Cogito Classic simplifies and smartens up the smartwatch

Smartwatches are fantastic for putting at-a-glance notifications on your wrist, but one thing they most definitely aren’t is subtle. The blindingly bright AMOLED screen on Samsung’s Gear 2, the chunky black body of LG’s G Watch and even the stunningly beautiful circular display on Motorola’s Moto 360 are all guaranteed attention grabbers, but what if you want something a little more understated? Cogito, a new wearable brand from the already simple Cookoo smartwatch, has just introduced two new models that might fit the bill; the Cogito Classic and Cogito Pop.

The Cogito Classic looks like a fairly chunky analogue watch at first glance – think Casio G Shock or similar. Created by award-winning French designer Xavier Houy, the Classic has either a matte black or silver stainless steel body with a choice of accent colours that are stylish yet subtle. Look a little closer, though, and you’ll spot a monochrome digital display behind the analogue hands which shows notification icons when paired to a smartphone or tablet.

Unlike Android Wear smartwatches, or Apple’s rumoured iWatch, Cogito doesn’t tie you to one type of smartphone; it’s compatible with both Android and iOS. It pairs over Bluetooth 4.0 Smart, so shouldn’t drain your battery significantly.

With icons for missed calls, SMS or social network messages, emails, calendar reminders, alarms and low battery, the Classic covers all the bases we would expect from a smartwatch, without blinding you with a bright screen or flicking into life every time you slightly move your wrist. The physical buttons can also be used to trigger the camera shutter on your phone, locate your handset should you misplace it and change music tracks when on the move. With water resistance down to 100m, you won’t have to worry about getting caught out in a rain shower or even take it off at the beach or pool, and at £129.99, it’s also cheaper than practically every other smartwatch available in the UK.

Perhaps best of all is the fact that you don’t have to worry about charging; the Classic uses a standard watch battery that should last for many months without having to replace it. Cogito doesn’t say exactly how long you can expect to go between battery swaps, but it’s guarnteed to be longer than most current smartwatches which often require daily charging.

To coincide with today’s launch, Cogito also announced the £79.99 Pop, an even simpler design that uses LED lights embedded in the watch face to alert you to new notifications on a paired smartphone. Both Cogito watches are available to buy now from www.cogitowatch.com. The Classic comes in a choice of Black Onyx, Clockwork Orange, Deep Purple, Green Velvet, Silver Arrow and White Alpine colours, while the Pop can be picked up in Black Mamba, Black Panther, Blue Electric, Grey Paloma, Raspberry Crush and White Crisp.