Scott Wilson and the crew at MINIMAL were nice enough to send Mashable one of the early prototype runs of the LunaTik. After having the holidays to use the kit — and prying it off my fiance’s wrist — I feel I can now accurately speak to the viability of an iPod nano as a watch.
MINIMAL sells two different iPod nano watch kits. The TikTok is $34.95, and is designed as to be more of a sports watch. The iPod nano snaps into this configuration and can easily be removed, which is handy if you want to use the iPod in a non-wrist configuration.
The pricier LunaTik is $69.95 and is more like an actual, finished watch. This is the prototype MINIMAL sent us. A silicone rubber strap is connected between two pieces of aerospace grade aluminum that perfectly encase the iPod nano. The dock connector and
headphone jack and power and volume buttons are flanked on either side of the watch for easy access.
Look and Feel
The watch band itself is fitted with notches that can be adjusted based on the width of the wrist. Ingeniously, a removable clasp is included for placement on the side of the band with the buckle for clean fit. Our LunaTik was very well assembled. Neither my fiance nor I have had any questions about the security of the watch. It feels like one cohesive unit. The “face” of the iPod nano can be rotated in any direction that you choose, which really adds to the flexibility of the watch.
Although men are clearly the target market for these kind of watch kits, women who want to pull off the Dick Tracy look can feel pretty confident that the watch will at least fit. I have an extremely small wrist, yet am able to wear the watch tightly on my wrist.
From a fashion standpoint, the most surprising aspect of the LunaTik, at least to me, is just how unassuming it really is. My fiance complained that despite purposefully trying to show off his wrist at Starbucks or the office, the watch just didn’t attract any attention. It looks like a regular watch, albeit one with an LCD touch face.
Can an iPod Be a Good Watch?
Sure, the size of the iPod nano makes for a good watch face. And the fact that a black or white clock background — complete with date and second hand — can be displayed upon “wake-up” really pulls the whole package together, but is the iPod a good watch?
My answer is unequivocally, yes. Purely as a watch, the iPod nano would work and serve its purpose. Pressing the power button on the side will turn on the time and in pure “watch mode,” the battery life is probably close to a week.
However, having a music player attached to your wrist — not to mention a pedometer — is surprisingly useful. My fiance said that running a pair of headphones up a long sleeved shirt from the watch still kept his hands free and maneuverable, while also allowing him to listen to podcasts, music or radio while working. The iPod charges to about 80% in about an hour and a half, which means that plugging it in at night or while stationary at a desk isn’t a problem.
Moreover, simply touching the power button brings up the watch face — which is reminiscent of the earliest digital watches — and swiping to the right or left brings up easy access to playlists, a stop watch, or other selections.
In fact, having information so accessible on your wrist only makes us wish that the iPod nano had a few more built-in features. For instance, having access to a calendar and alarms for appointments would be great. We can picture a day when future iPod nano units will feature built-in Wi-Fi, allowing for access to news headlines, stock updates and weather reports.
The iPod nano does not have built-in BlueTooth, however add-ons are available. They detract a bit from the sleekness of the nano watch package, but provide a great workout alternative.
Final Thoughts
iPod nano watch bands and kits are not in short supply. Dozens of companies have their own models on the market. What impresses us about the LunaTik — even moreso now that we have the prototype in our hands — is just how well executed the concept is.
The design details make sense from the perspective of something you are putting on your wrist — from the adjustable nature of the clasp, to the way the plates frame the nano’s face. Moreover, this takes the concept of an MP3 watch, adds multi-touch and combines iTunes support for a package that is high on both form and function.
It’s rare to find an accessory that actually sells the main product, but the LunaTik does just that. When these things hit Apple retail stores, we fully expect iPod nano sales to soar.
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