stroke count, and pool length. The watch can also compute the swimmers swolf score, which is a measurement of swim efficiency. The battery on the watch is good for 20 hours of use.

The 910XT also has a virtual Racer mode that allows the user to compare their time against other times. The watch can also be handlebar mounted on a bike. The 910XT has a vibration motor or alerts like heart rate and distance so when audible alerts can’t be heard the wearer can feel them. Garmin also included ANT+ support for connecting to wireless sensors. Pricing is unknown at this time.

Hovering just behind are two dials, for showing completely independent times. MB&F are keen to point out just how independent that actually is: rather than allowing for 30 or 60 minute offsets, it’s possible to set the two dials to whatever time lapse the wearer chooses.

As if that wasn’t enough eye-candy, at the bottom of the face is what’s said to be the world’s first vertical power reserve indicator, with the remaining power shown on a curved dial standing proud. Manually wound, the LM1 engine can last up to 45 hours and incorporates 279 components and 23 jewels.

The 44mm diameter, 16mm thick MB&F LM1 is available in 18k red gold or 18k white gold. No word on pricing, but as is always the case with this company – and luxury timepieces in general – it’s not going to be cheap.

The watch has a launch price of $179 for another 40 hours and then it goes back to the normal $199 price point. In addition to the dual time zones, the watch also has seconds, date, alarm, and an animation feature. The touch zones around the face allow access to change modes, view time, alarm, date, and light up.

I really like the red one, it reminds me more than the little of the Motorola Droid eye that shows on boot up. The touchscreen has a lock function to prevent you from changing things by accident. The outside large bricks are the hour, inside the dots show the minutes, and the center rings show the time in zone two. You can get the watch in green, blue, red, or natural screen colors. The band is a polished gunmetal color.

The watch is measuring out 1/1000ths of a second at 500 Hz, meaning that the small balance wheel inside goes back and forth 3.6 million times an hour. At that many beats per hour, most mechanical systems would shatter. Your average Rolex can measure only about 28,800 beats per hour and would likely not be able to go beyond 50,000 beats per hour.

Hence, the TAG Heuer Mikrometer Flying 1000 Concept watch is one powerful little machine. As one reviewer put it: “a completely mechanical device that runs faster than a sports car engine and comes in a package about as big as a silver dollar.”

Now we don’t know what you’ll need to time with such precision, but even if you had the need, the watch isn’t available just yet. It’s still a concept at this point, but in the meantime you can watch it in action below.

[via WristWatchReview]

Otherwise there are “super luminous” hands to leave you suitably dazzled in darkness, a rotating inner timer ring just as you’d find on a diver’s watch, and 10 ATM water resistance. Inside is a Miyota 8215 Japanese movement powering day, date and time.

A leather strap and a choice of bright yellow or more subdued black faces round out the main specs. They’re handsome things, with a little of the Cyrillic about Cadence’s font choice to our timepiece-jaded eyes. Up for pre-order now ahead of a launch in October, priced at $225.

New Meta Watch CEO Bill Geiser tells GigaOM that, while Fossil saw the potential for the project, it fell outside of the watch company’s core expertise. That could have left it floundering, hence selling it off to its original creators (along with some investment from, among others, ex-Nokian Juha Pinomaa; some of the ongoing research will in fact be conducted in Espoo, Finland).

“It’s good for Fossil, good for us and good for this category. But the connected watch business wasn’t in scope of Fossil’s core competency of lifestyle products. So this generated an opportunity for a focused team to take this on because when you throw radios in these products, it changes everything” Bill Geiser, CEO, Meta Watch

“We think of ourselves of the FedEx of notifications” Geiser says, talking of the importance of reliability with connected devices such as the Meta Watch. As we discovered with the Sony Ericsson LiveView late last year, patchy dependability is the kiss of death: if the watch doesn’t consistently maintain its connection and alert you in a timely manner, you end up not wearing it.

The Meta Watch is expected to go on sale later this month, priced at $200. As for the future, the company plans to look into boosting the range of notification types supported, as well as looking at location-based advertising. They’ll face competition from other smart watch start-ups, however, including the WIMM Wearable Platform we played with last month.

A little black metal flap on the back flips down to show you a tall counter that will count down the next 1000 years! I guess you can pass this thing down for the next ten generations of your family if you want. There is also a dial on the back for 100 years and a dial for oil change. That last one is very strange. The oil change shows when the watch needs serviced and all the counters reset to zero when they are complete.

The coolest part to me is the rotating spires for the month that spin to show three months at a time. The price and availability for this watch is unknown. I am sure with the complexity it boasts this will not be a cheap watch. I wonder if the case is strong enough to resist scratches in the pocket.

The Meta Watch features a touchscreen that can display information and updates synced via Bluetooth from your other mobile devices, such as your phone or tablet. The watch uses TI’s MSP430 microcontroller and comes with its own hacker-friendly open source SDK/API. This allows developers to customize what information gets displayed.

The watch has a water resistant stainless steel casing, leather strap, and mineral glass crystal display with 3-axis accelerometer, vibration motor and ambient light sensor inside. It’s available in both a digital and an analog version with the digital version having a 96 x 96 reflective display and the analog version having two 16 x 80 white OLED displays.

[via Engadget]

It claims that there was an issue with the watch programming chip that caused intermittent issues with USB connections. The programming clip is the part that connected the USB cable to the back of the case. The issue with the clip was severe enough that Fossil notes it had to take all the clips apart, re-flash them, test, and then reassemble.

The analog watch also had an issue with the quality on the black plating on the steel. Fossil reports that the watch was set to ship to Hong Kong on August 31 and those will now be shipped on September 2. An exact ship date for the US is unknown, though it’s interesting that the watches are shipping from TI in Texas to Hong Kong.

The number on top of that box is the hour, the one on the left is the tens of minutes, and the number on the right is the single minutes. The watch comes in several colors with a black or polished chrome band. The black band comes with blue, orange, red, or green LCD screens. The silver band version can be had with pink, green, or orange LCD backgrounds.

The watch has a backlight and also has a date function. The watch has an internal battery good for about a year of use. You can check out the watch on video below to see how easy it is to read.

Before we continue to speak on whether or not this device was created several years ago, this then explaining the old version of Android, lets be clear about when this device will be released: sometime within “the end of November 2011.” In addition, images for this watch-like device have only been released this month, August 2011. This device is currently only available through pre-order and at the moment, the creators have no plans to have it carried in stores. This device does not connect over Wi-Fi, instead working solely with Bluetooth, using bits of your smartphone to function fully.

The way this watch works is with a combination of alerts sent from your smartphone and with an independent Android system working on the watch itself. Explained most clearly through the apps it’s running, you’ll find that this watch has the ability to work on its own (functioning then very much like an iPod Nano), or with your smartphone very similar to a Sony Ericsson LiveView – this link leading you to our full review of the device.

We’ve seen a couple other similar devices as of late, the first being just a whisper of a Motorola device by the name of Tracy XL, this perhaps transforming into the MotoActive we saw this past week. Then there’s the WIMM Wearable Platform which we got a full hands-on of this past week as well. How will the i’m watch compare?

In the apps is where you’ll find some of the answers. You’ll first and for most have a full analog or digital format, whichever you prefer. You can check the weather with Weather Forecast, see future events with Appointments, check a ticker with Stock Market, and look through a set of images with Photo. As for items such as Calls, Message Preview, Email Preview, and Notifications, you’ll be getting “previews” of items as sent to your i’m watch through Bluetooth from your smartphone. You’ll still need to take out your smartphone to actually access your phone calls, your messages if you want to reply, and your full emails, but previews can be seen from the i’m watch.

Then there’s i’music and the i’market. It’s not entirely clear how either will work save that i’music will at least be able to play music you add to your i’m watch like any average digital music player through your headphones which you can plug into the device, and the i’market will have new apps you can download once the device is in action and developers begin developing specifically for the device.

And what about these gigantic prices spoken about in the first paragraph of this post? First, the lower prices right around 250 Euro, those are simple colors White, Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, Pink, and Black. Then there’s the really fantastic versions, Titanium for 599 Euro, Yellow, Pink, or Black Gold for 11,999 Euro, and White Gold with Diamonds for 14,999 Euro. You can request unique combinations of luxury materials as well, and each of these luxury editions are numbered and you can have you name engraved in them as well.

Sound like your kinda watch?

What this MotoActive has to offer is a tiny display (likely around 1-inch), touch screen, several physical input buttons around the edge, a single Android back button, and a cool red and black wristwatch band with which you’ll be sporting the new device in public. This device clearly has exercise in mind, a running made, some recent, running, and cycling options, and some specs on running sitting in the first row of previews. Of course there’s always room for music, Rihanna with her bright red hair in back of a play, fast forward and fast back buttons in the watch-based image.

All of this is of course based on the idea that this leak is of a real device, these images clearly being mock-ups and renders of a product that may not be complete as of yet. Why on earth there’s a need to bring the time of day back to one’s wrist is another question your humble narrator would ask, when it’s perfectly simple to take the smartphone out of your pocket and tap once. What do you think, time to get funky with some wrist-based Androids?

[via Android Community]

The unnamed Motorola sports watch or “all-in-one fitness and music personal fitness device” looks at first glance like the combination of the Nike+ SportWatch with an iPod nano, having a removable music player that snaps onto a rubberized and adjustable wristband. And indeed, the Motorola device aims to offer both a “smart music player” as well as a GPS-enabled fitness tracker.

The device could sync with computers as well as Android devices for uploading fitness data and users can customize the data based on their activity. However, besides the leaked images and the possible name of MotoActive, there’s very little information on the device and whether or not it will actually ship.

[via Electronista]

This watch has very clean and classic lines with little to bling it up. The watch has a black band and face with white markings and hands with a red second hand. It shows the date as well. The face of the watch flips up to reveal a compass underneath. The case is made from titanium and the crystal is AR-coated sapphire.

That liquid compass in the bottom is removable, will work in both hemispheres, and has mirrors to make it viewable. Those mirrors click into place to let you see the compass from the side when the watch is on your wrist. It is water resistant to 50-meters. Pricing on the watch is unannounced, but it won’t be cheap.

[via Uncrate]

The plastic parts of the watch are made from a corn-based material that will break down in a compost environment in a year to nothing but carbon dioxide and water left. However, the corn resin is as durable as any synthetic plastic in use. The watch is 80% eco-friendly in the small size and the larger size is 86% eco-friendly.

Watches from the firm that use diamonds are certified conflict free and all mother of pearl used comes from non-endangered species. The organic cotton is grown with no pesticides. The mineral crystal glass can be recycled and the battery used is mercury free. The watches are available now and range in price up to about $75.

When you look at the watch face from the top all you see are a bunch of lines that look complex. To tell what time it is all you need to do is hold the watch at an angle and read the face. At an angle, the numbers on the screen are clearly legible. The watch also has a LED backlight so you can see in the dark. The USB cable needed to connect to the computer is included.

Right now, the watch isn’t officially available and is only a design. I would bet it would come to market eventually. The design you see shows the watch in black with a green light. The watch could be made with different backlight colors. The design is up for a vote and if you want to see it become a real watch vote for it at Tokyoflash.

This device will be running Android 2.2 Froyo with a fully customized UI on the top, has a candybar shape, and will be able to use “any SIM card” connecting over Edge & HSUPA working with 3G, has 4 Band GSM/Tri Band WCDMA, AGPS, Wifi, WAPI, and stereo Bluetooth. And such a wild device like this would never be able to get in under Google’s radar and get approval for the Android Market, would it? It sure did – you’ve got access to the full official Google Android Market and all of its thousands of apps, with a few fine favorites already built in: Google Search app, Google maps, Gmail, YouTube, and a lovely new oddity E-Blogger.

This device has a 3.5-inch TFT LCD display with a resolution of 800×480 pixels. The TAG Heuer LINK has a standby time of up to 330 hours (14 days) supposed on a 1400 mAh battery, and on the back of the device you’ll be rocking a lovely 5-megapixel camera. Have a look at this presentation video and head below for the rest of the specs. Get ready for some slow motion passes over some fine craftsmanship to be sure:

This device is no thin sissy, sizing in at 118mm (H) x 67mm (W) x 16.6mm (D). It’s not made, though, to be held in your pocket with your wallet, your tablet, your box of crayons and your remote control though, it’s meant to be rough and touch. Have a look at this short description of the elite nature of this device, as provided by TAG Heuer:

Luxuriously crafted and detailed, the TAG Heuer LINK incorporates the most prestigious materials and advanced components in the watchmaking and automotive worlds, including black PVD, diamonds and rose gold. The mirror-polished and fine-brushed stainless steel is premium grade surgical 316L, corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic. The big display front is made from visually stunning, lightweight, and highly damage-resistant Gorilla glass®. The exclusive, hand-worked coverings are in calfskin, alligator or lizard. Every material, precious stone and exotic skin or leather is sourced within the strictest industry standards.

This design is mean to be as rough and as tough as any similar device on the market, coming in steel, titanium, or 18k rose gold – also making it a rather luxurious device if I do say so myself. You’ll also be able to choose between rubber, alligator, and leather. The TAG Heuer LINK is shockproof, airtight, water-tight, and has Gorilla Glass up front – so GOOD LUCK trying to bust this.

What do you think? You gonna pick one up when they become available at TAG Heuer retailers this July?

[via Android Community]

Tokyoflash says that the watch is slim and has a curved design with a solid stainless steel strap. The inner ring of lights shows the hour by removing the bar at the number position for the hour. The larger ring of blocks in the outside is the approximate minutes with the missing block showing the five-minute increment.

The much smaller outer ring of dots shows the exact minute. The watch looks cool, but this would certainly be one of the watches I had to stare out for a while until the person asking me what time it was though I was an idiot. You can order up the watch right now for $179 in any of the four colors. Check out the video below to see the watch in action.

The display is always-on, with a multicolored backlight triggered by the touch-sensitive lamp button. Those colors – and an on-screen chart – would be used to show just how drunk you are and whether you’re safe to drive, operate heavy machinery or text old girlfriends.

There’s no indication that Tokyoflash have any intention of actually manufacturing this particular design, though the company has crowd-sourced demand for potential products before so there’s always a possibility it could jump from drawing board to wrists if interest is high enough. Still, reading a regular Tokyoflash timepiece is difficult enough as it is: if you’re even mildly drunk then you’ll probably realize it straight away when all the blinking LEDs blur into one heaving mass.

Entering is simple: just head over to the SlashGear Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SlashGear.com, click “Like” and then leave us a wall post letting us know what you think the timepiece of the future will look like. Make sure to mention that “Cadence and SlashGear are timeless” in your post!

Cadence has generously offered to ship internationally, so this contest isn’t limited to the US. We’ll pick one winner after the closing date of Thursday, June 9 2011 at 11am PST. Good luck!

Rules

Contest begins June 1 2011, and ends June 9 2011 at 11:00AM PST. Competition is open to SlashGear readers over the age of 18. One entry per contest per person. Family members of Cadence and SlashGear/Android Community are not permitted to enter. Competition entries are only accepted via the specified SlashGear Facebook page; entries left in the comments section of this or any other post will not be recognized. One entry per person (and yes, we check).

The winner will be announced on SlashGear and will be expected to contact SlashGear via Facebook; they will be expected to respond within 24 hours else their prize may be forfeit and another winner selected. Editors decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winner agrees that their name and details of their entry may be used for promotional purposes by, but not limited to, Cadence and SlashGear/Android Community.

Prize consists of one Cadence 4-Bit Binary Watch. There is no cash alternative or any other alternative for prize winners unless this prize should become unavailable, in which case SlashGear and Cadence reserve the right to substitute another prize of equal or greater value. Contest provided by SlashGear/Android Community. Prizing provided by Cadence and will be shipped directly to the giveaway winner; the winner is responsible for any customs fees that may be charged by their country.

Apparently one of the most common requests the company fielded was to add UTC time to their watch, and so the 4-Bit Chronograph shows coordinated universal time as well, handy if you’re wanting to compare numbers with your server. The 42mm stainless steel case is waterproof to 5ATM and has a leather wrist-band and luminescent hands.

The glass is sapphire-coated quartz, which should help avoid scratches, too. Sales are expected to kick off in July, with the watch priced at $195.

Press Release:

Cadence Watch Company Unveils 4-Bit Chronograph Watch

Sophisticated watch that uses 4-bit binary code to indicate hours now includes a chronograph– improves your geek cred

Philadelphia, PA – May 26, 2011 – The Cadence Watch Company is excited to introduce the new 4-Bit Chronograph Watch. The subtle yet classy timepiece brings geeks a fashionable watch while adding the functionality of a chronograph and Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).

Instead of Arabic or Latin numerals, the numbers on this dial are in 4-bit binary – the system of 1’s and 0’s that all computers rely on. This watch is classy enough to wear on any occasion, while geeky enough to show your membership in the elite group of techies.

Other 4-Bit Chronograph Watch features and functions include:

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) display – the standard time by which the world regulates clocks, time and computer servers
42mm stainless steel case – striking appearance, perfect for the boardroom or on the go
Luminescent watch hands – against the black face of the watch adds to the sophisticated look
Genuine leather wristband – with subtle saddle stitched two part leather strap and stainless steel buckle
Miyota quartz watch movement – makes for an extremely reliable timekeeper that never requires winding
Water resistant to 5ATM – convenient for everyday wearing
Sapphire coated quartz glass – helps prevent watch face from becoming scratched

“We are pleased to introduce a unique watch that is Geeky without being too noticeable, like something the head of IT would wear to a board meeting,” says Vanja Buvac, president and CEO of Cadence Watch Company. “Our 4-bit watch was a big hit, but the most requested feature was UTC.”

The 4-Bit Chronograph Watch retails at $195 and will be available for purchase in July at http://cadencewatch.com/4bit-chrono. Receive a 40% pre-order discount if you order before the watch becomes available. The original 4-Bit Watch is currently available for $90 at www.cadencewatch.com as well as ThinkGeek.com.

About Cadence Watch Company

The Cadence Watch Company designs, produces and distributes branded performance and lifestyle watches. Based in Philadelphia, the company started in 2001 developing their initial product, a patented stroke rate monitoring watch for rowing. Since then, the company has grown into designing creative and unique lifestyle watches. For more information, please visit www.cadencewatch.com.

Other watches have to use a battery to get the power to operate. The watch designed by Julien Moise needs neither battery nor winding power to operate. This watch has an interesting turbine looking wheel in red that circles the face of the watch. When the wearer wants to know the time they blow on the turbine and it generates enough power to make the watch show the time on the digital screen. That is an interesting way to operate.

I would assume the watch would need some sort of battery inside too. If it didn’t have continuous power you would need to keep blowing on that turbine while you set the time when you want to know what time it is. That wouldn’t work well. The design is cool, it looks like something geeks, and collectors of odd watches might like. I bet people around you would think you odd when you blow on your watch. If you want to see more about the watch, check out the video below.

[via Yanko Design]

The hours are on a small dome on the top of the watch that rotates to a glass window so you can clearly tell what hour it is. The minutes are on a dial that scrolls around a larger window on the front that reminds me of a windshield. The minutes are marked in five-minute increments so the watch is quite accurate. The movement inside is based on a Swiss ETA automatic and is presumed to be wound for power.

The watchcase is titanium and is 40mm wide and 55mm tall. The crystals for the window are made from sapphire, and the watch is water resistant to 30-feet. The strap is made from rubber and apparently, 100 of the watches will be made this year. The price per watch will be 6,800 Swiss francs, which is a bit over $7,800 in the states. Check out the video below to see more about the cool watch.

[via ablogtoread]

Inside the 3 ATM water resistant stainless steel case (which has a leather strap and mineral glass crystal fascia) there’s a 3-axis accelerometer, vibration motor and ambient light sensor. We’re not sure if that means the pressure sensor, temperature sensor and RF wireless originally seen in the MSP430 hack-watch are now gone.

The analog version has two 16 x 80 white OLED displays, while the digital version has a 96 x 96 reflective display. Fossil – of whom the new Meta Watch company is a division – will be showing off the timepiece at Google IO next week.

[Thanks to everybody who sent this in!]

Press Release:

Meta WatchTM offers developers freedom to start their own wrist revolution

Richardson, TX, May 3, 2011 – Meta WatchTM is proud to announce a wearable development system that enables rapid development of ‘connected-watch’ applications. With Meta Watch, developers can quickly and easily extend the interfaces of devices and applications to the wrist. The Meta Watch platforms utilize embedded Bluetooth® technology to connect to smartphones, tablets and other electronics devices. The Meta Watch SDK/API makes it easy for the watch to display information from mobile applications or Internet services. For complete information, visit www.metawatch.org.

Meta Watch platforms are available in analog digital or digital versions, and include: a 3 ATM water resistant stainless steel case; leather strap; mineral glass crystal; vibrating motor; three-axis accelerometer, and ambient light sensor. Optimized for low-power operation, both watch platforms are based on the MSP430TM ultra-low-power microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth host controller interface solution from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI).

“Meta Watch makes our everyday mobile experience much better by enabling us to view important mobile notifications at the right time with virtually no effort”, said Bill Geiser, Vice President Watch Technology, Fossil. “Of course, you can get this information today, but it requires many different steps. Meta Watch simply makes it more convenient and, in the process, it opens the door to new partnerships like we have with TI and a growing network of development partners.”

“TI welcomes the opportunity to work with the Meta Watch team on creating a new channel for the community, and to helping developers push the watch’s capabilities to the next level,” said Eran Sandhaus, Director of marketing, wireless connectivity solutions, TI. “TI’s MSP430 ultra-low-power microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth host controller interface provide a solid foundation for the next- generation, connected devices based on the Meta Watch’s sleek form factor. We look forward to seeing the Meta Watch community flourish with ideas for wearable technology that will spark new consumer experiences for years to come.”

See Meta Watch in action The Meta Watch platform will be showcased May 3 – 5 at TI’s booth, #1530, during the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley in San Jose, CA. On May 10 and 11, Meta Watch will also be part of the Developer Sandbox at Google I/O in Mountain View, CA.

Pricing, availability, and more
• Availability date: July 2011
• Where to buy: Pre-orders starting Monday, May 9, at https://estore.ti.com/
• Cost: USD $200
• Regions shipped to: U.S. and Europe
• Latest information: www.metawatch.org

About Meta Watch
Meta Watch is an advanced development group exploring technology-based opportunities for watches. It is a division of Fossil.

He takes old school watches with gears and other small parts that can be removed. He then uses those parts to build motorcycle models. This is really cool and if you look close, you can see the watch crystal, winging knob and stems, and lots more. The only thing I wonder about being an actual watch part is the exhaust.

It looks like the case from an old pocket watch is the rear wheel. And the forks are made from a gold watchband. I love the creativity and vision this sculpture required!

[via deviantART]

The first watch will be auctioned off this week at Sotheby’s in New York and has a 60-second timer that orbits around the face of the watch counterclockwise to match the orbit of the historic space flight. The orbiting tourbillion is inspired by the statue commemorating the flight at the landing site of the capsule in Engels, Russia.

The watch has an integrated magnifying glass so the wearer can see all the details of the gears and dials. The watch has a movement powered by manual winding with an 80-hour power reserve. The case is made from platinum 950, has a sapphire crystal display, and text highlights from Gagarin’s flight engraved on it. Only 50 of these watches have been made in platinum.

[via Born Rich]