Switzerland-based watchmaking firm Tag Heuer has unveiled a partnership with Google to produce a smartwatch.
Announced at the Swiss trade show Baselworld, the device is set to be powered by Android Wear, the version of the popular operating system designed especially for wearable technology.
Microchip manufacturer Intel is also involved the development, which one analyst, according to the BBC, has linked to Apple’s headway in the wearable device market.
A spokeswoman for Intel, Ellen Healy, said the tech firm was interested in pursuing contracts with other traditional watch firms.
Speaking further, Healy said she hopes the partnership between Tag Heuer and Google will lead other brands to consider branching out into the wearable tech market.
While the take-up of smartwatches has been somewhat slow, researchers at Canalys found that around 720,000 Android Wear powered devices were shipped last year.
The launch of Apple’s smartwatch next month is expected to drum up public interest in wearable tech, but the fact that the product will only compatible with iOS handsets could hold back take-up, according to the BBC.
Details of the watch’s specifications are yet to be revealed, but if alternatives to smartphones and tablets gain popularity, companies like e-retailers and SEO specialists operating online will no doubt have to reassess their approach to responsive web design.
Speaking about the look of the watch, Jean-Claude Biver from the watch division at LVMH – the luxury goods conglomerate that owns Tag Heuer – said it would stand out from other products on the market and will bear a more “traditional” makeup.
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