Watch Review: Kronaby Carat Connected Watch

Let’s get something clear right from the start here. I am not a fan of connected watches. They are just not for me. I love a regular watch. However, some of the features on the Kronaby Carat watch that I spent some time wearing actually impressed me.

Kronaby is a Swedish watch brand, so the Scandinavian design of the watch – clean, crisp, and simple – is refreshing. The watch I wore is a 38mm stainless steel rose gold PVD case with a   matching Milanese mesh bracelet and a rich blue dial. The case is matte finished but with a thin polished bezel. While 38 mm is usually a bit small for me – I like a big watch – the watch looks great on my wrist. The rose gold-toned hands against the blue dial really give the piece an elegant feel.

The watch can operate on its own as a regular timekeeper, or it can sync via Bluetooth with your phone to offer connected capabilities – including remotely accessing your Nesting devices – a cool added extra. Also, because the watch is equipped with a battery that can last up to two years, you don’t have to run around like crazy to find your charger to add a little juice to it every day.

So, what else does it do? Well, pretty much the same things most connected watches do. If you’re a traveler, it keeps track of and automatically displays the local time for you. It also lets you choose whom you would like to receive notifications from, so that you only hear from the people you want to hear from. It even has a “Decline Call” tap button on the watch. You can even set the phone’s vibrations to tell you whether the notification coming in is a text or an email.

Naturally, it has a motion reminder – to keep you moving, counts your steps, features an alarm that vibrates if you prefer, and has a “find your phone” app (with a map showing where the watch was last connected to the phone). Other functions and features include the ability to select a second time zone or a stopwatch function. It also has a camera remote function, a play music ability and a Geo Tag. A push of a button sends a signal to a loved one, letting them respond and follow your steps home. Another great feature is the IFTTT – “If This Then That” function that lets the wearer personalize the app to do what you want.

Overall, the set up was easy and the usability was easy. The watch uses a coin cell CR3032 battery that, depending on use, can have up to two years of life span. The movement is a Kronaby connected movement (BT002) with 2-hand bi-directional micro stepping motor. It connects with Bluetooth 4.1 and has a Kronaby App that works with Android 5.0 or later, or with iOS9 or later. The domed sapphire crystal features a double anti-reflective coating for easier reading of the dial. Water resistant to 100 meters, it retails for $495.