Friday, March 13, 2015

Oh, Yeah! Breitling!

From Wikipedia -

"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is a figure of speech commonly used in the United States that refers to a person or group holding an unquestioned belief, argument, or philosophy without critical examination. It could also refer to knowingly going along with a doomed or dangerous idea because of peer pressure. The phrase oftentimes carries a negative connotation when applied to an individual or group. It can also be used ironically or humorously to refer to accepting an idea or changing a preference due to popularity, peer pressure, or persuasion. The phrase derives from the November 1978 Jonestown deaths,[1][2][3] where members of the Peoples Temple, who were followers of the Reverend Jim Jones committed suicide by drinking a mixture of a powdered soft drink flavoring agent laced with cyanide.[4][5] Although the powder used in the incident included Flavor Aid, it was commonly referred to as Kool-Aid due to the latter's status as a genericized trademark.

Shamelessly borrowed from the internet

And now with the latest "smart watch" to be cast down from the tower of BABBLE to the thirsty watch lovers, I'm starting to see a rather ugly trend.

This morning's in-box brought the latest salvo fired in the "smart watch" war - from the warm 'n fuzzy people at Breitling -


Courtesy of Breitling
This is the B55 Connected.  Yes it's a chronograph, but wait... It's Connected!
Behold the vast array of smart things this "smart watch" can do for you -

You can transmit info such as "flight time" to your phone!  That will come in handy for most of us 2 - 3 times per year.  But wait, there's more!

You can use the connectivity of your PHONE to adjust and correct the time on your watch...

WHAT THE F&^*?

Here's how they break it down -


TARGETING PERFORMANCE

For Breitling, there was no question of turning a watch into an extension dependent on a phone and less high-performance than the latter. The chronograph remains the absolute master and the connection with the smartphone is primarily designed to improve its user friendliness. Two-way communication enables the two instruments to form a perfectly complementary pair in which each is used for what it does best. Since the main assets of a smartphone are its screen and its ergonomic interface, owners of the B55 Connected can use their phone to perform certain adjustments (time-setting, timezones, alarms, display and operating parameters, night mode, etc.). The result is a considerable gain in comfort and efficiency. Conversely, the user may also upload the results of various measurements (flight times, etc.) from the chronograph to the smartphone so as to be able to read them more easily, store them or pass them on. The new connected watch system devised by Breitling thus facilitates use of the chronograph functions, in keeping with the spirit of authentic instruments for professionals.The B55 Connected is also distinguished by its ultra-technical look, based on a titanium case with black carbon-based coating and a dial adorned with a blue wireless symbol. This original blue and black theme continues on the sturdy rubber strap.



I said it before and I stand by it - the solution offered by Frederique Constant is actually, you know, sorta smart.  Sleep cycles, fitness, biometric feedback.  Through the roof sales of the fitbit indicate to me that this is technology that people want and feel that they need.

But This is DUMB.  This is panic on a rather wide scale.  Sane, intelligent, rational people out there who get up every morning, drive to work and ordinarily make sound decisions seem to be convinced that if their watch brand does not have a smart watch by the 18th of March, they will be "Left Behind" not unlike a sinner in a Kirk Cameron movie.

It is, as a friend and colleague reminded me, not unlike the 70s when Swiss brands were in such a rush to get a quartz watch out there the didn't care what it looked like or how it functioned.

So -

PUT DOWN THE KOOL-AID!










































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