Your Ultimate Guide To Smartwatches

By Harrison Brown
9 May 2024

Track your steps, answer phone calls, pay contactless, and even tell the time, smartwatches are a wonderful invention that has swept the world by storm in the last decade. From designer to luxury, everyone is wearing their smartwatch with pride and to many more places than the gym.

We have curated a detailed guide to provide you with all you need to know in finding the perfect smartwatch. Keep reading to find out what makes smartwatches so smart and how you can get your latest addition!

image of both front and back of tag heuer connected smart watch

What Is A Smartwatch?

Starting a running journey, want to keep track of your steps, or simply want a cool, modern watch? Smartwatches do it all! Using interactive screen displays, a smartwatch connects to various apps and software, allowing you to do more.

Smartwatches frequently pair with your smartphone, enabling you to get message alerts, answer phone calls, and even conduct contactless transactions directly from your wrist, essentially serving as a compact wrist-worn computer. Prior to purchase, ensure that the smartwatch you select is compatible with your phone to fully utilise its capabilities.

Why Do You Need A Smartwatch?

Many people are opting for a smartwatch over a simple dress watch or complicated sports watch due to their versatility. With many luxury brands such as TAG Heuer and Garmin building their smartwatches with luxurious designs that match their ethos, you can wear yours straight from the gym to the Met Gala.

Key Features

When browsing our range of smartwatches, there are a few key features you need to look out for:

1. Screen Display

The majority of smartwatches on the market use a backlit LCD or an OLED display that is powered by internal batteries. Much like smartphones.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens use a backlight for illumination. This type of display tends to be brighter and clearer than OLED. They are also a lot more inexpensive to create.

Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screens are illuminated organically as these pixels produce their own light. A common function among sport smartwatches as they often provide longer battery life and a better image.

2. Bluetooth Connectivity

More often than not, the smartwatch you select will have Bluetooth compatibility, allowing you to connect your watch to your phone. This is an incredible feature that takes your watch to the next level, as you can now receive and transmit data between the devices, including phone calls, text messages, fitness records, and even images.

3. OS Compatability

Operating System (OS) is what ensures your smartphone or watch is running smoothly and in order for them to connect, they have to run on the same OS.

Many watches now connect to various operating systems, such as iOS and Android or the all-encompassing Wear OS which connects to both systems. However, it is important to double check which one you need.

4. Fitness Tracking

Browsing the market, you will discover that there is a constant battle on whether a device is a smartwatch or a fitness tracker. At Chisholm Hunter we provide a selection of both, you just have to decide which is better for you.

Fitness trackers are designed to solely track your fitness, such as step count, calories burned, workouts, and even sleep. Garmin provides an excellent range of fitness watches that provide a luxury feel.

Smartwatches are slightly more tech-packed in their creation. As a complimentary addition to your smartphone, smartwatches are incredible tech wearables. These watches are perfect for receiving and sending call/text notifications while also keeping track of your fitness or sports performance.

5. Go Contactless

Contactless is the most preferred form of payment throughout the world. Whether for your morning Iced Vanilla Latte or your train fare, everyone is going contactless.

And smartwatches had to keep up. When operated by Wear OS, iOS, or Android, your tech-savvy wrist companion should allow for contactless payment methods once connected to your smartphone. Ensuring you never panic when you leave your smartphone in the car, at home, or in the pub!

5 Best Luxury Smartwatches

When it comes to finding the right smartwatch for you, it can be difficult to choose from a sea of thousands. All with different features, designs, and purposes. We have curated 5 of the best luxury smartwatches to make your decision simple!

1. Garmin EPIX Pro Gen 2 Sapphire Edition

Garmin is a rather impressive brand, carving out and dominating the market of luxury smartwatches. Ranging from simple yet effective fitness trackers to all out tech-advanced smartwatches.

The Garmin EPIX Pro Gen 2 Sapphire Edition is ranked as one of the best outdoor watches on the market. Using a gorgeous AMOLED screen and a titanium bezel, this adventure watch is durable, reliable, and truly fantastic.

Pay for daily coffees using Garmin Pay, find your way out of the woods with GPS, and track your daily activity with over 2 weeks of battery life. This is a spectacular upgrade to the Garmin smartwatch, which includes a one-button flashlight for those darker nights.

2. TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4

TAG Heuer have been creating and redefining the meaning of the sports smartwatch for decades. With the creation of their TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4, TAG has produced a sleek watch that can be worn to any occasion while tracking your every step.

The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 is Google Wear OS operated, making it compatible with almost any device.

The TAG Heuer smartwatch comes equipped with a suite of standard sensors and functionalities, encompassing a comprehensive array of location and fitness tracking sensors, along with a heart-rate monitor. The inclusion of the heart-rate monitor is particularly crucial, as TAG Heuer recognises the demand among users for their watches to support fitness and activity monitoring. Additionally, TAG Heuer offers proprietary exercise tracking software, which boasts a user-friendly interface and caters to a variety of distinct physical exercises.

3. Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport

The Tissot T-Touch debuted in 1999 and has shaped the interactive digital watch market ever since. As technology and consumer needs evolved, Tissot was there, making sure we were beyond satisfied.

Today, the Tissot T-Touch Connect Sport blends traditional watch design and the future. This timepiece is in sync with your energetic lifestyle, meticulously recording your heart rate, distance covered, speed, and calorie expenditure, while also providing notifications without delay.

Enhance your experience with its exclusive app, which delivers detailed performance evaluations, trend assessments, and insights into your overall health. Fuelled by solar energy and the innovative SwALPS system, it ensures long-lasting use with minimal need for recharging. The battery’s longevity is virtually endless in watch mode and continues for several months in assorted connected modes.

4. Michael Kors Access Sofie

An unusual yet not surprising addition to our list of Best Luxury Smartwatches is the Michael Kors Access Sofie.

This Michael Kors Access Sofie smartwatch merges contemporary chic with cutting-edge technology. It operates on Android Wear and offers compatibility with both iOS and Android™ devices, requiring Android OS 4.3 or above, and iOS 9 or newer.

Stay updated with social media notifications, maintain your fitness with integrated tracking features, and receive text and email notifications directly on your wrist with the innovative Michael Kors Access smartwatch. All devices come equipped with Bluetooth® smart technology, ensuring efficient data transfer with 4.1 Low Energy.

Complete with a gorgeous rose gold-plated stainless-steel bracelet and case, this smartwatch dazzles with every turn of the wrist.

5. Skagen Falster Quartz

Skagen is a young brand that makes big waves with every new release. And in 2018, they joined the race for the best smartwatch.

Renowned for minimalist design, slim hands, and powerful mechanics, the Falster collection is no different. Featuring a 42mm case and a solitary push button on its flank, this design caters to both men and women, though it may be somewhat oversized for petite wrists.

Powered by Wear OS, you can keep track of calls, texts, and fitness. A simple, clean, yet versatile digital watch that ensures your every need is met.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Connect Your Smartphone?

Connecting your smartphone to your smartwatch can seem complicated and may vary depending on the brand and model. Thats why we always recommend following the instructions provided with the watch.

For many devices, you simply have to power both the phone and the watch, connect through bluetooth and you are good to go. However, some may require you to download a specific app in order to track your data.

How To Connect Your Smartphone?

Smartwatches require an internet connection to provide their full features. Without a connection you will only have access to basic features such as time and date display, alarm clock, and stopwatch.

Do Smartwatches Have A Monthly Fee?

The smartwatch itself does not come with a monthly fee. However, some providers may require fees for certain features and apps. This is a feature you will want to discuss or research before purchasing your smartwatch.

Since turn of the century, smartwatches have been evolving and developing to adapt to our needs. From simple pedometers to majestic golf smartwatches, as technology advances so does the world of smartwatches. At Chisholm Hunter, you will find a wide collection of smartwatches to ensure you never miss a step, a heartbeat, or that all important swing.