Hot on the heels of the Hublot Big Bang e comes the Frederique Constant Smartwatch Vitality. It’s a hybrid: a quartz analogue timepiece with a “magic” digital display at the six. Cute! But this dog won’t hunt. Which isn’t surprising, considering its bloodline . . .
Frederique Constant’s first hybrid smartwatch debuted in 2015. The Horological Smartwatch monitored steps, tracked sleep and provided basic notifications.
The information was transferred, analyzed and controlled by a bespoke phone app, synced with the watch (via Bluetooth) by pressing the crown. The hands’ position indicated steps, sleep and the existence of a notification.
As anyone who’s even seen an Apple Watch can imagine, the FCHS was a flop. It hit the streets for an inconceivable $995. Five years later, you can pick one up for $339.
In 2016, Frederique Constant updated their Horological Smartwatch, adding a subdial and two more hands.
The Gents Classic Horological Smartwatch is still on FC’s website for $1295, available elsewhere for $495.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the updated Horological Smartwatch joins its predecessor’s journey to the scrapheap of horological history.
Enter the 2020 Frederique Constant Smartwatch Vitality. Vitality because the hybrid smartwatch includes a Philips Wearable Sensing heart rate monitor.
According to healthy.io.com, 64 beats per minute resting is 5.9% slower than the typical adult average of 73 bpm for both sexes. If FC sending a subtle message that the Smartwatch Vitality isn’t all that exciting? Or is someone in the PR department a Beatles’ fan?
Either way, the Smartwatch Vitality HR monitor is hardly a compelling sales proposition. Click here for six smart watches featuring up-to-date heart rate monitors, priced from $88 to $400.
In fact, smartwatches have had HR monitoring since Medieval times. Today’s smartwatch makers are busy adding to a wide range of health-related functions that save wearers’ lives.
Old tech in a high tech world. How can Frederique Constant even begin to sell this thing? Here’s their PR peeps’ pitch:
When pressing the crown, the dial reveals a digital display on its lower part that allows the user to access numerous information like the heart rate, the activity tracker, a second time zone and even the last five messages from your favourite apps, among other things.Â
What favorite apps? Among other things? What things?Â
There’s a second time zone and a stopwatch function. But that leaves hundreds of “things” the FC Smartwatch Vitality can’t do that an Apple Watch and any other “proper” smartwatch can. Including an always-on display.
Don’t get me wrong. I get it. The Frederique Constant Smartwatch Vitality is a classic Swiss watch first, a crap smartwatch second. Only a classic Swiss watch doesn’t become obsolete. A smartwatch – especially a hybrid – does.
Judging from Frederique Constant’s video, the Smartwatch Vitality is aimed at women. Really? There’s only one market for the Vitality with any real potential: old people intimidated by smartwatches who want a smartwatch. The same folks who buy one of those dumbed down, big number flip phones.
I feel sorry for Frederique Constant. jomashop.com discounts on FC’s traditional timepieces tell us their brand is weak. Their hybrid smartwatch tells us that their lack of vitality is terminal.