WiseWear provided a look at its new wearable technologybracelet called The Socialite Collection.
Gerald Wilmink, chief executive officer, held a briefing at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan on Friday to detail the line. In attendance was New York’s doyenne of eccentric style Iris Apfel, who is the face of the collection.
According to Wilmink, the line does more than just notify the wearer of incoming calls. It can also provide standard fitness tracking information, as well as serve as a security device to provide GPS location to friends in an emergency. Wilmink, who has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, founded WiseWear with two business components: one targets wearable medical devices and the other is the consumer track, currently focused on fashion and wearable technology.
According to Jordan Ramirez, chief marketing officer, the patented technology encases the motherboard and battery at the base of the bracelet, which is then encased in metal with the sides of the base housing the antenna. Ramirez said the patent is the first to allow for complete encasement of the technology in metal, compared with competitors who use plastics or elastomers. That means there are “no spaces or open grates that could allow for the Bluetooth signal to get out,” he explained.
Ramirez said the device is comprised of two parts: the base is called the brains and the top is referred to as the beauty. The top and bottom are detachable, to allow for one to interchange the designs and metals for a variety of looks. Currently, the bracelets are available in yellow or rose gold-plated or palladium-plated metals. Prices range from $295 to $395, Ramirez said.
The battery lasts about three days on a single charge, and the number of vibrations for notifications is adjustable. The bracelet is also water-resistant.
While Apfel is fronting the initial collection, she is also developing her own line of wearable tech jewelry in partnership with WiseWear. Ramirez said that line is expected to be out in time for the holiday season.
[Source:- WWD]