Like many people, I was really looking forward to the original Apple Watch when it first debuted. And a short time after it came out, I know I wasn’t the only one disappointed. Putting it mildly, many of my expectations fell short. Since then, I’ve tested several smartwatches from various brands. And they’ve gotten better over time (yes, pun intended). Although, I still can’t get past the short battery life on many of them and having to constantly dock them for recharging. But Martian Watches has come up with what I feel is an ideal hybrid.
Martian PT02
The PT02 ($195) looks like a retro old-fashioned watch with real hands on the face — all of its fellow models in the mVoice Series are pretty nice looking — but it also features an LED strip at the bottom of the face. And that is where you read all of your text messages and emails coming into your Bluetooth-paired Apple or Android smartphone, in a bright and clear format. From the watch, you can also make phone calls, send or reply to text messages and emails, get your local weather forecast, receive turn-by-turn directions, check Google for hockey scores, find out what’s on TV tonight, and control your house lights with Amazon’s Alexa. And you can do so much more (play music, set alarms, control your camera, etc.), depending on how you set up its companion smartphone app. For iPhones, it also connects to Siri.
But the real beauty and elegance of the Martian is that aside from all of these smart features, it’s still an attractive and comfortable watch to wear that I only have to charge once every five days. Pairing it with a phone is a breeze. And actually, the company did a remarkable job of making sure everything works just the way it’s supposed to.
I love its simplicity: Besides the dial, there are just two buttons on the right side. The top one activates and controls all of the cool features, the bottom one performs simple functions like turning on and off the Bluetooth, and displaying remaining battery life.
I found myself pulling a Dick Tracy on many occasions during my test period, talking into my wrist. The speaker on the watch was loud and clear. Only once did someone complain that he was having trouble hearing me. Truth be told, it was just a lousy connection because he was driving and using his speakerphone. Most of the time, people on the other end thought I was just talking into my phone. When I did tell them that I was speaking into a watch, they were wowed.
I also loved not having to pull my phone from my pocket while using it, in search of some quick Google searches. And I was able to send texts to people while driving my car — without ever taking my eyes off the road or my hands off the wheel.
I’m a sucker for classic-looking watches, to begin with. So for Martian to make a model that looks this good and acts so intelligently hits on all cylinders with me. It’s truly the best of both worlds.
