Gucci
Oura debuted its collab with fashion house Gucci.
What it is: It’s Oura’s latest Gen3 ring with a Gucci-designed veneer. Featuring Gucci’s signature interlocking G emblem in 18k gold, two braided torchons, and black titanium band, the $950 ring is as much status-signaling as it is sleep-tracking.
Expensive, yes, but there’s a bigger trend behind the bling.
Cool vs. Invisible
In a Twitter thread, WHOOP CEO Will Ahmed spoke to the importance of “24/7 wearability” for truly effective health monitoring and optimization. For a wearable, he said, that means being either “cool” or “invisible.”
Invisibility speaks to friction created by bulky, always-on fitness devices. Answering the call, in Issue No. 166, we covered the countless startups creating wearable devices designed to blend in.
From WHOOP’s connected apparel to Biolinq’s tiny smart sensor, the invisible segment of wearables is out of sight, out of mind, but always on.
High-Performance x High-Class
On the other side of the spectrum, at times, smartwatches come off in the name of fashion and formality.
Bringing high-end design to high-performance lifestyle, health wearables are getting an upgrade.
- Premium Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, which just released its latest smartwatch in February, says its connected sales are growing faster than its traditional watches.
- In early May, French wearable company Withings debuted its ScanWatch Horizon, a diver-style face with sleep tracking, fitness tracking, and ECG and SPO2 sensors.
- Garmin is expected to drop new generations of its luxury MARQ series this year, including sailing, golfing, athlete, and aviator specialties.
Styling band only, Fitbit x gorjana, Apple x Hermès, and WHOOP’s 74K forms of customization provide a similar taste.
Looking ahead: A biometric Gucci piece isn’t for everyone. But, appealing to high-flying health optimizers by positioning itself as a premium brand, Oura is betting that the collab will pay off.
