Swatch will release a smartwatch within two to three months, around the time when Apple is due to release its widely anticipated first timepiece, the company said.
Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek told Bloomberg that the company’s new timepiece will feature functions for communication, mobile payments, and applications that work with Windows and Android. It will not require a charge and will work via the Internet, Hayek said.
Swatch spokesperson Beatrice Howland confirmed the remarks, adding that the device will be released under its Swatch nameplate.
Swatch is also adding health-oriented features to its Swatch Touch, which will be released at the end of the month, Howland says.
Hayek had previously been somewhat skeptical about smartwatches. “Watches remain a piece of jewelry,” he told The New York Times last year.
Hayek is not the only outspoken doubter who is nevertheless looking at the category. Jean-Claude Biver, who heads LVMH watch brands and TAG Heuer, has also announced plans for a connected timepiece.
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