Gear of the Week: Timex One GPS+ Watch

The company unveils its breakthrough product at this week’s Outdoor Retailer show.

Timex had been teasing a big announcement before this week’s summer Outdoor Retailer show, and the company went extra large with the introduction of the new One GPS+ smart watch on Wednesday.

The One GPS+ smart watch is a first-of-its-kind, all-in-one wrist unit that identifies your location, tracks speed and distance, monitors heart rate, plays music (the watch connects to headphones via Bluetooth and includes 4 gigs of memory for MP3 files) and connects with AT&T’s wireless network so you can check your email and connect with your favorite social media platform as well as tracking apps like Strava, RunKeeper and MapMyFitness. Its tracking capabilities can communicate your location to friends and family anytime, anywhere, and the “Find Me Mode” safety solution allows you to send an alert with your exact location in case of an emergency.

The big message here: no phone necessary.

The watch, which is water resistant to 50 meters, was developed in collaboration with Qualcomm Enterprise Experiences and AT&T. Included in the purchase price for U.S. and Canadian subscribers is one year of data connectivity by AT&T. It won’t be available for purchase online or in stores until this fall, but can be pre-ordered now at Timex.com.

“The introduction of the Timex Ironman One GPS+ smartwatch represents an exciting opportunity for Timex in the smart watch category as we build upon the rich, authentic tradition of the Timex brand, as well as our 160-year heritage,” said Anette S. Olsen, Chairman of Timex Group. “For nearly three decades, Timex Ironman has provided athletes with innovative solutions to enhance their training experiences. Our collaboration with industry stalwarts Qualcomm and AT&T has enabled us to introduce the first smart watch that offers stand-alone wireless connectivity without a phone and has great appeal to a broad range of fitness enthusiasts as well as tech-savvy individuals and those who simply wish to make a statement.”

Available: Fall 2014

Price: $400

More info: Timex.com