Smartwatches could have made strides within the appears division, however let’s face it: They nonetheless haven’t got anyplace close to the timeless craftsmanship of a conventional luxurious analog watch. And when you personal each, you are caught taking part in favorites for the day, selecting between brains and wonder. The brand new Smartlet watch band claims to supply the most effective of each worlds by letting you put on the 2 on the identical wrist, concurrently, with one on high of the opposite.
When the Paris-based startup first introduced Smartlet on the 2026 CES in Las Vegas, it felt like an ungainly resolution to a distinct segment downside. However after seeing it up shut on the present flooring and spending some hands-on time with it, the idea feels much less on the market than we initially thought. Whereas nonetheless area of interest and never with out its flaws, the setup is sensible for anybody who loves a basic watch however would not need to quit the health-tracking advantages, notifications or cellular cost choices of a smartwatch .
The Smartlet watch band with an Apple Watch.
The Smartlet Band displayed at CES 2026 connects your health tracker to your analog watch.
The stainless-steel strap begins at $400, whereas the titanium model can go as much as $700. The straps do not embody a smartwatch or a mechanical watch.
What you are actually shopping for is the modular strap system, which is suitable with most main smartwatches and health trackers, together with Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin fashions, Fitbit Charge units and Whoop. On the analog aspect, it helps watches with lug widths from 18 to 24 mm, which incorporates high-end fashions from manufacturers comparable to Omega, Tudor, TAG Heuer and Rolex.
The concept comes from the founder, David Ohayon, who says he was uninterested in having to decide on between his analog and Apple Watch each morning. Smartlet, in principle, permits you to toggle from health nerd to polished govt with the flick of a wrist. In apply, at the least in early hands-on demos, it skews extra intelligent than awkward.
Our CNET social producer, Tara Brown, who examined the band on the CES showroom flooring, stated it felt a lot lighter than anticipated, regardless of having two units on one wrist. Smartlet says it deliberately designed the strap aspect to be ultralight to offset the added {hardware} and that it solely provides between 9mm and 12mm of top to the underside of the wrist as soon as a related machine is hooked up.
But as somebody who already manages to scratch watches with out even attempting, the thought of strapping a second machine to the underside of my wrist, the place it usually is available in contact with desks, armrests and tabletops, feels like a harmful gamble. I’d, nonetheless, be way more inclined to pair my (nonexistent) Rolex with a screen-less tracker to get all of the well being monitoring advantages with out worrying about damaging the watch beneath. The Whoop 5 for instance, integrates straight into the steel clasp of the Smartlet and successfully disappears into the band.
The Smartlet Band is suitable with most main smartwatch manufacturers and luxurious watches comparable to Rolex and TAG Heuer.
There’s additionally the aesthetic. Smartlet is clearly geared toward what it calls the “fashionable gentleman,” with advertising language that leans closely into luxurious watch tradition and phrases like “from the boardroom to the weekend.” Translation: It is a look ahead to rich males who need to showcase their funding piece with out sacrificing their gymnasium achieve monitoring.
And whereas it is probably not essentially the most sensible (or budget-friendly) resolution for most individuals, Smartlet is a type of extremely area of interest, standout merchandise that had us doing a double take at this year’s CES.
