Tag Heuer is the first major Swiss luxury watchmaker to release its own smartwatch. It has partnered with Intel and Google on the Tag Heuer Connected, which was formally announced earlier today, at $1,500 this is the most expensive Android Wear smartwatch on the market and most likely will be for quite some time. The difference between a smartwatch and a “real” watch, particularly an expensive one, is that the latter serves as an heirlooms which can be passed on from generations. Technology in smartwatches gets outdated after a year, but Tag Heuer has a plan in store for you once the Connected reaches end of life.
End of life for the Connected is estimated at two years, so buy the $1,500 Android Wear-powered smartwatch right now and after two years the company will allow you to trade-in the outdated smartwatch for a conventional Carrera watch, mechanical automatic movement and all.
It won’t be free though, since Carrera watches usually sell for over $3,000, Tag Heuer will make you pay an additional $1,500 on top of what you’ve already paid to purchase the Connected just so that you can trade-in the outdated smartwatch for a real Carrera.
This move actually makes sense. At $1,500 the Connected serves as a gateway to Tag Heuer watches, customers have two years to fall in love with the quality and design of its products, and hopefully they will be enticed enough to spend another $1,500 after two years to get a Carrera.
On the other hand, if you’re someone who doesn’t need to bat an eyelid before dropping $1,500 on a smartwatch, you probably won’t be concerned about spending the same amount again after two years just so you don’t end up with a piece of outdated technology in your watchcase.
Filed in . Read more about Tag Heuer, Tag Heuer Connected and Wearable Tech.