Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer is synonymous with luxury and is now poised to take the wraps off its smartwatch — the titanium Carrera Connected — in the U.S.
The smartwatch is being touted as the Apple Watch killer and will sport a $1,500 price tag. It will make its way to stores in New York on Monday, Nov. 9, at 17:00 GMT. For those wondering about the titanium Carrera Connected's European debut, the smartwatch will be released there three days after the American launch.
The news comes straight from TAG Heuer's CEO Jean-Claude Biver who spilled the beans to Le Matin Dimanche weekly in an interview on Sunday, Nov. 8.
"Our watch will have almost the same functions as an Apple Watch, but I don't want to divulge too much," said Biver.
Rumors have been rife that the TAG Heuer watch would be priced at $1,800. However, Biver laid to rest all speculation stating that the titanium Carrera Connected will set consumers back by $1,500. The company is targeting the smartwatch to high-end clientele, rather than the average consumer and Biver says that the Carrera Connected will be "an exclusive, luxury watch."
The Swiss company does not consider Apple to be a direct rival as it is primarily a watch brand. Both Apple and TAG Heuer are engaged in "similar work;" however, Biver believes that the latter did not have any desire to sell several million connected watches like the latter.
The company did not divulge any specs of the watch but disclosed that the new smartwatch will be based on TAG Heuer's Carrera classic. Apparently, from a distance one will not be able to tell the difference between the two.
Moreover, while the titanium-made Carrera Connected will be able to connect to one's smartphone wirelessly and offer several capabilities, the smartwatch merely does not count one's steps or assess the pulse count.
The company will also make available six watchbands and the watch's face will be modifiable. At the New York launch, Tag Heuer will make 1000 units of the Carrera Connected available.
Whether or not the titanium Carrera Connected will be able to thwart the luxury Edition Gold of the Apple Watch which is available in 18-carat yellow gold and rose gold and costs $17,500 remains to be seen.
