What? Watch Encourages Sharing Life’s Meaningful Moments with Stylish, Social-Focused ‘Monograph’ Smartwatch

Following the highly successful crowdfunding efforts of its sleek, minimal Calendar Watch, smartwatch brand What? Watch is aiming for a successful follow-up on Kickstarter with its stylish, social sharing-focused Monograph watch.

Concepted and designed by renowned Japanese creative director Masashi Kawamura, one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business”, and Swiss industrial designer Daniel Julier, the Monograph reflects What? Watch’s emphasis on both monofunctionality and shareability. With its infusion of a single digital function into traditional watch elements and aesthetics, Monograph – which is offered in pairs to further drive the shareability aspect – encourages wearers to capture experiences on the watch itself and share content such as photos with fellow wearers through a corresponding app.

Equipped with high-grade stainless steel, European leather and hardened mineral glass, Monograph features a digital centerpiece in the form of a red button that serves as the conduit for sharing memorable experiences. By pushing the red button, Monograph wearers can create a memory mark on the watch’s e-paper display to not only remind them of significant moments in time, but begin a whole story that can be shared with and continued by friends within social networks.

“Each addition to the story will change the pattern on your watch face every time new content is added,” What? Watch CEO Igor Basargin explains. “Every time the story is edited, the watch vibrates and a new pattern is displayed on the watch face. The app, meanwhile, will show you changes to the story, highlighting new content, and the user can choose which story – or watch pattern – will be displayed. If any of the story participants has a Monograph watch as well, the same story pattern will appear on the other watches.”

With Kickstarter pledge pricing starting out at $127 and $132 for the Radar and Classic models, the Monograph appeals to young, social-savvy consumers who love to share thoughts and content through social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, while striking a chord with more traditional watch-wearers who prefer a fashionable alternative to the tech-heavy smartwatches of today.

According to Basargin, a platform like Kickstarter serves as the most ideal outlet to reach such sought-after markets with Monograph, which continues in What? Watch’s tradition of creating “smartwatches for people who hate smartwatches.” “We chose Kickstarter because we feel that it’s the most viable platform to allow people to invest in a product they believe in and help build our brand’s story while building their own.”

For more details, visit the Kickstarter:
http://kck.st/2oou37Q

For more on What? Watch:
http://www.whatwatch.com/

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About What? Watch:

Composed of a diverse international cast of designers and entrepreneurs, What? Watch is focused on rethinking traditional timekeeping. Our aim is to create products that are distinctive and interesting. Providing both great value for the money and truly meaningful emotional benefits, our watches combine digital and analog, technology and style, in distinctive and original ways. From Tokyo to Helsinki, Zurich to New York, our global design perspective serves to reshape the way how What? Watch wearers perceive and interact with time.