The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Vector Puts the Art in Smartwatch

By TJ Carter April 9, 2015

vector smartwatch — Image used with permission by copyright holder

MP3 player. Smartphone. Tablet. Phablet. Laptop.

Like any gentleman alive in the year 2015, you probably have at least two of the above. If you’ve been paying attention to tech news, you know that today’s developers are trying to add smartwatches to that list. We think that’s just fine; however, it’s important to be smart about one’s smartwatch purchase. That’s why we’re excited for the two new smartwatches from Vector Watch.

Vector — which is helmed by former Timex CEO Joe Santana — offers solutions to several problems facing smartwatches. Considering how new smartwatches are, they probably won’t be replacing your other mobile devices anytime soon. Until then, the smartwatch will be just another screen that absorbs your time. Vector’s efficient smartwatches, on the other hand, are designed to make your life simpler and sleeker.

Vector Product Shot 1_hi-res — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Most smartwatches are also plagued by the embarrassment factor — in a recent poll, 35 percent of respondents said they would feel embarrassed or self-conscious wearing wearable technology. To this, we say, just look at the Vector watches — would you be embarrassed to wear that? These look like million-dollar watches from the future, yet they only cost $199 and $349.

The Luna boasts a 44mm stainless steel case topped with hardened mineral crystal, while the Vector Meridian has a rectangular 40.5mm case. For either watch, you can choose between a solid stainless steel bracelet, a lined leather strap, or a silicon strap.

Related: The Manual Wind: 3 Worth it Watches for Under $500

If the sleek, minimalist aesthetic doesn’t woo you, the functionality will. Vector’s smartwatches present relevant information when you’re at work, at home, sleeping, or exercising; and can track calorie expenditures, steps, and sleep quality. These smartwatches also come with classic watch features, including a stopwatch, countdown timer, chronograph, and multiple alarms.

Both watches have an extraordinary battery life of up to 30 days — compare that with the two days of most Android smartwatches and the Apple Watch’s 18 hours. They’re also water resistant up to 50 meters, with a rating of 5 ATM. These beauties are technologically and aesthetically sophisticated, and we can’t wait to try them out.

The Vector Meridian ($199) and Vector Luna ($349) are now available for pre-order, and will be released summer of 2015.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Watches

Former Digital Trends Contributor

TJ Carter wears many hats, both figuratively and literally. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a degree…

Fashion & Style

Every Reason Why the Citizen Promaster Is the Perfect Watch for the Outdoors

Citizen Promaster MX watch on the road and traveling.

Air. Land. Sea. Space? It's difficult to find a wristwatch that can seamlessly move between all of those environments, survive the varying conditions, and still offer everything you'd need to get by. Well, beyond keeping track of the time, anyway. And maybe you'll never find a watch that can handle all of those places -- the cold and vacuous reaches of zero gravity are not a likely candidate here -- but you can certainly find something durable, stylish, and valuable. That's precisely the concept behind Citizen's Promaster watch collection, which has been around for more than 30 years. That's right, for over 3 decades, Promaster watches have accompanied adventurers and explorers on many thrilling journeys all over the world. Thanks to Citizen's proprietary, and absolutely fantastic, Eco-Drive technology, the watches are powered merely by light and never need a battery. Imagine never needing to replace a watch battery ever again?

Fashion & Style

Fossil Smartwatches Are Super Cheap at Best Buy Today

Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch on a white background.

If you're keen to treat yourself to a stylish new Fossil smartwatch, Best Buy has the deals for you with big price cuts on the Fossil Gen 5e smartwatch and the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch. Right now, you can save $70 and $57 respectively on those two smartwatches, enjoying a classier timepiece experience than before. As always, these prices are for a strictly limited time only so if they appeal, you'll need to get in on the deal fast to take advantage of the discount. Let's take a look at why they're so great.
Fossil Gen 5e Smartwatch -- $179, was $249

Tapping into an aesthetic that leads to some of the best Fossil watches for men with classic and modern taste, the Fossil Gen 5e Smartwatch looks pretty great. It features a two-tone stainless steel bracelet so it looks like a traditional watch but with plenty of smartwatch functionality thanks to Google's WearOS. It'll fit nicely into your work aesthetic as well as look good on a night out. Its features include notification tracking for all your calls, calendar alerts, emails, SMSes, and social media-related doings, as well as the ability to track all your activity goals. Three smart battery modes extend the battery life so you won't need to recharge too often either. An always-on display means it's always ready for you to look at, as well, giving it a stylish advantage over other smartwatches.

Fashion & Style

Product Review: Is This $500 Multisport Smartwatch Worth the Sticker Shock?

suunto 7 gps multisport smartwatch review 2

In a few short weeks, it seems the pandemic shut down just about everything. Restaurants, bars, concerts, public gatherings — all manner of fun was suddenly off-limits. That’s meant that now, more than ever, people are heading into the great outdoors for their next adventure. For anyone who loves planning, tracking, and sharing every aspect of their workouts and activities, a good multisport smartwatch is key. We tested Suunto’s new Suunto 7 to see how it stacked up. Here’s what we found.

Setup
Out of the box, setting up the Suunto 7 is straightforward, if a bit tedious. That's less a knock on Suunto and more the reality of setting up a sophisticated, multifunction smartwatch. There are quite a few steps, although none are especially tricky. My test watch arrived with about a 50% battery charge. From unboxing and topping off the battery to setup and putting it on took a little over an hour.
Design
Finland’s Suunto has long been a favorite among hardcore adventure-seekers, so most of its products target endurance athletes, triathletes, and adrenaline junkies who happen to love tech gadgets. The Suunto 7 is designed for a more mainstream audience. At first glance, it’s every bit as handsome as an Apple Watch.