By Shuja Khan
British company Orsto Ltd is disrupting the wrist watch and wearable technology industry with their new range of premium Analog Smart Watches. Since the turn of 2016 ORSTO have launched their GB102, GB202 and GB302 British Analog Smart Watches, which are a sophisticated hybrid of a traditional quartz watch, a fitness/sports watch, and a smart watch.
The latest model range to expand the ORSTO collection is the Diver 400 Range sporting an incredible 200M/660ft Water resistance, a world’s first for smartwatches. Not the prettiest in their collection but will most likely prove to be coveted and a desirable piece of kit for water sports enthusiasts.
Each ORSTO model is available in Natural (Brushed and Polished Stainless Steel), or Black (Premium PVD Coated Stainless Steel) and it is possible that gold ORSTO watches will hit their rapidly growing network of exclusive up market retailers before summer 2016.
This unique fusion of traditional horology and smart technology flies in the face of the current trend for Smartphone manufacturers bringing to market mass produced relatively low cost touch screen smart watches. ORSTO have rolled out 8 models to date and their website has a blank page for the Finesse Range which will be aimed no doubt at the female market who require a more delicate and less chunky or masculine appearance.
ORSTO is headed up by Paul Gill 53 who is a respected design engineer with 36 years industry experience and of course ORSTO have the added advantage of being based in Great Britain with its enviable and proud history of time piece (watch and clock) manufacturing dating back to the early 1800’s.
Each ORSTO Analog Smartwatch model is designed and built to look, feel and function as a high end British traditional wrist watch, but, with the convenience and benefits of having outstanding smart functionality if, or when, you need it. The ORSTO designers based in Durham, England, UK who were tasked with creating desirable hybrid watches with the perfect balance of classicism & modernity, have certainly surpassed their brief and have creating what ORSTO proudly describe as ‘exquisite British iconic designs with timeless appeal’.
ORSTO have created 4 ranges of remarkable luxury wrist watches that they believe is the future of smart wearable technology, for serious and savvy wrist watch wearers.
The CONTEMPORARY 100 Range, the CLASSIC 200 Range, the NAVIGATION 300 Range and the DIVER 400 Range.
At first look it does appear almost unfathomable to many techies and industry experts that ORSTO, who for several years have become known as one of the great innovators in the world of touch screen smartwatches, have essentially made a full 180 degree turn away from the basic touch screen smartwatch concept.
However on closer inspection this move is actually a rather genius play by ORSTO which may have just caught the big players like Apple, with their pants down.
The buzz within the industry and the number of jewelry retailers adding ORSTO to their high end wrist watch catalogues and armoury certainly suggests that ORSTO are moving in a good direction and will be music to the ears of the 88 international ORSTO investors, who through Crowdcube, backed a relatively unknown sme to develop their products in 2014.
ORSTO CEO Paul Gill explains:
We have looked in detail at our own findings, the substantial public opinion and feedback now available from users of smart wearable’s of the last 2 years and carefully analyzed what users and reviewers are saying are the ‘real world’ Benefits, Uses and Problems with wrist based smart technology.
Our conclusion was that Major Improvement was required in the following 7 Key Areas, before the majority of people looking for their next wrist watch would even consider investing in and using a wrist watch with smart functionality (smartwatch).:
- In most people’s minds a wrist watch is not just a tool, it is a piece of jewellery and fashion item or fashion statement.
ORSTO Analog SmartWatches are an intelligent smart tool within a beautifully crafted, desirable and fashionable British traditional watch.
- Battery life. 1 day or even several days is just NOT acceptable for a traditional watch, tracking (fitness) watch, or a smartwatch.
ORSTO Analog SmartWatches run for approx. 2 ½ years for timekeeping and up to 7 months for smart functions without the need for recharging or changing batteries.
- Easy of use. Tiny OLED touch screens are inherently very difficult and frustrating to use with even the slimmest of fingers and are ‘mis-touch’ error prone. Especially when you are moving (walking, running, or even sitting on a moving bus).
ORSTO Analog SmartWatches have 2 LCD Displays. An Information window which sits in the top half of the watch face and a Menu window that sits in the bottom half of the watch face. The smart functions are controlled with 4 Press Buttons which are super easy to use, even when moving (walking, running etc). In fact you do not even have to look down as you use them, making life with a smartwatch easier, more convenient and safer.
- Time keeping. Having to ‘wake up’ a smartwatch to tell the time is annoying and loses the wonderful convenience of glancing at your wrist for the time or date, which has been enjoyed by wrist watch wearers since the 19th
ORSTO Analog SmartWatches have a quartz movement with traditional physical watch hands and also a digital time and date, both of which remain on and glance-able all of the time.
- Outdoor use. OLED touch screens are difficult to see in many bright light situations especially outdoors in direct sunlight.
ORSTO Analog SmartWatches have genuine 100% LCD displays which can be seen perfectly in super bright direct sunlight.
- Water resistance. For watch wearers who need water proof-ness, a smartwatch that is barely splash proof, or even a claimed few feet water resistant, falls way short of the wearer’s requirements.
ORSTO Analog SmartWatches are designed and built in the same way as the very best of British and Swiss traditional waterproof wrist watches since the 19th Century, with meticulous machining of the watch cases, rubber sealed pushers, crowns and ‘screw closed’ bases.
The ORSTO 100, 200 and 300 ranges are 100M/330FT water resistant and the 400 range is 200 Metres/660 FT water resistant.
- Value for money. Smartwatches are designed and built in the same way as a smartphone, with an expected lifespan of 3 or 4 years, at which point it is acceptable to be ready for the bin. This may be OK for an electronic consumer device like a smartphone, but NOT for a beautifully designed and crafted lifestyle accessory like a wrist watch.
ORSTO Analog SmartWatches are British designed and crafted wrist watches machined from solid stainless steel and like all specialist British watches will remain in good working order, enjoyed and cherished for many years to come and also actually increase in value.
About ORSTO Analog SmartWatches:
ORSTO Ltd is a British Private Ltd Company, based in Durham, England, UK, which is backed by 88 International Investors. ORSTO Analog SmartWatches are Works of Art with Unique and Striking Timeless Iconic Styling created by the ORSTO in-house design experts. All of the unique component parts that make up each exclusive ORSTO model are manufactured to the strictest specifications by long established component manufacturing companies who are foremost specialists in their respective fields and supply components to leading high end brands such as Rolex, Breitling, Bell and Ross to name just a few. ORSTO design and manufacture Watches under the ORSTO brand and for both OEM and ODM customers (this means that you may see similar design or technology, but with a different, possibly up market jeweller, brand name).
All of the Watches that ORSTO produce have Smart functionality through the incorporated O.R.S.T.O. Software with user control via the O.R.S.T.O. GUI (Graphical User Interface).
For more information, please visit http://orsto.com/
Summary:
O.R.S.T.O. is the method by which a human operator interacts with the hardware and software of a mechanical or electronic device and the resultant function/s performed by the device. (O.R.S.T.O. System was the created in 1985 during the infancy of computer controlled machines, by world renowned and respected design engineer and Orsto Ltd CEO Paul Gill, to simplify and make easier the interaction between machine and operator).
Incorporating O.R.S.T.O. into traditional horology design is certainly a step ‘out there’, but it would appear that this is a new and welcome dawn for both tech and fashion enthusiasts that is being embraced at a remarkable pace worldwide.
For anyone who would like hi-resolution printable pictures, they are available for download from the ORSTO website on their dedicated press kit page, where during the last few days new hi-res images have been uploaded. http://orsto.com/press-kit.html
