Consider Peter Hauser unfazed by Pebble’s $10-million watch.
Hauser, the CEO of engineering and design firm The Quality Factory in Kirkland, Wash., has an idea for another revolutionary smart watch—one designed in analog with simple notifications and a lower price tag. And just like the Pebble team that helped catapult the crowdfunding craze, he’s put his idea up on Kickstarter. The price laid out to fund the cookoo clock: $150,000. (One can be yours for an $80 pledge.)
Hauser’s idea for a smartwatch is more simplistic than Pebble’s. His cookoos tell time in analog and their on-screen icons function more as a reminder that there’s a reason to check your phone than a smaller portal into that smart world. Every time there’s activity (call, text, tweet, email, whatever), a little light pops up telling you what just arrived on your phone. You can see what’s what and choose to address it or ignore it.
That’s been welcomed news to the 850 people who have already backed the project, some of whom have already left comments in adoration of the watch’s functionality and design.
“Love it. Just love it,” backer Paul Jones wrote.
“The idea of a smart watch is nice, but I don’t need another device that shows everything on a big screen and has to be charged every night. A simple watch that does time on its own and has simple icons for stuff going on with my phone.”
“I really like the design,” backer Nick Suffolk added. “Much more like a real watch than all the current smart offerings. I have made my pledge.
Plan on Hauser’s campaign going through without any trouble. Cookoo was able to raise more than $60,000 in the campaign’s first day. With 43 days left, its funding is practically foretold.
Kickstarter: cookoo – the watch for the connected generation
- Location: Kenmore, Wa.
- Summary: A designer and engineer in Washington wants to design and distribute an analog smart watch.
- Goal: $150,000
- Amount raised of press time: $69,000
- Days left: 43
- Best buy: $80 backers get themselves their very own cookoo watch
Photo via Peter Hauser