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The LunaR solar-powered smartwatch looks like a classic timepiece

By Lulu Chang September 19, 2017

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hybrids seem to be all the rage these days, as our inability to make decisions has led to a whole lot of compromise. From cars to plants and now to watches, we’re all looking for the best of both worlds. The latest example comes in the form of the LunaR Hybrid Mechanical Smartwatch. It’s a mouthful, but really, it’s a smartwatch that’s powered by the sun instead of your standard battery.

Newly launched on Kickstarter, this new watch claims to set itself apart from similar products (of which there are many) by selecting solar power as an alternative energy source. Apparently, the LunaR features the “world’s first invisible solar cell watch face,” and it’s all thanks to an exclusive partnership with solar tech company Sunpartners.

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Hoping to capitalize on the nostalgic appeal of the classic wristwatch while integrating all the tech-forward capabilities of a 21st-century smartwatch, the LunaR may just be the timepiece for you and all your multiple personalities and needs. After all, what self-respecting modern man or woman would be caught wearing both a fitness tracker and a wristwatch?

You can track activity and sleep, and have the watch subtly display progress toward your daily activity goals (because no one around you needs to know that you’ve only taken 1,000 steps today). You can also set the LunaR to let you know when you ought to consider moving about, or when you should go outside and get some sun.

Promising to fully charge after just one hour of sunlight exposure, the LunaR can keep you on time and in shape. In fact, the smartwatch team tells Digital Trends, the watch can retain enough energy for 60 days of use in just half an hour. And if, for some odd reason, you can’t get outside to charge the wearable, don’t worry — the LunaR can also take advantage of indoor ambient light by way of its solar panel. With its companion iOS and Android app, which syncs activity data every 10 seconds, you can always monitor your fitness goals.

Early Kickstarter backers can grab the LunaR Hybrid Mechanical Smartwatch for $269, with an estimated delivery date sometime in Q4 of 2017.

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