Skip to main content

If you have to ask, you probably can't afford Samsung's de Grisogono Gear S2 watch

Samsung isn’t satisfied that its recently announced 18k gold and platinum plated Gear S2 smartwatches strike the right balance between high tech and obscene ostentation. To make sure it tips the scales in the direction of the latter, it has teamed up with jewelry manufacturer de Grisogono to make a limited edition of the Gear S2 covered in black and white diamonds, and a bracelet made from galuchat.

This is Samsung’s first major designer brand partnership on the Gear S2, and it hasn’t gone for half measures; the de Grisogono watch is flashy enough to make oligarchs blush. That’s rose gold you see on the body, and there are 100 black and white diamonds pressed into the bezel, all of which is finished off with that deep black galuchat strap. Wondering what galuchat is? It’s a favorite of de Grisogono, and another name for shark or stingray skin.

Recommended Videos

Samsung and de Grisogono have also produced dedicated custom watch faces, much like TAG Heuer has for the TAG Heuer Connected. There are two available, one in black and the other in a mottled silver, both with two additional ‘dials,’ showing either day/night, a small seconds counter, a power-reserve meter, or a moon phase dial.

Otherwise, the specification of the Gear S2 will be familiar. It’s based on the 41mm model, with a 1.2-inch AMOLED screen, running Samsung’s Tizen-based operating system. The bezel still twists around to navigate through screens, and the 250mAh battery should return a couple of days use. Early teething problems aside, the Gear S2 is an excellent smartwatch that can challenge the Apple Watch in terms of use and functionality. On that subject, we’re still waiting for news on compatibility with iOS, which Samsung has said is coming soon.

Now you know the luxury status, the cool style, and the specs on Samsung’s de Grisogono Gear S2, so how about the price? Samsung’s not saying, but the old adage of if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it likely applies.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Have a Galaxy S23? Make sure you do these 10 things first
Samsung Galaxy S23 lock screen customization

Samsung has launched the Galaxy S23 series, which is the next generation of its flagship Android smartphone lineup. Those who want a top-of-the-line device will want to check out the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with its incredible 200MP camera and 10X optical zoom. But for everyone else, there are the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, They're practically the same, but if you prefer more base storage and a larger screen, opt for the S23 Plus instead of the standard S23.

I got my Galaxy S23 last week, and if you’re a newbie to Android (I still am after being an iPhone user most of my life), there’s a lot that you can do to customize the S23 to your liking. Here are some things that you should do as soon as you get your new Galaxy S23 in your hands!
Customize the lock screen

Read more
The Galaxy S23 upgrade I’m most excited about is one you can’t see
Joe Maring holding a Samsung Galaxy S23 and a Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus.

At its Unpacked event last week, Samsung made some bold promises regarding the performance of its Galaxy S23 series phones. The company made quite some ballyhoo about the slightly faster trim of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen chip that is exclusive to these phones, touting a 41% gain in graphics performance.

Samsung proclaimed that “the most significant improvement is the optimized GPU which is approximately 41% faster,” adding that “the GPU architecture has been enhanced for performance and efficiency.” However, the more significant claim was about the reworked vapor chamber cooling system, which is fitted inside all three phones and “is now larger than before.”

Read more
The 5 Galaxy Tab S8 productivity features I can’t live without
A Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is held up on top of a desk.

Android tablets receive a lot of flak — less for their hardware and more due to the half-baked software that Google keeps paying attention to on and off. Over the years, Samsung has tried to get an edge in the Android tablet game via a handful of features offered by its in-house One UI skin on its Galaxy Tab tablets. The Galaxy Tab S8 is Samsung’s latest attempt to take on the mighty iPad.

It would be futile here to argue how iPadOS 16 has again widened the gulf between the tablet experience you get on an Android device versus an iPad. But that doesn’t mean Android tablets are a lost cause. On the contrary, the Galaxy Tab S8 offers a handful of neat features that transform it into a productivity powerhouse. Here are a few that I find to be particularly intuitive and rewarding.
The mighty Edge Panel
The Edge Panel is one of the best features on Samsung phones, but it truly shines with the extended screen real estate provided by a tablet. Android doesn’t offer an app dock at the bottom the way iPads do, but the Edge Panel more than makes up for it. With a single swipe, you can pull up a list of your most frequently used apps neatly arranged in a vertical bar. But that’s only half the picture.

Read more