Finally, stylish smartwatches: Versace, Valentino and Ted Baker reveal classic designs that work as contactless cards
Want the convenience of contactless payment and transport without the eyesore of a nerdy smartwatch? At last – brands including Versace, Valentino and Ted Baker reveal new models at the Singapore Fintech Festival
Want the convenience of a smartwatch, but hate their rigid designs?
Good news – starting next year, upmarket fashion brands like Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino will offer analogue watches that double up as credit and public transport cards. And look stylish, rather than dorky, to boot.
Several forthcoming models were unveiled at the ongoing Singapore Fintech Festival, which takes place November 11-16.
Starting 2020, Timex Group will sell branded analogue watches that have tech capabilities.
The watchmaker supplies luxury brands like Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino. It also works with fashion brands Ted Baker, Nautica and Guess.
Timex will offer wearable tech versions of some of the brands’ top-selling designs on its site for about US$20 extra.
At the preview, there were tech-enabled watches from Guess, Versace and Saga.
The special watches contain a super-thin, bendable chip embedded in the strap, which wearers can link to a Mastercard or transport card – such as Hong Kong’s Octopus, or London’s Oyster.
The chips, developed by wearable tech firm Tappy Technologies, were invisible from the outside.
