Swiss-Made Smartwatch with 41-Megapixel Zeiss Camera Makes the Lumia 1020 Seem Like a Bargain!

If you’re not ready to switch to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform to take advantage of the stellar 41-megapixel camera on the Nokia Lumia 1020, you may want to consider this Swiss-made smartwatch made by Hyetis. The Hyetis Crossbow smartwatch is able to pair with Apple’s iOS-powered iPhone, any number of Android smartphones, and devices loaded with Windows Phone 8 and features a camera sensor with 41 megapixels of resolving power and Zeiss optics. However, to pair Hyetis’ camera-powered smartwatch to your current smartphone ecosystem will be a huge cost as Swiss craftsmanship doesn’t come cheap. The Crossbow is expected to retail for $1200.

The Crossbow is one of the few watches that would work with Windows Phone 8 at this time.

This is much higher than the $300 on-contract price that AT&T Mobility is asking for the Lumia 1020. Even without signing a two-year agreement, the Lumia 1020 could be had for under $700 through various retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Microsoft’s retail stores.

The smartwatch appears to combine analog watch movements set on top of a digital circular display that could provide notifications. A funky retro steampunk-inspired design with a camera on top, the watch face itself is not unattractive and looks the part of its premium price tag. On paper, at least, the watch seems well built and looks a lot classier than current smartwatches like those from Pebble, Sony, and even the Italian-made i’m Watch.

“There’s no better way to share your feelings or ideas, than sharing all the informations regarding the moment you live. Crossbows wireless integrated communication management device allows you to manage WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC links,” the company boasts.

Currently, though, specs about the camera isn’t provided.

Nokia is boasting that it’s camera sensor size is larger than those found on traditional point-and-shoot cameras and significantly larger than the sensor area on smartphone cameras. This allows for more creative control and flexibility, including capturing images with shallow depth of field. Additionally, the Lumia range is well regarded for its low light performance, and in dark environments a Xenon flash is included. The Xenon flash is not present on the wrist-worn camera of the Crossbow.

It appears that Hyetis would provide developers an SDK to integrate their apps with the Crossbow.

Are you ready to ditch your classic Tag Heuer watch for a digitally-inspired Crossbow with a 41-megapixel sensor? If you are, preorders will begin soon and Hyetis will be taking your $1200 deposit on the smartwatch.

Apple, Google, LG, Samsung, and Microsoft are all rumored to be developing their own smartwatches. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Smartwatch could debut as early as next month at the IFA show in Germany.