Sequent is a self-charging smartwatch on Kickstarter

Smartwatches can be useful gadgets that help in with notification management and fitness tracking, but it seems that they all have a fatal flaw: short battery life. Even some of the longest lasting smartwatches like the Pebble and Vector Watch only last a week or two. What if your smartwatch never needed recharging? That’s the aim of a new device on Kickstarter. Meet Sequent.

According to the Switzerland-based team behind the device, Sequent is “the world’s first kinetic self-charging smart watch.” Kinetic charging isn’t a new feature, as traditional watch companies like Seiko have had kinetic charging and winding mechanisms in their watches for years. The system relies on gravity and the natural movement of the wearer’s wrist to generate kinetic energy, which is then converted into electrical or mechanical energy to charge or wind the watch. The team is claiming to be able to generate enough electric charge from this kinetic energy to keep Sequent permanently charged, giving the accessory “infinite battery life.”

That’s a pretty bold claim, but it may be attainable. While Sequent is labelled as a smartwatch and able to track fitness and receive notifications from the wearer’s smartphone, it’s more akin to analog “smartwatches” like the Withings Activité, which uses an actual watch face and hands in lieu of an LCD or AMOLED display. As such, Sequent will likely have a very simple notification system and fitness tracking system in the watch itself and will probably rely on a dedicated smartphone app for more details.

Aesthetically, the watch is again very similar to the Withings Activité. That’s not a bad thing; the Sequent is an attractive, simple watch without any offensive fluff or design choices. It’s currently available in only a 42.5 mm diameter size, which should fit most reasonably well. It may sit a little high on the wrist, though; the watch is 14.8 mm thick, which can look pretty hefty on thinner wrists.

Sequent has already met its Kickstarter target of USD $83,259 (CHF 80,000). As of this writing, it’s sitting at about $177,000, or about CHF 170,000. As with most Kickstarter campaigns, early backers will get a deep discount on the watch; pledging about $196 (CHF 189) will snag you a watch, which is expected to start shipping in December of this year. The watch is expected to retail for about $438 (CHF 438). In Europe, that retail price will be €409 or £359. Keep in mind this is a Kickstarter campaign and thus comes with some risk. The product may be delayed or might never ship at all. However, if this seems interesting to you, head over the Sequent Kickstarter page for more details.

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