Montblanc Summit vs TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45

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Montblanc Summit vs TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 - Smart watches
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Montblanc and TAG Heuer both present a new smart watch within three days of each other. A coincidence?

TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45

Presented simultaneously in San Francisco and Brunnen, the historic heart of Switzerland that overlooks the Grütli meadow where the founding pact of the Confederation of Helvetia was sealed in 1291, TAG Heuer’s second smart watch is based on a modular concept. This new Carrera model consists of three parts: the case (also called the module), the lugs and the strap. The originality of the modular concept lies in the possibility of choosing the module to combine with the lugs and the strap and thus create three different watches: the Connected Modular 45 module, the self-winding three-hand mechanical Calibre 5 with date, or the Tourbillon Heuer-02T COSC-certified module (sold separately).

Developed in collaboration with Intel and  Google, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 was designed and developed at the TAG Heuer factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, where it is also assembled and encased. An entire production line, meeting the highest standards for a luxury Swiss Made product, is now dedicated solely to the brand’s electronic watches. The new smart watch thus bears the label Swiss Made on the dial. It is also water resistant to 50 metres.

Montblanc Summit vs TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45

The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 can be personalised with a choice of 45mm cases in titanium or black ceramic, smart modules in different materials and colours (including diamond-set bezels), four different materials for the lugs, bracelets in ceramic or titanium or straps in a wide variety of colours in rubber or leather (18 different references are available). Some thirty different watch dials are available (“panda”, GMT, 3 hands, date etc.) in different colours, and the TAG Heuer Studio dial configuration tool allows you to create your own dial from a photo or sketch.

The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 has on-board GPS (independent of any mobile phone), an NFC sensor for contactless payments and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Its screen uses the latest OLED technology for improved resolution and better colour contrast. The watch uses the Intel® Atom™ Z34XX series processor and runs on Android Wear™ 2.0. It has a lithium battery that offers over 24 hours of battery life, a small microphone for communicating with Google Assistant and a sapphire crystal touch screen. It has 4 GB of storage space. The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 is available from 1,690 Swiss francs.
- Michèle Brunner

Montblanc Summit

Montblanc’s first fully-fledged smart watch is undoubtedly Jérôme Lambert’s parting gift to the company (he leaves his post as CEO of Montblanc at the end of this month to take up a more senior position within the management of Montblanc’s parent company, Richemont). Its launch has been shrouded in so much secrecy that only a select few journalists (WorldTempus fortunately included) were told the price on the eve of its launch. Starting from €890, the new Montblanc Summit is over one third cheaper than the new TAG Heuer Modular 45 and will be available from May 2017, exclusively online on Mr Porter for the first two weeks.

Montblanc Summit vs TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45

In addition to price, brand loyalty may have just as much influence on the purchase decision, since both watches share a number of similarities (see table below) and use the Android Wear platform. The classic Minerva dials will thus become one of the unique selling points of the Montblanc Summit, as will the “slightly curved sapphire crystal” and the pre-installed apps such as Uber (with the promise of a ride credit for purchasers of the watch). For the ultimate touch of uniqueness, however, Montblanc is offering the possibility to design your very own watch dial for the Montblanc Summit working alongside the Montblanc Creative Director. But at prices starting from 15,000 euros, this service doesn’t come cheap in comparison with TAG Heuer’s free studio.

On a more practical level, the Montblanc Summit will be available with four different types of case and eight different interchangeable straps, including leather and NATO versions. Together with the different virtual dials available there are thus over 300 different configurations for the Montblanc Summit. - Paul O'Neil

TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45                                                   Montblanc Summit             
Android Wear 2.0 Operating system
Android Wear 2.0
Intel Atom Z34XX Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
1.39” AMOLED Display 1.39” AMOLED
400x400 (287dpi) Resolution 400x400 (286dpi)
45mm Case diameter 46mm
Various Case material Stainless steel and titanium
512MB Memory 512MB
4GB Storage 4GB
410mAh Battery 300mAh
5ATM Water resistance IP68
Yes Microphone Yes
No Heart rate monitor Yes
Yes GPS No
Yes Wi-Fi Yes
Yes NFC No
From CHF 1690 Price From EUR 890
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