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Hoptroff in technology licensing talks

Physicist and watchmaker Richard Hoptroff is in talks with a number of watch companies to licence his own brand of smartwatch technology.

WatchPro approached London-based Hoptroff following the announcement on Friday that Frederique Constant Group had created a luxury smartwatch technology platform that is being used by Mondaine as well as its own Frederique Constant and Alpina brands.

The MotionX system, jointly developed by Frederique Constant Group and Fullpower Technologies, Inc under the MMT banner, presents sleep and activity tracking using hands and dials on quartz-based watches as opposed to a digital display.

Hoptroff has been selling his own luxury, classically designed watches that also connect to devices via Bluetooth and display information in an analogue format for a number of years.

He told WatchPro: "We, too, are in discussions with a number of parties who are interested in licensing our smart analogue watch technologies. The secret is not how to make them, but the knowledge of what to make and what sells. We have a significant lead in this area. For example, we’ve steered well clear of the fitness market, which is already saturated and too focused on utility to attract a luxury premium."

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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