Smartwatches 1927-2023: The devices that paved the way for the Apple Watch
The smartwatch is now a fixture of the technology world – as well as our wrists.
Recent research has predicted that as many as 353 million smartwatches will be shipped in 2027 – up from just 51 million as recently as 2017.
But it may surprise readers that the first smartwatch dates back to 1927, and there was a real boom in the 80s and 90s.
Read on for our list of the 19 most important smartwatches ever, the ones that paved the way for the wearables we know and love today.
Read more: Upcoming smartwatches we're excited about
1927: Plus Four Wristlet Route Indicator
Wareable
There's no GPS built into this absolute beauty from the 1920s, but it would still help you get from A to B. Simply slot in the scroll map cartridge for your set route (London to Bournemouth sounds lovely) and away you go. Sure, you have to do some manual knob twiddling on the dual crowns, but at least you didn't have to charge it every night.
1972: Pulsar
Wareable
Fifty years later the first all-electric digital watch arrived, from the Hamilton Watch Company, wrapped up in 18-carat gold.
It boasted LEDs and you had to push a button to see the time. A bargain at $2,100 back in 1972.
1982: Seiko TV Watch
Wareable
As worn by James Bond in Octopussy, this 'smartwatch needed an adapter and a whopping great receiver box to show grainy TV images below the digital time display.
It cost about £500 and your TV action was presented in ten shades of grey. That's not a softcore porno, that's the display.
1983: Seiko Data-2000
Wareable
Slick looking, right? The Data-2000 could store memos (well, two of them) and calendar entries and also acted as a calculator. You had to make use of the clip on the keyboard but hey, that was part of the fun. Seiko was pretty prolific in the smartwatch arena in the 80s. It also launched the UC-2000, the RC-1000, the Memo Diary, and the UC-3000 within a year of the Data-2000.
1985: Sinclair FM Wristwatch Radio
Wareable
A damn shame that this never made it past the prototype stage, this monster from the British company behind the massively successful ZX Spectrum, working alongside watch specialist Timex, had three separate sections: an LCD watch, piezoelectric speaker, and FM tuner, along with a battery compartment in the clasp. It was canceled as a result of Sinclair's financial woes, with only 11,000 being produced.
1995: Seiko MessageWatch
Wareable
Not only could this watch display caller IDs (using FM sideband frequencies), but it could also display updates on a variety of subjects ranging from sports scores, stock prices, and weather forecasts. That's pretty much Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri, right? Only 20 years before and not so colorful.
1995: Breitling Emergency Watch
Wareable
Packing a distress signal that could be picked up from anywhere within 90 nautical miles, the Breitling Emergency Watch was credited with helping in the rescue of two British pilots after their helicopter crashed in Antarctica in 2003.
In 2013, the Emergency II was launched and can be bought for around £9,000.
1998: Linux Wristwatch
Wareable
The 'father of wearable computing', Steve Mann built the first Linux-powered watch in 1998 and a prototype was launched by IBM two years later.
“Designed to communicate wirelessly with PCs, cell phones, and other wireless-enabled devices, the 'smart watch' will have the ability to view condensed email messages and directly receive pager-like messages," read the fact sheet.
“Future enhancements will include a high-resolution screen and applications that will allow the watch to be used as an access device for various Internet-based services such as up-to-the-minute information about weather, traffic conditions, the stock market, sports results, and so on."
That's why Mann is the daddy.
2002: Fossil Palm Pilot
Wareable
Fossil is looking to get back into the wearable tech game – it was recently revealed that the US watch company will be teaming up with Intel for a smartwatch assault.
It was 12 years ago that it had its first crack. Awarded 'best of Comdex 2002' it featured a 160 x 160 display, 2MB of internal memory, and Palm apps such as an address book, memo pad, to-do list, and a calculator.
It had a stylus integrated into the strap. Samsung Galaxy Note anyone?
2003: Microsoft SPOT
Wareable
Microsoft eventually got into the wearable tech game in 2015 but, over a decade before, it was working with the likes of Citizen, Timex, Fossil, and Suunto on this SPOT 'Smart Personal Object Technology' devices.
It was based on the idea of presenting digital information in a non-distracting way – which is still the mantra for smartwatches today. The problem was that in 2003, that information just wasn't useful enough.
SPOT devices were discontinued in 2008, and the idea of a $ 59-a-year subscription fee for updates never really proved popular.
2003: Garmin Forerunner
Wareable
Garmin has a pretty strong foothold in the GPS sports watch arena; it's an area it's been involved in for over 10 years. The original Forerunner range paved the way for the likes of the Forerunner 15 by measuring speed, distance, pace, and calories burned, and it ran from a pair of AAA batteries – which would get you around 14 hours of action. Fair to say that things have slimmed down slightly in nearly 20 years.
2012: Nike+ Fuelband
Wareable
A jump into this decade now and the hugely successful Nike+ Fuelband. It tracked your steps, earning you Fuel Points throughout the day. It offered automatic syncing using Bluetooth and the second edition, which launched in 2013, improved the ambient light settings so it glowed brighter in darker situations.
2012: Sony SmartWatch
Wareable
At a glance, the Sony SmartWatch doesn't look too different from the devices of today. The original Sony SmartWatch was a companion device for the Xperia smartphone range, running a modified version of Android. It had a 1.3-inch OLED display and was well-received by the tech press, despite its tendency to crash for no apparent reason. It was succeeded by the SmartWatch 2 in 2013, and the Android-Wear toting SmartWatch 3 was a high-water mark for the brand in 2015. However, there was no Sony SmartWatch 4 – and the line hasn't been continued.
2013: Pebble
Wareable
Back in 2013, the Pebble smartwatch campaign was the most successful Kickstarter ever. Capable of a range of notifications, the Pebble could also act as a remote controller for your smartphone, or for devices such as the GoPro camera. The Pebble app store had over 1,000 applications, and its fun, quirky design inspired a cult following.
However, when the smartwatch market heated up with Apple and Samsung coming to play, Pebble couldn't keep up.
It was eventually bought and shuttered by Fitbit, but its innovations are still at the heart of modern wearables such as the Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Sense.
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Take a look at our tribute to the original Pebble – a smartwatch icon.
2013: Samsung Galaxy Gear
Wareable
The Gear that kickstarted Samsung's smartwatch assault, this device was announced at IFA 2013. A year later and we now have six Samsung smartwatches. It seems the trusted Sammy method of saturating the market with its devices is being applied to the smartwatch genre.
The original Gear was a critical flop, and very much stank of a product released just to beat Apple to the punch.
However, Samsung stayed in the race and has risen to be #2 in the smartwatch global rankings. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 reunited it with a Google OS and is part of a resurgence to challenge Apple's dominance.
2014: Samsung Gear Fit
Wareable
The original Gear did pave the way for some great Gear devices though and the Gear Fit created some wow factor for the market with its gorgeous curved OLED display.
It was unveiled at MWC 2014, along with the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo devices.
2014: Moto 360
Wareable
Android Wear was announced in March 2014 at the Google I/O conference and the pick of the trio of launch devices was, undoubtedly, Motorola's round effort.
The Moto 360 took on an almost mythical status thanks to its round design, and the fact it looked so much more like a proper watch than early Android Wear debutants.
It was followed up by a Moto 360 2 in 2015 and Moto 360 Sport in 2016, but that was the last we saw of the brand under Motorola. In 2019, it did come back, licensed to eBuyNow, a company that relaunches unloved older brands. But the result was an under-par, too-expensive tribute to what was once an inspirational device on the wearables roadmap.
2014: Samsung Gear S
Wareable
A huge, cuff-like smartwatch, the Samsung Gear S was a technological showpiece that carved out a loyal niche.
It boasted 3G connectivity, promising the ability to operate without an accompanying smartphone – a first for Samsung smartwatches, which before now required a Galaxy handset.
Samsung's new smartwatch certainly looked the business, with an enormous 2-inch curved display that makes use of the curved Super AMOLED face found on the Samsung Gear Fit.
The 360 x 480 resolution was by far the best at the time – and still stacks up today.
However, the huge display looked insane to wear and it was far from comfortable – and there was no follow-up.
2015 - present: Apple Watch
Wareable
While the world expected it to be called the iWatch, the Apple Watch was officially unveiled to an expectant crowd in Cupertino in September 2014.
While it signaled a new era of smartwatches, the first generation lacked GPS, apps had to be piggy-backed from iPhone versions, and they couldn't access the Apple Watch's array of sensors.
But it's come a long way since. Over nine generations and expanding to three separate models, the Apple Watch has spearheaded features such as ECG, heart rate notifications, fall detection, walkie-talkie modes, and LTE on the wrist.
It's not only become the leading smartwatch brand, but displaced the likes of Rolex, Tag Heuer, and other Swiss watch giants to become the all-out biggest watch globally. Impressive stuff.
What is a smartwatch?
A smartwatch is a wearable computing device that closely resembles a wristwatch or other time-keeping device.
In addition to telling time, many smartwatches are Bluetooth-capable. The watch becomes a wireless Bluetooth adaptor capable of extending the capabilities of the wearer's smartphone to the watch. The wearer can use the watch's interface to initiate and answer phone calls from their mobile phone, read email and text messages, get weather reports, listen to music, dictate email and text messages, and ask a digital assistant a question.
Smartwatches offer unique insights into users' location and health data that smartphones are less adept at collecting.
Other smartwatches are standalone devices with a specific purpose. For instance, some smartwatches collect data about the wearer's health, monitoring the wearer's heart rate, for instance. Others provide Global Positioning System (GPS) data, providing the wearer with walking or driving directions.
What features do smartwatches offer?
Smartwatches offer many features. Among them are the following:
- health informatics, such as heart rate, blood oxygen level, blood pressure and temperature monitoring;
- contactless payment and digital wallet applications;
- messaging and calling features, similar to those on a smartphone;
- emergency calls for assistance if the watch detects the wearer has fallen;
- social media and other notifications from synchronized smartphone applications;
- games, music, photos and other entertainment options;
- location features, such as maps, a compass and an altimeter; and
- GPS tracking.
Smartwatches typically integrate with a user's smartphone. Many of the same features and applications available on the phone are available on the watch and can synchronize with it. Apple Watch requires that users also have an Apple iPhone.
Some smartwatches have features for special uses. For example, police officers and firefighters might use a smartwatch application to receive alerts from dispatch. Pilots in the U.S. Air Force have smartwatches with special satellite navigation features.
Apple Watch Series 7 provides health information features, like ECG and electrical heart sensor applications.
Types of smartwatches
There are a number of general-purpose smartwatches on the market that provide a collection of features. Examples of these include the following:
- Apple Watch is Apple's general-purpose smartwatch.
- Wear OS watches are available from multiple vendors that design and sell watches using Google's Wear operating system (OS).
- Tizen watches use Samsung's proprietary smartwatch OS.
There are also several smartwatch options available for specific uses, such as the following:
- Hiking and climbing. These watches are engineered for durability and are made to withstand drops, dust and water. They also collect basic vital signs and can forecast the weather.
- Diving. These waterproof watches provide divers with important indicators such as depth, time remaining and temperature.
- Aviation. Optimized for pilots, these watches have logbooks, GPS-powered maps and weather tracking.
- Visual assistance. Braille watches enable visually impaired users to tell time and receive notifications.
Top smartwatch products
The following are some examples of prominent smartwatches:
- Apple Watch SE is a less expensive Apple Watch model.
- Apple Watch Series 7 is a general-purpose smartwatch with a QWERTY keyboard and large display.
- Fitbit Sense includes a comprehensive set of health and wellness features.
- Fitbit Versa 3 comes with custom training programs, sleep analysis and a fitness tracker.
- Garmin D2 Delta PX is a high-end, general-purpose watch with GPS flight navigation for aviators and health tracking features.
- Garmin Descent Mk2 Series is a specialty diving watch with Bluetooth.
- Garmin Vivoactive 4 has GPS, a built-in sports app, fitness tracking and contactless payment features.
- Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 is a general-purpose smartwatch with 1 gigabyte of random access memory and sleep, heart rate and fitness tracking.
- Motorola Moto 360 is a fitness tracking watch that is waterproof to 30 meters.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is a general-purpose, Android-compatible smart digital watch with a rotating bezel.
- Suunto 9 Baro is a specialty hiking and outdoor sports watch.
History of smartwatches
Smartwatches can be traced back to the early 1970s. Hamilton Pulsar was one of the first digital watches, released in 1972. This marks the point in history when computers became small enough to fit in a wristwatch. Another early digital watch was the Calcron calculator watch, which featured a nine-digit display.
Another smartwatch predecessor was Seiko Data 2000, which came out in 1983. It could store two memos of 1,000 characters each and could be attached to a keyboard that came with the watch, which was used to type memos.
The Seiko Data 2000 is a smartwatch predecessor that came with a separate keyboard.
Seiko RC 1000 was released in 1984. It connected to a personal computer. In 1990, Seiko released Receptor MessageWatch, a watch that received pager messages. Throughout the 1990s, wearable computers had increasingly complex data storage capabilities and battery lives.
Some of the first smartwatches were based on Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT). Fossil and Suunto introduced the first SPOT watches in 2004. The watches were able to receive news, weather and stock updates, as well as email and instant messages using frequency modulation transmitters.
Smartwatches gained popularity in the 2010s. Popular ones such as Apple Watch -- released in 2013 -- began to take on a role in the mobile computing market. Google developed Android Wear, a mobile OS, in 2014.
Future of smartwatches
Smartwatches have changed a lot in the last 50 years. They can now track, store and transmit complex data about the wearer.
One area that many smartwatch manufacturers are focusing on is biometric data. Smartwatches can monitor fitness information, like steps taken in the day and body composition. They can also monitor and spot potential medical conditions. Manufacturers are continually focusing on ways to include more health-related technologies in smartwatches.
The healthcare focus is in part related to the increase in chronic diseases that require constant monitoring. Smartwatches are helpful in this area. In addition, with their combined GPS, health and portability features, smartwatches are useful for identifying exposure to COVID-19 and contact tracing.
With more real-time insight into a patient's health data, doctors can provide more personalized care and identify illnesses before they get serious. Research and Markets predicted that the global wearables market will grow by 19.48% from 2021 to 2026.
There may be cybersecurity risks related to collecting health data from wearables. Learn what security administrators and healthcare organizations can do to protect sensitive health data gathered from wearable devices.
Smartwatches 1927-2023: The devices that paved the way for the Apple Watch
What is a smartwatch?
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