Withings Activité is a fitness tracker disguised as a designer Swiss watch
Most fitness trackers look like they belong in the gym or on the race track, which is fine if you're working out, but not so great if you want to look your best at the board meeting or that fancy cocktail party. The Withings Activité, however, changes the notion of the fitness tracker entirely with an elegant design that's more reminiscent of a Rolex or a Hublot. That's because the Activité was actually created by a team of Parisian designers and Swiss watch-makers. Available in either black or silver, it's made out of stainless steel 316L and an "unbreakable" sapphire glass that also functions as a touch screen -- you can tap it to switch between modes. Included is a leather strap that's apparently sourced from a famous tannery in France, though you can swap it out with a plastic strap if you prefer. Outfitted with a classic round face and a traditional analog watch display, the Activité has two dials -- the primary one tells the time, while a smaller sub dial keeps track of your activity targets.
Yep, while it may not look like it, the Activité really is an actual fitness tracker -- after all, it's made by the company that brought us that WiFi enabled scale and other, more serious fitness gadgets. It's able to monitor your steps, calories burned, distance traveled plus sleep patterns via an accelerometer and other internal sensors. Smart enough to know when you're awake or asleep, it can even wake you up with a vibrating alarm. Like a classic Swiss watch, the Activité has a special Connected Movement time mechanism that's designed for long-term accuracy, and it comes with regular ol' watch batteries that never need to be recharged (though they only last a year). It communicates with iOS devices via Bluetooth LE, working in concert with a handy Withings Health Mate app that lets you create custom activity plans and track your progress towards your fitness goals. Oh, and you're free to take the Activité to the pool as well, as it's water resistant for up to 50 meters.
If this sounds like the activity tracker of your dreams, well, you'll have to pay a hefty sum for it: the Activité will retail for $390 later this fall. But considering it's perhaps the best-looking fitness tracker -- maybe even one of the better watches -- we've ever seen, it may be well worth it.
