In a time when almost all smart watches compete for our attention with more notifications, more data and more time in front of the screen, one of the best-known watch brands in Europe has decided to look to the past. Much further back than one might imagine. The name Festina comes from the Latin expression Festina lenswhich could be translated as “hurry up slowly.” The phrase, attributed to Emperor Augustus, contained an apparently contradictory idea: act quickly, but without haste; move forward without losing control. Two thousand years later, that philosophy seems especially pertinent.
We live surrounded by devices that demand our attention at every moment. We check our phone hundreds of times a day, we receive dozens of notifications and we wear a watch on our wrist capable of alerting us to our heartbeat, the distance traveled, the messages in our electronic mailbox… Permanent connectivity, they say, increases our productivity, but at the same time it has turned distraction into an almost continuous state. With the Lotus Connected Full Dthe brand proposes a different idea: Let the user decide when they want to be connected. Festina’s history has been based on combining watchmaking tradition with technological innovation and it is that balance that defines its new watch.
Unlike many smart watches, whose main attraction is to offer more and more information, the Connected Full D is a hybrid watch that relies on more selective connectivity. Its screen can be customized to show only the information that the user considers really important, while Interchangeable dials allow you to switch between a classic look and a more technological interface depending on the time of day.
The idea responds to an increasingly visible trend in the world of technology: the so-called digital minimalism. Instead of eliminating technology, seek to use it more consciously, reducing unnecessary interruptions and giving the user back control over their attention.
Naturally, the watch incorporates the functions that are expected today from a connected device. Monitor daily physical activity using visual ring-shaped targetstracks different health-related parameters, records workouts and keeps phone notifications synchronized. All this with an autonomy that reaches up to ten days, a figure significantly higher than that of many conventional smart watches.
The construction too reflects a clear commitment to traditional watchmaking, hence its nature as a hybrid watch. The case is made of titanium, a material especially appreciated for combining lightness, resistance to corrosion and high hardness. Above it stands a sapphire crystal, one of the most scratch-resistant materials currently used in watchmaking, second only to diamond.
The result is a device with a 44 mm dial and a weight of 84 gramsdesigned for daily use, with 5 ATM water resistance, luminescent hands and indexes that facilitate reading in low light conditions, and a design that preserves the aesthetics of an analog watch despite incorporating smart functions, such as button customization.
Another interesting aspect is that Festina has developed its own technological platform for this model. Beyond the hardware, the company presents the Connected Full D as a product prepared to evolve through future software updates, thus prolonging its useful life and adapting to new functions over time. While maintaining a classic aesthetic.
The watch is available in eight different finishes and has a price of 599 euros, placing it in a premium segment where it competes with both high-end smart watches and quality traditional watches. But perhaps the most striking thing about the Connected Full D is not any of its technical specifications. In a market where almost all manufacturers try to get us to spend more time looking at a screen, Festina proposes exactly the opposite: use technology when it really adds value and forget about it the rest of the time.
Hurry slowly… Maybe Augusto wasn’t thinking about smart watches. But it’s hard to imagine advice more appropriate for a time to stay connected It has often become an obligation rather than a choice.