While smartwatches have been steadily improving over the years, most of them are still rather bulky in comparison to regular watches. Because of that, a startup called Grayton decided to take a different approach to designing a smartwatch when it came up with Grayton Origin. Namely, Grayton opted for manufacturing a traditional, mechanical watch and ennobling it with modern functions fueled by hardware that’s built into the band, and not the actual watch. In other words, this startup is offering a mechanical, self-winding watch with a smart band. The leather strap of the device is the thing that adds numerous smart functions to Grayton Origin and manufacturers of this watch claim that this is the perfect combination of modern technology and traditional sophistication.
Among other things, the smart band of the Grayton Origin supports notifications, activity tracking, music control, and calendar reminders. The company behind this unique piece of hardware claims that the Grayton Origin started as an idea to create a smartwatch that can hardly become obsolete, at least in terms of serving as an actual watch. Therefore, the Grayton Origin features a transparent cover, an open-heart dial, and a mechanism which automatically keeps the watch wound as long as it’s worn on a daily basis. In other words, as far as timekeeping is concerned, this device doesn’t require a battery.
This unique smartwatch recently landed on Indiegogo and has already raised close to $60,000 while its initial funding goal amounted to only $25,000. Grayton announced that it’s planning to start shipping the device to early bird backers by March, while everyone else will have to remain patient for a little while longer as the Grayton Origin is also slated for a commercial release come mid-2017. The watch can currently be purchased with five cases: Traditional Steel, Continental Black, Classic Brown, Vintage Marine, and Blossom Beige. In addition to that, customers can choose from two smart leather straps – Classic Brown and Classic Black. Given how Grayton already reached its first Indiegogo stretch goal, everyone who purchases the company’s first watch will also receive a complimentary NATO-styled nylon strap. However, as Grayton’s Indiegogo campaign really took off, you can’t get the Origin by pledging less than $229. On the bright side, this “Early Bird Extra” pledge will also land you an extra Classic leather strap. If you think that sounds like a good deal, visit the Grayton Origin Indiegogo page by following the source link below.
