TAG Heuer’s Connected Modular 45 is the Android ar 2.0 watch you want but can’t afford

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 14 Mar 2017

The first few Android ar 2.0 watches seem to have forgotten a key aspect: fashion. ile the flagship models may be packed with enough sensors chips to operate completely independent from your phone, they’re not stunners in the looks department, offering hulking frames bulbous bezels that prioritize function over form. But TAG Heuer is looking to change all that with the Connected Modular 45.

Tag Heuer’s first Connected smartwatch was in a class by itself, if only because it was one of the few Android ar watches that squarely targeted the luxury market. That’s not changing with the Modular 45, so if you thought the original $1,500 price tag was too high, you probably won’t be interested in its successor either. If anything, Tag Heuer has doubled down on luxury.

Making a connection: Android ar 2.0 was supposed to rekindle our love of smartwatches, but the launch hasn’t started out strong. ile TAG Heuer’s Modular 45 watch isn’t likely to change that much, it does offer an intriguing concept for watch enthusiasts, a decent-sized segment of the watch-buying public that has been mostly ignored when it comes to smartwatches. Apple may have offered an absurd solid-gold variant of its original Apple tch, but TAG Heuer is the first company to truly underst watch collectors, it could carve out a nice niche.

Tag, you’re it!

At $1,650, the Modular 45 actually starts at a higher price than its predecessor, but for all that money you’re definitely getting a solid smartwatch. There’s a 1.4-inch AMOD display, 160 feet (50 meters) of water resistance, G, NFC for mobile payments, though you won’t find a heart-rate monitor or E chip. wering the engine is an Intel Atom ocessor Z34XX with 512 MB of RAM 4 GB storage. At 45mm, it’s still decidedly a watch for a man’s-sized wrist, but at 13.75 mm thick, it’s a touch thinner than the tch Sport.

tag heuer connected modular 45 display 3

The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 comes in a variety of styles, all of which are customizable.

But you’re not just getting a Swiss-engineered smartwatch with the Modular 45—you’re getting an ecosystem. TAG Heuer has taken Apple’s customizable concept ran with it, making all aspects of the watch interchangeable: bs, lugs, buckles, faces. There are 11 main designs to choose from, TAG Heuer says 45 additional combinations will be offered at boutique shops around the world.

But for watch enthusiasts, the possibilities will be nearly endless. On its web site, TAG Heuer has launched a tch Selector that lets you customize your perfect Modular 45 watch, choosing from a variety of modules, straps, lugs across an array of materials, including titanium, calfskin, rubber, ceramic, diamond. There will even be two mechanical modules you can buy to make your smartwatch less smart, the Calibre 5 02T Tourbillon. st expect those to make the Modular 45’s price tag seem like a downright bargain.

Of course, the watch is powered by Android ar 2.0, which means you’ll get Android y, Assistant, Fit built in, as well as some 30 digital watch faces that mimic some of TAG Heuer’s classic looks. It works with the stard Android ar app as well as TAG Heuer’s own Connected app, which will feature an exclusive time management tool that incorporates AI smarts into your schedule. For example, if you ask it to alert you to pick up milk on the way home, it will use G to determine when you’re actually on the way home, no matter what time that may be.

The watch its various modules accessories can be explored on TAG Heuer’s website should be available for purchase soon. The company has also announced that a 39mm unisex version of the Connected 45 will be available in October.