Wearable wellness tech brand Nowatch launched Thursday. The Amsterdam-based brand has developed a bracelet that tracks wellness-related stats. It’s like a clock, but it doesn’t tell time. Developed in partnership with Philips, this watch gives you real-time feedback on your movement, sleep and stress.
The idea for the brand came to Nowatch CEO and co-founder Hylke Muntinga after dealing with several losses and life-changing news. Five of her close friends died in the span of a year, and she learned she had a rare disease that would eventually lead to blindness. These experiences changed his perspective because he wanted to “get everything out of life.” The idea for Nowatch grew out of Muntinga’s newfound wellness-oriented mindset and his ongoing philosophy on the importance of time.
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“I wanted a watch that gave me the time instead of telling me the time,” Muntinga said.
Having previously worked in the technology industry, I was used to the fast-paced nature of the industry. But instead of demonizing technology, he chose to harness it and create products meant to help people and highlight their well-being. From this point of view, the brand calls the product “wearable” rather than wearable.
“We need a new relationship with technology, a new relationship with ourselves. I think that’s like the key and that if we use technology right, we can help humanity and this whole world.” said Muntinga.
Customizable watches simply feature metal or stone discs rather than digital dials. The product utilizes Philips Biosensing (by EDA) technology, which he took 15 years to develop, to track cortisol levels and predict high stress levels one hour ahead. All biometric data tracked by the wearable can be found and interpreted in the brand’s app.
The brand’s launch follows a huge success within the wearable wellness category, which is estimated to reach approximately $94 million globally in 2022, according to Gartner. The brand’s current production is 10,000 pieces per month, and watches cost around $380 to $604 depending on customization.
The brand plans to open a flagship store in Amsterdam and a pop-up store in Los Angeles in 2023. This product is available now at Nowatch.com.
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