The gloves are off: step aside Samsung G2 and LG G Watch, this is what a real smartwatch should look like

Introducing: Kairos –the first mechanical smartwatch of its kind.

With the deluge of wearable tech nowadays, none has come closer to realizing the term smart-watch more than Kairos. It understood that watches needed to feel like watches and a smartwatch (a real smartwatch) is no exception.

In what feels like something straight out of Minority Report or a nifty gadget from James Bond, Kairos marries the prestige of a mechanical watch with all its beautiful complications with the wonders of technology in a seamless, very futuristic manner. While most smartwatches in the market really look like glorified toy watches, Kairos decided to step out of the kiddy pool and compete with big boys of the watch industry.

 MECHANICAL WATCH SPECS:

• Japan: Miyota 82S7 Japan Automatic Movement,   21600 bph, 21 Jewels, 42 hour power reserve
• Swiss: Soprod A10BV-2 Swiss Automatic Movement, 28800 bph, 25 Jewels, 42 hour power reserve
• Water Resistant: 30 ATM
• Case Size: 46mm
• Watch Thickness: 16.5mm
• Band Size: 22mm
• Glass: Sapphire Glass
• Case Material: Stainless Steel
• Case Finish: Brushed, IP Gold, DLC anonized
• Strap: Genuine Leather, PVC, Metal (Possibility) 

SMART WATCH SPECS:

• DISPLAY: TOLED RGB Full color (36mm x 1mm)
• 40% transparency

Optional Choices:

• ICON Type Transparent Display (Static icons, Numbers & English text only)
• 60% transparency
• CONNECTION: Bluetooth BLE 4.0
• SENSORS: Touch sensor, 3 axis accelerometer w/ gesture detection, Gyroscope
• PROCESSOR: Arm Cortex M4 / Intel (TBD)
• BATTERY: 180mAh (5-7 days)
• CHARGING: USB charging with magnetic connector
• OS: Android Wear OS or Kairos OS (Compatible with Android, iOS and Windows Phone)

Mechanical Watch Features

Isolating the mechanical watch features first, Kairos is a beautifully made timepiece. Almost breaching the oversized-watch models at 46mm and a 16.5mm width, this beauty commands presence by sheer size alone. The roundness and thickness actually reminds me of the super limited Citizen Satellite Wave (which would retail you to around $3,800) except done in a finely polished metal frame. The aesthetic detailing of the grooves that run around the case lends to a pseudo piston-like design which adds to the retro-“sci-fi” look of a very “sci-fi”-like watch.

At the heart of the smartwatch is a real watch movement—something that most (if not all) smartwatches lack. There are currently two models to be selected from – one housing a Miyota 82S7 open-heart automatic movement, very similar to MAX XL’s  and one with the more prestigious Soprod A10BV-2 Swiss Automatic Movement.

It’s the Swiss movement that makes this an interesting watch.  Finally, a smartwatch can now command prestige and go toe-to-toe with big watch names like Omega, Tag, and the likes. The Soprod A10BV-2 is quite similar to its ETA counterpart, the ETA 2892-a2 movement – the one that most mid to higher-end luxury watches use.

This beautiful timepiece is topped with scratch-proof sapphire glass – also a component found in most luxury watches – and you can choose your model in either brushed stainless steel, a DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) black coat, or in double-plated gold.

Rest assured, you can definitely bring this watch in any adult table and we haven’t touched the smart watch component yet.

Smartwatch Feature

The other side of the equation is equally impressive if you take into consideration where the smartwatch is housed. Using a Transparent OLED that’s touch capable, this displays key notifications, calls, messages, etc. on top of your watch… and don’t worry about constantly touching and swiping your watch, that’s what the sapphire glass is for. For more function (or intended function) of the Smartwatch, check this table out:

The Smartwatch feature runs on its own OS or you can opt for an Android Wear one. While no other information is given about Kairos’ own OS, it does state that it is compatible with Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Let me get that off my chest for a minute. WINDOWS PHONE! We windows phone users get so little love, I literally almost ran around the house and urging anyone who would listen to look at my computer screen. So, woot! Not only will Windows Phone users finally get a smartwatch, but one of the first iteration is of premium quality as well. 😀

Pre-Orders & Prices

This is where it gets a little tricky. You see, the main difference between Kairos and the other more established phone companies is that Kairos is still very much a startup. This means there’s always that risk of the project flopping out and/or underperforming. It’s a pretty big risk too as the prices of the device (or should I say timepiece) would burn a bit of a hole in your wallet. Ranging from $549 USD to $1249, the price is waaay beyond the typical smartwatch price…and rightly so.

When comparing prices, don’t look at it from the point-of-view of the typical smartphone watches we have today but look at it from a luxury watch’s cost point. In our opinion, the best value-for-money product they have would be SSW 158 M model (the one using the Swiss Movement). At around Php 50,000+, the price is actually pretty reasonable as compared to getting yourselves a low-end Omega which you’ll have to fork over oh, say, 90 to 100 grand by now.

The current price in their website is also the pre-order price. Their original SRP is twice that value.  So let’s say Kairos does pull through and create an amazingly beautiful product, you’ll be one of the first to actually get a revolutionary smart watch that’s worth more than what you paid for. The opposite would be, well, a loss of around 40-50 grand. As they say “the greater the risk, the greater the reward.”

Sad to say, I cannot afford the Kairos as of yet (hence I’m venting my frustration in writing this article) but, if I had the extra cash, I’d gamble my money without hesitation.

Kairos should be shipping its first batches (with the Miyota movement) by December 2014 followed by its Swiss counterpart in 2015. For more information, please do check their very beautiful website at https://kairoswatches.com/.