The luxury brand is back with another Wear watch
Montblanc Summit 2, the first smartwatch to come packed with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip is now available to buy.
The company’s second-generation Wear smartwatch, and follow-up to last year’s Summit, is designed for both men and women, with the case sitting at 42mm – considerably smaller and friendlier than the original’s hulking 46mm bezel. Inspired by the design of Montblanc’s 1858 collection, there’s also a number of finishes to choose from: black DLC steel, stainless steel, bicolour steel and grade 2 titanium.
Hands on: Montblanc Summit 2 review
That variety in customization is extended to the Summit 2’s strap options, with 11 different interchangeable options available including calfskin, milanese steel, rubber sport and nylon. As far as physical watch features, it also finds room for a rotating crown and two pushers (buttons) above and below the crown, which can be programmed to activate your favorite smartwatch apps and features.
The Wear watch is up for grabs for a wallet-busting , with a feature set akin to the rest of the new generation of Wear watches. That means there’ll be an improved heart rate monitor on the underside, while fitness is bolstered even further by GPS and 5ATM water resistance. An exclusive Montblanc Runnning Coach app powered by biometric data analytics firm Firstbeat is also on board too. It enables runners to track fitness levels (based on VO2max) and help build personalised training plans. Live coaching to stay on top of the right pace and running intensity also enhances its skills as a luxury smartwatch that’s built for running.
New Qualcomm tech and Wear OS extras
But what about the improvements through the new Qualcomm chipset? Well, according to Montblanc, the biggest upgrade will be in battery life. And while it’ll only stretch to just over a day in regular mode, the company is debuting a Traditional Watch Mode which claims to stretch that life up to a week by switching to a ultra-low power co-processor and showing nothing but the time.
It will, of course, run on Wear OS when in its normal state, showcasing all the recent changes Google has made to the platform. That includes the new UI redesign, which aims to make it easier to navigate the OS, and the overhauled Google Fit. The usual tricks, such as customisable watch faces and notifications with smart reply support, will also be available on the watch.
Montblanc has also includes a handful of its own apps including the timeshifter app to help minimize jet lag and help travellers adjust fast to a new time zone. That’s also joined by the Travel Info app, which aims to provide relevant local traveller information. The inclusion of NFC to enable Google Pay means contactless payments make the cut too.
You can read our Summit 2 first impressions already, but we’re hoping it will leave a better impression in the long term than its predecessor. While we had a lot of time for the luxury build and slick performance, the pretty ordinary design and lack of extras meant you could get a feature-packed Wear watch for a whole lot less.
Now, with more features on tow and a design which appeals to a wider crop of people, Montblanc has addressed some of those concerns. The company is always going to sit the expensive side, but at least now potential buyers will be receiving more for their money with the new iteration.