The Helvetica hybrid smartwatch from Swiss watchmaker Mondaine was introduced almost three years ago. At this year’s ongoing Baselworld trade show, they have launched a new version, the Helvetica Regular. It looks like your regular premium watch but of course, with smart features to keep you connected to your Android smartphone from the convenience of your wrist. It gives you all the usual smartwatch features like notifications, tracking, etc but also gives you a more classic and fashionable look than the usual connected wearables in the market.
The Helvetica Regular has been updated with one important factor: the ability to receive notifications. Instead of the numbers 2, 4, 8, and 10, you’ll see different letters to tell you what notifications you’ve received. If you get a phone call, the hour hand will point to T, which replaced 2. When you receive a message, it will point to M which is in the place of 10. You won’t see the actual message of course but you do get notified. A is in place of 8 and indicates activity (press the crown button once to indicate progress) while S is in 4 to track your sleep (press crown for 3 seconds to enter sleep tracking mode).
The new version of the hybrid watch is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor. It now has a 40mm case (compared to the original’s 44mm) and has a leather strap and stainless body. It is also waterproof up to 30 meters. Since it’s not 100% a smartwatch, the battery life is better than most of the regular ones. Mondaine says it will last you for two years before you need to have it replaced.
The Helvetica Hybrid will come with black, brown, or navy blue straps and will be available by the end of this month. It will have an SRP of $600.
VIA: SlashGear
