Sony Wena Wrist Pro Smart Watch Strap
One of the biggest complaints about smartwatches, particularly from horological enthusiasts, is that they’re ugly. So instead of trying to redesign its limited smartwatch offerings to make them more aesthetically pleasing, Sony took a shot at updating traditional analog timepieces to be smarter. Instead of cracking open a Rolex and stuffing unwanted electronics inside, Sony’s solution was to create a smart replacement strap that did everything a smartwatch could, while remaining mostly discreet and out of sight.
The Wena Wrist Pro bracelet was compatible with watches that used an 18-, 20-, or 22-millimeter strap, and hidden away in the clasp was not only a tiny OLED display capable of delivering a couple lines of text, but Bluetooth, a rechargeable battery (requiring a proprietary connector, of course), and motion sensors for fitness tracking. The Wena Wrist Pro connected to a smartphone app so it could mirror notifications to the wearer, but with a price tag starting at $450 (even more expensive than the original Apple Watch), it’s doubtful too many of these were ever spotted out in the wild.
