Olio Devices' Founder And CEO, Steve Jacobs, Paves The Way For Wearable Tech Timepiece
Olio Devices, a boutique brand which engineers fashion-forward smart watches, is redefining the face of the watch.
The Olio timepiece may seem like just another smartwatch -- it uses the same cloud-based technology as the iWatch and other tech-cessories -- yet the Olio is designed with the same attention to detail and craftsmanship typically reserved for a name brand, Swiss-made watch.
In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the Olio watch differs from other smartwatches in that it is designed to save the user time by tracking, streamlining and curating their schedule and digital life, all depending on the information it is given. The idea is that the watch provides only the relevant information that the user can respond to within seconds.
The story behind this San Francisco-based tech company begins with Steve Jacobs, founder and CEO of Olio Devices. Prior to launching Olio, Jacobs cut his teeth at Apple working alongside the original iPod and iPhone product design team. After Apple, he led a career heading product design initiatives for the major tech companies.
Jacobs began his foray into wearable tech pieces by looking into Google and Apple's wearable teams but concluded that he was in search of something a little different.
"I left in search of what I saw was this big, green pasture for new products and that was for connected devices," Jacobs said.
"I am really interested in taking the lifestyle products we already love and empowering them with modern technology that can allow them to do more for us."
Jacobs went on to build a team for the Olio Devices company that would be as dynamic and unique as the product they sought to create. Olio's employees are comprised of senior-level talent hailing from companies including Movado, Pixar, NASA and Apple.
The Olio Devices team debuted its first limited collection of roll-out of watches called the Model One on March 26 of this year. After quickly selling out of its first round of Black and Steel Model Ones, the brand recently released a follow up collection of limited edition timepieces at the very end of July.
At the time of release for the Model One Gold and Rose Gold collection, Olio Devices also announced a $10 million round of Series A funding from VC NEA, which the company plans on using to expand the product, the team and to further support the manufacturing of the Model One.
The company's most recent roll-out of the Rose Gold and Gold Model One Watches are currently ready for order, but were released in limited quantity and continue to sell quickly.
The Model One Gold and Rose Gold collections are Ion-plated and come in pure 24k gold or 18k rose gold and both styles are designed with crystal sapphire lenses.
The Rose and Rose Gold models also boast a stainless steel substructure with hand-polished accents and are 50m water-resistant.
Where craftsmanship is concerned, Jacobs maintains a fierce devotion to the quality of the product.
"We love traditional Swiss watches and the time and energy and care that goes into, not only the design, but into the manufacturing of them," Jacobs says.
With bands that come in steel, Italian leather and now rose gold and gold links, the Model One surely isn't your ordinary tech gadget pandering to a one-size-fits-all demographic.
"[The watch] should be reflective of who we are and what we are and what we care about. We liked blending the functional aspect of it with the aesthetic aspect of it."
In an age that caters to the rapid consumption of fashion and tech accessories alike, it can become commonplace to buy into the product that "does it all" in order to feed the insatiable appetites of consumers who are hungry for the next best thing. To combat this trend, Steve Jacobs created a clear mission for the Olio brand and its watches, which was to deliver a beautifully crafted smartwatch that accustoms itself to consumers' lifestyles as opposed to the other way around.
"When we started Olio, we wanted to focus on three things: The first is craftsmanship, the second is freedom and the third is saving you time," Jacobs relayed.
The watch is compatible with both Android and IOS phones, allowing users to download the Olio app to any phone in order to synch the timepiece accordingly.
This was an important concept for Jacobs who stated, "A big part of freedom for us is the freedom to choose your fashion independent of the cell phone you have."
Olio Devices champions pieces that are well-made with a digital face that resembles an analogue watch face. A digital overlay allows for a swipe of the finger to tell time, weather and to view pertinent information quickly.
The watch's essential ingredient is affording the user freedom. That is, freedom from the burdens of constant app updates and a home screen jammed with a laundry list of missed calls, texts and social media updates.
The Olio uses a cloud-based "personal assistant" called Olio Assist. The Assist feature tracks the user's calendar, contacts and other personal information to streamline what information it pushes to the user. Olio Assist continuously tailors the information it sends along, depending on what information the user then chooses to respond to and how they choose to respond to it.
For example, if you're driving and receive a message, the Assist feature can ask if you would like to respond to the message. In this case, by swiping right, Olio Assist will then send a message to the sender notifying them that you will return the message.
When you arrive at your destination, the Assist feature will remind you to message or call back.
Eventually, the watch will filter what information it sends your way depending on the response you feed it.
Jacobs explains, "The really cool thing about wearing this is that over time, it constantly changes ... and it's different every day. So you have this different, dynamic and evolving watch face that is powered by your life."
The limited collection of Rose Gold and Gold Watches are currently available to order (quantity is limited) and will expect to ship by late Fall. Retail prices for the new collection start at $1,195.
Depending on the watch face and strap (leather, suede, black and steel), retail prices start at $595. There is also an extended friends and family discount that allows buyers to save $250 on purchases.
