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Montblanc Summit Collection: The First Smartwatches from Richemont


Montblanc was one of the first luxury watch brands to embrace the trend of wearable technology, with the release of its e-strap models in 2015. (For my wrist review of the Timewalker Urban Speed Chronograph e-strap watch, click here.) Now the watch-and-pen powerhouse becomes the first brand owned by the luxury group Richemont (whose other maisons include Cartier, IWC, and Vacheron Constantin) to release a full-fledged smartwatch, called the Montblanc Summit.

Montblanc Summit - black - front

Montblanc Summit two-tone - front

The Montblanc Summit is available in four different case materials and styles — black PVD-coated stainless steel, two-tone stainless steel case with black PVD-coated steel bezel, all-stainless steel with satin finish, and grade 5 titanium. The device is powered by Android Wear 2.0, Google’s latest operating system for smartwatches, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, one of the most advanced and powerful processors on the market for wearables. Unlike some other “connected” watches in the category, the Summit delivers compatibility with both Android and iOa devices.

Montblanc Summit - steel - front
Montblanc Summit - wrist

In keeping with Montblanc’s mission statement to “take fine watchmaking into the digital age,” The watch cases, and their interchangeable, digital “dials,” are inspired by the those of Montblanc’s elegant, historically influenced 1858 collection. The faces include electronic replicas of the 1858 Automatic with date, and the Small Seconds and Chronograph models, along with two Timewalker Urban Speed faces, Automatic and Chronograph. A notable feature of the Summit is its slightly curved sapphire glass — a world’s first for the smartwatch category — that acts as a touchscreen for the various apps and functions. The Summit is entirely customizable, with more than 300 wearable combinations, between various watch case materials, digital displays, and strap materials, which include a rubber NATO strap in various colors, a classic black calfskin strap, and a brown or navy blue Sfumato calfskin leather strap from Montblanc’s own leather atelier, Montblanc Pelleteria, in Florence, Italy.

Montblanc Summit - black - side
Montblanc Summit - black - angle

Among the many features and functionalities packed into the Summit’s 46-mm case are a microphone for voice commands and numerous sensors: a heart-rate monitor, a sensor for measuring steps and activities, a gyroscope and compass for orientation, a barometer to measure altitudes, and an ambient light sensor to adapt the brightness of the watch’s screen according to lighting conditions. The user can tailor his experience based on his or her personal interests by accessing thousands of apps on the Google Play Store.

Montblanc Summit - phone

Pre-installed apps include Runtastic, the leading activity-training app, with an integrated heart monitor; a Google Play music app that allows synchronization of tunes into the watch’s internal memory, meaning you won’t need to take your phone along to listen to music during a run or a workout; a Google Assistant for quick information searches; Uber and Foursquare for travel needs; and a voice-activated translator with a multitude of languages.

Montblanc Summit - fitness

The Montblanc Summit will be available starting in May 2017 with a starting suggested retail price of $890. Online men’s fashion retailer Mr. Porter will be the exclusive global launch partner for two weeks, after which the watch will be widely available on the Montblanc website and through all Montblanc retail channels. Montblanc told WatchTime that it hopes to provide a sample for us to review shortly before the launch; we look forward to spending some time with the Summit and providing you a more detailed picture of its functions in the near future.

Merken

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  1. Desertwind

    Too late, Gear S3 Smartwatch + Facer App cheaper with gazillion dial face options

    Reply
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