Back in September, we brought you word of a brand-new hybrid smartwatch design on the market from Pininfarina. While I’ve had some good experiences with full-screen smart watches for fitness tracking, the hybrid style lends itself much more (to my tastes) for all-day wear. So, how does the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch measure up?
Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch: Aesthetics
Coming from a design house as storied as Pininfarina, the look of the watch is going to be key. The basis for it all is the 44mm cushion-style case, which I’m rather a fan of. You get the circle-on-a-square that’s unique on it’s own. Rather than crown guards (which we’re used to seeing on these cases) you’ve got wide-open access to the crown. And that makes sense, since it’s both a button and a roller, used to interact with the watch.
Proportionally, the handset and the indices are well-set against each other, and make catching the time a breeze. Could they have been bigger, given the large canvas the dial provides? Sure, they definitely could have, but their current sizing doesn’t negatively impact things.
Oh, and speaking of the dial – there’s a nice textured finish to it, that gives a much nicer look than a flat dial blank would have had. Set into that dial you’ve got the subdial (which can indicate a few different things; most commonly it’s reflecting your progress against your step goal), and then the small LCD display. It doesn’t disappear, per se, but it’s not anything you’ll necessarily notice unless you’re looking for it, or it’s lit up.
Setting the watch up
Setting up the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch is just like any other smartwatch you’ve run across. Charge up the watch, install a mobile app onto your phone, and get the phone talking to your watch. After that, it’s really configuring things via the app, and checking for the updates to apply. If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of what all the watch can do, and what you can customize, you can check out the owners manual for all the detail.
Wearing and using the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch
One thing you’ll want to be aware of is the sizing on the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch. We called out the 44mm diameter, but it also comes in at 16mm thick. For this style of case, it is a bulkier wrist presence. Visually, it’s fine, as some of that bulk comes from the sensors in the caseback, so you don’t see it.
Where you’ll notice that is if you’re heading out on a walk or jog with the watch (which makes sense, given what all this watch can track). Even with the 22mm lugs, it felt like the stock leather strap wasn’t quite up to the task of holding the watch steady. No, I didn’t feel like it was going to fall off, but it was definitely moving around on my wrist a bit more than I’d expect. So, our suggestion here is, if you’re planning on using this is a fitness partner, you’ll want to find a silicone or textile strap to plug into those lugs (which will also keep that leather strap from getting soaked in sweat).
Past that, the stock strap is just fine for daily wear. I wore this watch across a variety of scenarios, including the office, dressed up, and even tracking my sleep and waking me up in the morning. Sure, it looks a bit dressy when you’re headed to bed, but it gets the job done for tracking the sleep. In your day-to-day, the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch is a much dressier companion than a vast majority of smartwatches, giving you the classic look while putting some smarts on your wrist.
What can the watch track?
We’ve hinted around this a bit in the other pieces of the review. For the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch, you can track all sorts of great stuff – step counts, workout distance (you’ll have to have the GPS on your phone on), heart rate, and so on. This is the full list of things it can track:
- HEALTH: accurately trace heart rate zones, variability (HRV), and generate electrocardiograph (ECG) readings. Sensors detect breathing disturbances through oxygen levels (SPO2).
- WELLNESS: Senso functions as a personal health monitor, enhancing your internal power. It’s equipped with a stress monitor to manage strain and wellness reminders to promote activity and hydration.
- SLEEP: Offering precise sleep monitoring, SENSO derives an accurate sleep score out of 100%, aiding users in enhancing sleep depth and efficiency.
- TRAINING: Efficiently track steps, distance and calories burned, along with activity tracking for optimized workouts. With various sports modes, it aids in improving performance.
- FUNCTIONALITY: Discreet notifications offer quick health stats as well as text and phone call alerts. GPS compass determines global location, and Bluetooth remote effortlessly controls devices.
Who’s the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch for?
That’s the question here, right? In general, we think a smart watch that can track our activities and things with our heart, particularly if you’re going out for exercise regularly, that’s definitely a helpful tool to have on-hand. And if you want to be able to track things all day long, then that’s where a hybrid watch – like the Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch – makes a lot more sense. This is one of the dressier ones we’ve seen of this style, and the cushion case makes it a bit more unique as well.
So, if you find yourself rowing down that creek – wanting to quantify your day without having a giant screen on your wrist – the $399 Pininfarina Hybrid Smart Watch could definitely fit the bill. You can check out the full range of their watches – and purchase one – directly over at pininfarina-hybridwatchbyglobics.com
WATCH SPECIFICATIONS
- Case material: 316L Stainless steel
- Glass: Sapphire glass
- Size: 44mm diameter, 16mm thickness, Strap width 22mm
- Water resistance: 5 ATM / 50 Meters
- Band: Genuine Italian leather strap, with quick-release pin for easy attachment
- Battery: Up to 30 days with full battery charge
- Compatibility: iOS and Android
- Connectivity: BLE 5.0
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Electrocardiogram, Optical heart rate sensor, 3D magnetometer
WATCH FEATURES
- ECG and SpO2
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Sleep Tracker
- Activity Tracker
- Digital OLED Screen
- Extended Battery Life
Author Expertise / Author Experience
Patrick Kansa
A big data developer and leader with a penchant for gadgets, books, watches and beverages. You can find my work on WristWatchReview. If you’re on Twitter and/or Instagram, you’ll find me there as @PatrickWatches.
