Wearable technology looks like it is here to stay, regardless of how some of us semi-luddites feel we don’t need it. So if we are going to strap notification devices and fitness trackers to our bodies, do we want to do it through new evices, or as add-ons to what we already wear. The Chronos wearable is betting on the latter, and is currently taking pre-orders for their device intended to augment your existing watch.
Overall, it seems like a smart way to do things. A small puck is attached to the rear of your watch, and with it you can get various notifications through lights and vibrations. You can tap the watch and it will depress the puck against your wrist, interacting back through your phone. Finally, there is an accelerometer to measure motion and link up with a fitness tracking feature. Since the puck iteself does not have a screen, the battery life is listed at 36 hours, which pretty decent for what would in essence, become a pretty full featured smart watch.
The downside to this is that the puck is not very thin. At 33mm in diameter, it will fit on the back of most watches available, but the 3mm thickness is about the size of two pennies stacked on top of each other. For watches of medium thickness, that probably will not be an issue, but with a super slim watch, it all of a sudden makes it a thicker presence on the wrist, and then for some of the thicker watches out there, another 3mm may be just too big. The product is in pre-production, but it is being listed by the company itself, not on a crowd funding site, so you may have some protection from your credit card if it never gets to production. One unit is being sold for $99, with 2 for $189. You can also get them mated to an Elliot Havok or Redux & Co. Courg watch for $169 or $389 respectively. Right now, the companion app is not out, but there is an app that will let you know if you have enough real estate on the back of your watch to mount one of these. wearchronos.com
