LVMH watch guru Jean-Claude Biver has decided that watch buyers don’t need to choose between a smartwatch and a mechanical one – he’ll sell them both. In one piece. For twice the price. Biver and his team just unveiled The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45, being billed as the first luxury connected watch to bear the Swiss Made label, which will run you $1,650.
In essence, it’s a connected module that’s interchangeable with a mechanical module that can be a COSC-certified Tourbillon chronograph, along with a wide choice of materials, colors and combinations down to the lugs, strap and buckle.
Old Tech Meets New Tech
A variation on Tag Heuer’s classic Carrera, this is TAG’s first connected model, the Connected Modular 45 has a 45mm case that comes in satin or polished grade 5 titanium; plated with 18K 5N rose gold; or in black ceramic, with or without diamonds. With the various dials, straps and other customizable elements there are 56 versions of the watch available in all, with more to come: white, black, light grey, anthracite grey, chocolate brown, navy blue or gold, with sunray finish, skeleton dial, 3 hands, GMT, a chronograph with 1, 2, or 3 counters, plus a date and day window – all interchangeable with a swipe of the finger.
Inside The Connected Modular 45
On the connected side, TAG partnered with Intel and Google for the latest tech, for a watch that is water-resistant to 50 meters and features GPS, an NFC sensor for payments, a high definition AMOLED screen and 4 GB of storage. “This is a Swiss watch which embodies the luxury codes of tomorrow,” Biver says, “and which not only enables you to connect to the future but also to connect to eternity thanks to its simple and smart modular design. This innovative, unique and distinctive watch is at the forefront of the latest technologies available in Silicon Valley and, at the same time, a genuine Swiss watch.” It is certainly state of the art technology, but some fear it may have the same life cycle of the Apple Watch.
Launched simultaneously in Switzerland and California, the Connected Modular is priced at $1,650 with a special boxed kit available for $1,700. If anyone can convince watch buyers to shell out that much, we bet Biver can.