The Tapestry brand Kate Spade New York debuted a line of new smartwatches on Tuesday, becoming the latest fashion or luxury brand to rely on Google’s new software for wearable devices.
The Scallop Smartwatch 2 collection, with watches available for pre-order starting at about $300, runs Google’s revamped Wear OS. The new devices also feature a round touch screen, like competing models from Samsung and other luxury brands, but counter to the square watches sold by market leaders Apple and Fitbit. They include heart rate tracking, built in GPS, and mobile payments via the Google Pay system.
While many smartwatches have an appearance more geared toward men, the Kate Spade watches are aimed at the women’s market, the company says.
“We combined our feminine design details, including our signature spade and scallop detailing, with the latest technology and customization features for her everyday needs,” Nicola Glass, creative director of Kate Spade New York, said in a statement. “This smartwatch is a sophisticated blend of style and function. An everyday luxury.”
Among other features, the new watches will include access to Google’s voice-controlled digital assistant and resist water enough to take swimming. In China, the watches will include Alibaba’s (BABA) Alipay instead of Google Pay.
Google overhauled its software for smartwatches last year and dropped the Android brand from the name in an effort to match proprietary offerings from Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit. Other high-end brands relying on Google (GOOGL) for smartwatch software include Fossil (FOSL), Guess, Movado (MOV), and TAG Heuer. Still, even combined, the market share of the luxury and fashion brands trails far behind Apple (AAPL), Fitbit (FIT), and low-cost Chinese gadget maker Huawei.
The parent company of Kate Spade, Tapestry (TPR), changed its name from the better known Coach last October.
