A few days ago, Tag Heuer posted a teaser for a Super Mario-themed watch. You might have assumed that a Swiss-made mechanical timepiece was in the works, but now the news is out: it’s actually a limited edition version of Tag’s Connected Wear OS smartwatch.
Tag Heuer seemingly hasn’t released details itself yet — its website is still counting down to a July 15th announcement — but Engadget, TechCrunch, and WorldTempus have all posted stories with the device’s key features. The hardware itself appears to be identical beyond some light cosmetic tweaks to the 45mm case, including an M-for-Mario logo on the crown, and it comes with two straps: one with perforated red rubber alongside one with red rubber and black leather.
The watch is said to use a “gamification rewards system” with greetings from Mario and Mushroom Kingdom-themed animations that play as you hit various steps goals throughout the day. There are four new Mario watch faces, including a “Timekeeping” face that features “retro elements from the 1985 version of Super Mario Bros. with Mario, all in pixels.” (As opposed to the physical steel that other smartwatch faces are cast from, presumably.)
Tag Heuer says it’s “considering making [these Mario features] available on other editions of TAG Heuer Connected at a later stage.” That may be good news for anyone who bought the most recent version, which started at $1,800 and could cost as much as $2,350.
The new Mario watch falls toward the high end of the Connected range, coming in at $2,150. It’s also a lot more exclusive — Tag Heuer is only making 2,000 models, which will be available through some of its own boutique stores and its website in certain regions from July 15th.
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