Learning about: TAG HEUER CONNECTED

It’s still early days, but some retailers are saying  TAG Heuer’s new smartwatch,  ‘Connected’, is successfully occupying the space between consumer electronics gadgets and traditional timepieces. Here we explore its features and its take-up.

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WHAT IS THE ‘CONNECTED’ WATCH?

The TAG Heuer Connected Watch with Intel Inside is a luxury watch that benefits from over 150 years of Swiss expertise, savoir-faire and heritage as cultivated by TAG Heuer, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the cradle of Swiss watchmaking and a UNESCO World Heritage site set at an altitude of 1000 metres, in the middle of Alpine pastures and mountains.

Here, watchmakers have spent the winter in their workshops (in summer, they farm in the pastures) since the 18th Century, inventing incredible watches, which have built the unique reputation and extraordinary image of quality and exclusivity that Swiss watches enjoy the world over. For more than 150 years, TAG Heuer has been inventing and manufacturing elegant sports watches in the city, including some of the most accurate chronographs produced by the Swiss watch industry.

At 46mm in diameter, the design of the TAG Heuer Connected is primarily that of a true chronograph, with a case, back and lugs made from Grade 2 titanium, a contemporary material ensuring the watch is lighter and more resistant to impacts than a traditional material such as steel or gold. Completed by a textured black rubber strap (six other colours – red, blue, white, orange, green and yellow – are available separately) with a deploying buckle also made of Grade 2 titanium, it has all the elegance, characteristics and level of finish expected from a fine wristwatch. The price is set at £1,100.

DISTINCTIVE TAG STYLING

For the first time, TAG has developed three digital faces, which feature the immediately recognisable design cues of the Carrera collection, including hands, index, counters, date window and minute track. Because the TAG Heuer Connected is above all a watch, the digital hands and indexes remain visible at all times, even when the watch is in ambient energy-saving mode. Other watch faces will be made available.

KEEPING IT UNIQUE

Connected is a true watch, both in terms of its appearance, with its watch faces and its minute tracks, but also in its interactive counters, thanks to the unique way in which its applications are displayed. The principle is simple: the dial and the hands remain, while the most pertinent information from partner applications is elegantly displayed inside the three counters on the chronograph dial at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock, completely integrated into the watch’s aesthetic environment.

What if something shown in a counter really interests you?

Touch the counter in question to open and interact with the application in full screen mode.

Favourite applications, sports updates or alerts, it is easy to use and makes information simple to read, enabling the user to stay focused on the essential, without this spoiling the watch’s classic appearance. The apps customised for TAG Heuer and available on an exclusive basis will be, to start with, Insiders (lifestyle), GolfShot Pro (golf), RaceChrono Pro (motor racing) and Viewrangers (trailing), which will be offered with free subscriptions. A specially developed Software Development Kit (SDK) will allow enrichment. In addition, TAG has added the classic functions that are a key part of the watch universe: Timer, Alarm and Stopwatch, the design of which is faithful to the brand’s codes.

So it’s a smart-watch, but to what extent?

Living, travelling, getting information, connecting, the Connected watch is the perfect partner. It brings together the best of both worlds: a magnificent TAG Heuer watch with computing intelligence. TAG Heuer worked closely with Intel and Google to create a luxury watch that combined connectivity and computing intelligence with Swiss watchmaking heritage.

The watch features an Intel Atom processor Z34XX and runs the Android Wear platform. Intel engineered the intelligence inside the watch to optimise performance and enable a multitude of connectivity options including audio streaming, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as well as allow users to harness the full range of features offered by the Android Wear operating system.

With 4 GB of memory, and all-day battery life thanks to its latest-generation lithium battery, Connected is equipped with a small microphone to communicate with via Google voice control and a sapphire crystal touchscreen – the indispensable complement to the crown at 3 o’clock which also houses controls. The entire piece has been made water resistant for everyday use and is IP67 water resistance rated.

What if you do not have your phone with you?

No problem. The watch will continue to calculate, display, and exchange data, and as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection it will remain connected to the cloud. Naturally, its resident applications (music, timer, alarm, step counter) remain active even when no connection is available.

Android Wear opens the watch up to an almost infinite universe, an ecosystem that enriches itself night and day: thousands of Android applications are already available for the TAG Heuer Connected watch user to download. The key applications, currently used by millions, such as Google Fit, Google Translate, Google Maps and Google Search with your voice are already available on the watch, and show you information with just a glance.

The watch can also be easily synced with a phone running either on Android 4.3+ or iOS 8.2+. It is charged using a contact charger. Simply place the watch on top to recharge it.

The watch also benefits from a two-year warranty, like other TAG Heuer watches.

BRINGING USERS TOGETHER

A dedicated online platform tagheuerconnected.com has been created to share the latest new features and obtain the partner applications available for the interactive counters watch faces. The TAG Heuer Connected watch is available for sale right now from the site tagheuer.com and in more than 100 TAG Heuer boutiques and 150 carefully selected retailers across the world. The list of points of sale can be viewed at tagheuerconnected.com

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8 Things to Know About the TAG Heuer Connected

ANDROID WEAR

‘Ok Google!’ voice command opens your TAG Heuer Connected to the universe of Android Wear. This vocal command alongside Google Fit, Google Translate, or Google Search, is part of the initial package for your watch. You can download thousands of apps to fit your passions with your Android Phone.  Android Wear watches feature always-on displays, so you’ll always see important information like time, calls, and alerts. Respond to messages right from your watch, even when your phone isn’t with you.

INTEL INSIDE

Engineered to power a full range of features and a multitude of connectivity options so you can leave your phone at home and stay on the go over WiFi, or play MP3s from your watch to a Bluetooth headset. And with all day battery life – this watch will keep up with you and your life.

DURABLE CASE

The case is made of Grade 2 titanium with a range of finishes. There are alternate horizontal and vertical fine-brushed titanium lugs, a sandblasted titanium bezel with black carbide coating, and anti-fingerprint technology. The numerals are 3D-raised and fine-brushed. The TAG Heuer Connected  lettering is engraved with silver lacquer and the ring is light sandblasted black, with carbide coated titanium, and again with anti-fingerprint technology. There is a titanium single pushbutton with a black carbide coating line at 3 o’clock. The top of the pushbutton is horizontally fine-brushed and equipped with a raised TAG Heuer shield surrounded by black carbide coating and a thin transparent resin for protection; it is IP67 splash-proof.  The microphone can be found at 6 o’clock.

SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL SCREEN

The screen is made of a scratch resistant sapphire crystal with a 1.5-inch fully circular transflective LTPS LCD display and a touch on display, supporting multiple finger recognition. The screen resolution is 360×360, 240ppi.

RELIABLE RUBBER BRACELET

The bracelet is a vulcanized rubber strap with a grade 2 titanium folding clasp and safety push-buttons weighing altogether 29 grams. It comes in 7 different colours including: green, blue, orange, red, white, black and yellow.

LONGLASTING BATTERY

The battery capacity is 410mAh. The average battery life, within normal usage, is a minimum of 25 hours. The charging time is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

DYNAMIC DESIGN

The TAG Heuer Connected was designed by the TAG Heuer team in La ChauxDeFonds

in collaboration with Intel for the hardware, and Google for the operating system. Part of the software has also been developed by TAG Heuer.

VERSATILE WATCH FACES

With the TAG Heuer Connected, the customer has several different watches in one with our multiple

watchmaking dials or watch faces. They are inspired by the TAG Heuer Carrera collection. These watch faces remain true to the TAG Heuer DNA. The images on this page show the watch-faces available with the TAG Heuer Connected: the Chronograph, 3hands, and GMT functions are all presented in white, black, and dark blue.

INTERACTIVE COUNTERS

TAG Heuer is the first to use chronograph counters to display information relevant to the customer’s app activity. Our App partners include: RaceChrono (Motoracing App), Google Fit (Fitness App), MyInsiders (Lifestyle App), Golfshot (Golf App), Viewrangers (Hiking App), Weather & Timekeeping (alarm, stopwatch, and timer).

MICRO APPS

The Micro Apps include an alarm, a timer, and a stopwatch all designed by TAG Heuer. This marks the first time a manufacturer customizes these features.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

BATTERY	410mAh, average hours of battery life Within normal usage: minimum 25 hours Approximate charging time: 1 hour 30 minutes
PROCESSOR	INTEL Dual core processor Rated at 1.6 GHz Normal operation speed: 500 mHz
MEMORY	1 GB main memory – 4 GB storage memory
SENSORS	Gyroscope, Tilt detection sensor, Microphone, Vibrations/Haptics engine
SCREEN	Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal 1.5-inch fully circular Transflective LTPS LCD display Touch on Display supporting multiple finger recognition Screen resolution: 360×360, 240ppi
COMPATIBILITY	Android 4.3+ / iOS 8.2+
CONNECTIVITY	Bluetooth BLE 4.1 – WLAN 2.4 GHz 802.11 B/G/N
WEIGHT	Case: 52g / Strap: 29g
SIZE	Diameter: 46mm / Thickness: 12.8mm

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