Luxury brand Montblanc launches smart watch strap, starting at £250

There are many luxury brands in the smart hardware market. In addition to the local tycoon mobile phones represented by Vertu, Lamborghini has also launched a limited edition 88 Tauri mobile phone. Now, another luxury manufacturer has joined the technology army, Montblanc has launched a smart watch wristband.

Montblanc is headquartered in Germany and mainly produces fine pens, watches and accessories. The smart wristband released this time is called e-Strap. In essence, it is a mobile phone accessory and cannot be used alone. Its main function is to transform a traditional watch into a smart watch.

When using it, you need to install the e-Strap on the traditional watch dial. The e-Strap has a 4 cm long E-ink display screen that can display basic information notifications. The strap has a built-in acceleration sensor, and the simplest step counting function can be achieved through the supporting app.

OK, that's all the functions of e-Strap. Unlike Apple Watch and Moto 360, e-Strap does not have monitoring and tracking components such as heart rate sensors. It can only count steps and send notifications. Nevertheless, this is a big step forward for a traditional watch manufacturer to keep up with the trend.

The e-Strap is made of Florentine leather and crafted from “diamond-like carbon fiber material”. The overall style is luxurious and high-end, in line with Montblanc’s consistent brand temperament.

The price starts at 250 pounds (2,400 yuan), which is cheap compared to luxury technology products such as Vertu, but it is also about the price of a Moto 360.

With the rise of smart watches, traditional watch manufacturers are facing considerable challenges. When Apple Watch was first released, there was a debate about whether Swiss watches would compete with Apple. A typical view is that Swiss watches are high-quality, emphasizing craftsmanship and taste, while smart watches win with functionality. Most importantly, Swiss watches often give people a luxurious impression, and although Apple Watch is expensive among electronic products, its price is not comparable to that of famous watches.