Can You Really Tell The Difference Between Luxury And Cheap Smartwatches?

Smartwatches are becoming more prevalent as people wear them to track health and fitness, link up with notifications from their phone, and, of course, tell the time. The capabilities and styles of these watches differ, and as such, so do their prices. When comparing luxury smartwatches to cheap ones, you can tell the difference in features.

Luxury smartwatches certainly are priced accordingly. A Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatch can retail for $1,005, and the Garmin MARQ Gen 2 starts at $1,900. By comparison, an Amazfit Band 7 smartwatch typically retails for $50, and a Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 for $40.

These luxury smartwatches can be seen as the equivalent of the $400,000 Porsche Design TV. You get cutting-edge technology, high material quality, and extra features that you don't get on cheaper products, but at the core, both ranges of products perform their basic functions similarly. Whether you want to pay more for a luxury brand depends on what extra features and gadgets you want and how big your budget is.

The design of luxury smartwatches is detailed, exquisite, and quite striking to look at compared to the much simpler designs of cheaper watches. The Montblanc case is made of titanium, and the Garmin is made of your choice of fused carbon fiber, Damascus steel, or titanium. Comparatively, the Amazfit case is made of polycarbonate plastic, and the Xiaomi of aluminum alloy and stainless steel. The luxury watches put extra attention into the quality of the display, as evidenced by Garmin debuting the brightest smartwatch to date.

Some of the features that luxury smartwatches offer include a microphone and a barometer on the Montblanc for measuring altitude and atmospheric pressure. It even has NFC payment capabilities, so you don't have to bother with pulling out your credit or debit card.

These expensive smartwatches also tend to offer more customized models for specific lifestyles. For example, Garmin MARQ has an Adventurer model with a compass directly on the display, blood-oxygen monitoring that coincides with its elevation tracking, and highly detailed maps. You can track where you are, including city maps, outdoor maps, maps for skiing, and even suggested map routes based on your trip. Aviator, Golfer, and Commander are other models that come with features tailored for people with these lifestyles. In general, luxury smartwatches have higher-quality build materials, more detailed displays, and extra functions.

Basic wearables are still worth buying, as there are cheap Android smartwatch brands that users swear by. If a titanium case, a compass on the screen, and a barometer are not what you are looking for, more affordable smartwatches still meet your basic needs.

Where do luxury and cheap smartwatches overlap? Aside from the most essential feature of showing the time, they both link up to your smartphone to give you text and call notifications and other app-based integrations you choose. They offer health and fitness tracking, as well. For example, the Amazfit Band 7 will track your heart rate, sleep, exercise, and blood oxygen levels.

If all you need is a smartwatch to help you meet your fitness goals, then there is not much of a benefit to buying a luxury brand over a cheap one. However, if you are looking for specialized features built around your identity and you like to proudly wear high-end brand names, the luxury smartwatches do offer a beautiful design and extra functionality you won't get elsewhere.