What Do Younger Generations Truly Want in a Watch?

What current smartwatches lack, despite the appeal of luxury and popular casual watches, is the status and fashion appeal that makes consumers say, "I absolutely want to wear that watch."

GUESS Watches, produced by the charismatic fashion brand GUESS—known for its concept of "sexy, young, adventurous" and operating approximately 1,700 boutiques in 90 countries worldwide—is a notable brand selling over 5 million watches annually. They achieve this by skillfully blending status and fashion, offering affordable luxury: watches that are luxurious yet accessible.

The new "GUESS CONNECT," unveiled by GUESS Watches at Baselworld and slated for release in 2015, is a highly anticipated smartwatch that retains the status and fashion of its popular models, particularly among younger demographics, while incorporating the latest technology.

This development and manufacturing is handled by Sequel, the manufacturer of GUESS Watches, in a joint venture with Martian, an IT venture company leading wearable device technology development. The base models for the new GUESS CONNECT are the men's "Riggar" and the women's "Jet Setter," both sporty, luxurious bestsellers.

While maintaining the basic design, they are equipped with a smartwatch module developed by Martian. In addition to the button battery that powers the watch, a rechargeable battery drives the smartwatch module. Functionally, it covers most of the features expected of a cutting-edge smartwatch, including viewing emails and messages via touch operation on the crystal, making calls, composing text messages using voice recognition, performing web searches by voice, and controlling the camera.

An Exquisite Hybrid Style for Multifunctionality

Its greatest appeal and defining characteristic is the hybrid style, which balances the "watch-like" aesthetic of an analog watch with the convenience of a digital watch. A single-line LCD display capable of showing functions and text is equipped at the 6 o'clock position on the dial. This preserves the classic look of the base watch while fully delivering the convenience of a modern smartwatch.

When prioritizing functionality, such as visibility and operability, smartphones have moved beyond watch faces that aren't full LCD displays. However, for smartwatches, the "watch-like" appearance is also a crucial element. The hybrid style of the GUESS CONNECT, which might seem like a simple, unassuming compromise at first glance, may be the best answer for balancing this "watch-like" quality with the operability needed to comfortably use its advanced functions.

Regardless, we eagerly await its release within the year.