Sony and Citizen have collaborated to launch a new smart watch concept on a Japanese crowdfunding platform.
The WENA watch, which sees its NFC, vibration and sensor technology embedded in the steel bracelet of a standard quartz watch, was launched on crowdfunding website First Flight. The project, which still has 44 days remaining, had sought 10m Yen (£53,700) in funding, but has so far achieved nearly eight times that amount.
The idea behind WENA, which stands for Wear Electronics Naturally, would see future hardware updates involve replacing the bracelet rather than the watch itself.
While it might seem unusual for two big corporations to turn to crowdfunding to fund a project, it is not the first time Sony has used the method, having launched its FES e-paper watch via a crowdfunding campaign. In a sector as formative as the smart watch, crowdfunding could also be used to gauge consumer reaction to a new concept or design.
