For horologists and smartwatch followers, Tag Heuer made history when it announced the Connected. The Connected isn?t the first smartwatch. It?s also not the first wrist-worn gadget to pair with a modern smartphone, but at $1,500, it?s the first technology-inspired design from a luxury Swiss watchmaker.

Clad with a scratch-resistant sapphire glass screen and a handsome titanium casing, the Connected has all the hallmarks of a more expensive mechanical watch, but don?t let that fool you. The gears inside have been swapped with Silicon Valley?s latest processors, and the face can easily be changed and customized, depending on your mood or personality, with the accompanying Android Wear and Tag Heuer apps on your phone.
Because the Connected runs Android Wear as its operating system, Tag Heuer didn?t have much much room to differentiate itself from other circular smartwatches running Google?s operating system, like the LG Watch Urbane, Motorola Moto 360 and the Huawei Watch. Google imposes strict requirements on Android Wear to keep the experience as native as possible, meaning differentiation could only happen at the hardware level and in the design of the watch face. In a lot of ways, Tag was successful at differentiating the Connected?s design. But at the end of the day, the real question is if Tag?s foray into Silicon Valley territory with the Connected is worth the cost of entry.

Design
The Connected borrows its inspiration from Tag Heuer?s Carrera, a sporty watch with...