“Boutique” watch company, Olio, announced a limited edition smartwatch today called the Model One. The watch comes in both silver steel and black editions, with the steel starting at $595 and the black at $745. The watch is unique in that it carries a “round” watch face, but also because it works on both Android and iOS.
Never heard of Olio? I haven’t either! Apparently, their CEO, Steve Jacobs, “led” product development at Apple, Google, Beats by Dre, HP, and Amazon. Talk about getting around (and name-dropping). He is joined by “top talent” from those companies, as well as companies like Movado (a watch maker), Pixar, and NASA.
The Olio Model One, as I previously mentioned, works on both iOS and Android. Its “glanceable and swipeable” interface tries to organize your long lists of notifications into “simple and intuitive time-based” collections, so that you can easily see things you have missed or what’s ahead. The more you use it, the more it tries to learn from you and create a personal experience. So no, this isn’t running Android Wear or Apple’s watch OS.
Here is a list of things Olio tries to do:
- Dynamic Visualizations: Olio’s interface maps the busiest parts your day, making personal bandwidth glanceable, while simultaneously creating a dynamic watchface that is unique you.
- Temporal Streams: Access the right information at the right time, with notifications and information organized into two simple and intuitive time streams—earlier and later.
- Olio Assist: A cloud-based personal assistant that contextualizes and understands your personal preferences to offer insightful and actionable suggestions.
- Intelligent Actions: You can dismiss or respond to content with a simple swipe, and even have Olio Assist hold your calls/texts and remind you to respond at a later time.
- Control Hub: Control relevant third party products like thermostats, lights, locks, cars, speakers, and services like payments, directions and music without searching or wrestling for your phone.
- True Cross Platform Compatibility: Olio is an independent brand and offers freedom to connect with both Android and Apple phones, as well as a wide range of connected hardware products.
As for the watch, it has been “precision machined” from forged surgical grade 316L stainless steel. It also uses Ion-Exchange glass to prevent scratches, has wireless charging, lasts for “multiple days” on a single charge, and is water resistant.
What about availability? Olio is making limited edition batch collections of 500 pieces that are now available for pre-order, starting at $595. Each watch is available with a steel bracelet, or a variety of Italian leather straps. Olio expects units to ship in the summer of 2015.
On a related note, doesn’t this watch face look like an upside down Moto 360 gone way bad? Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new king of smartwatch bezel and flat tires.
To learn more, and pre-order, head over to Olio’s website.
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Former Apple and Movado Designers Unveil Olio Model One, a Finely Crafted Connected-timepiece Designed to Put Time Back in Your Day Through Advances Such as Temporal Streams and Dynamic Visualization
First batch of 500 piece limited edition watches rethink time to create next generation of wristwatch–now available for pre-order at OlioDevices.com
SAN FRANCISCO – March 26, 2015 – Today, Olio, a boutique watch company, launched its first two collections of limited edition connected timepieces that combine the top-of-the-line materials and craftsmanship typically found in high-end Swiss watches, with a unique user experience designed to save you time by curating and organizing your digital life.
The team behind Olio has an impressive pedigree. Founder and CEO Steve Jacobs led product development for top companies like Apple, Google, Beats by Dre, HP and Amazon, and is joined by top talent from those companies as well as Movado, Pixar and NASA.
“Olio’s Model One is the antithesis of a mass market product, produced to be everything to everyone. Olio was founded to create thoughtfully crafted products for the discerning individual who wants the latest technology, but on their own terms,” said Steve Jacobs, founder and CEO of Olio Devices. “What’s more, we understand that the wrist is a very personal, intimate space, and anything you do there needs to have a purpose.”
Instead of simply providing another screen to display notifications and apps, the Olio Model One organizes the long list of notifications we’re bombarded with on a daily basis into a simple and intuitive time-based format— earlier and later. The earlier stream is a list of notifications that lets you quickly understand everything that you’ve missed, and the later stream provides all the information necessary to plan the rest of your day, and even offers suggestions to make it easier. Within these streams, you can easily consume and respond using Olio’s glanceable and swipeable interface. The more you use your Olio, the better it understands your unique preferences, and like a good personal assistant, only presents the most important and helpful suggestions to eliminate unwanted distractions and save you time.
Olio’s features include:
- Dynamic Visualizations: Olio’s interface maps the busiest parts your day, making personal bandwidth glanceable, while simultaneously creating a dynamic watchface that is unique you.
- Temporal Streams: Access the right information at the right time, with notifications and information organized into two simple and intuitive time streams—earlier and later.
- Olio Assist: A cloud-based personal assistant that contextualizes and understands your personal preferences to offer insightful and actionable suggestions.
- Intelligent Actions: You can dismiss or respond to content with a simple swipe, and even have Olio Assist hold your calls/texts and remind you to respond at a later time.
- Control Hub: Control relevant third party products like thermostats, lights, locks, cars, speakers, and services like payments, directions and music without searching or wrestling for your phone.
- True Cross Platform Compatibility: Olio is an independent brand and offers freedom to connect with both Android and Apple phones, as well as a wide range of connected hardware products.
“It was as important to us to create a true timepiece that was as enjoyable and delightful to look at and use, as it was useful in saving you time.” said Josh Chadwick, Olio’s lead designer, “Weight was really important to us–the use of authentic and natural materials that are carefully crafted and hand finished to provide an elevated look that is both enduring and expressive.”
Every Olio watchcase is precision machined from forged surgical grade 316L stainless steel and hand finished with a light brushed texture and polished highlights. The font and rear crystals feature Olio’s custom gravure texture process on ion-exchange glass, resulting in best-in-class impact and scratch resistance. The Olio rear crystal also showcases Olio’s signature Rapid Charge wireless charging coil, a key element of Olio’s unique and proprietary power management system that allows for multiple days of use on it’s custom, low power, high resolution, full color display.
Olio’s first release consists of two limited edition batch collections of only 500 pieces, now available for pre-order starting at $595 for the Olio Steel Collection and $745 for the Olio Black Collection. Each watch is available with a matching steel bracelet, or a variety of premium Italian leather straps, and every piece is backed by a one year warranty. Olio will ship throughout the United States, delivering the first batch of Olio watches in the summer of 2015.
You can reserve one of Olio’s limited edition timepieces here: www.oliodevices.com
About Olio
Co-founded by Steven Jacobs, Evan Wilson, and AJ Cooper, Olio combines high-end materials with proprietary hardware and software to create finely crafted connected timepieces for the busy modern lifestyle. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. To learn more visit: www.oliodevices.com or follow @oliodevices on Twitter.
This post was last modified on January 13, 2020 9:32 am