The Changing Landscape of Smartwatch Licensing

Licensing in the smartwatch and wearables sector is starting to evolve. In this segment’s early days, licensors typically have forged focused deals with consumer electronics or watch companies that specifically authorize the development and production of a line of smartwatches and/or other wearables. This tactic continues today. But announcements from this year’s Baselworld, a trade event for high-end jewelry and watches currently taking place in Basel, Switzerland, show a new trend emerging.

Namely, watch marketers are adding smartwatches to their roster of traditional timepieces and taking their existing portfolio of designers and other licensed properties into the new category along with them.

Movado Group, which had paired with HP for its first smartwatch in 2015, announced it was expanding its smartwatch line to include all of the licenses it holds for its conventional watch array, including Coach, Hugo Boss, Juicy Couture, Lacoste, Scuderia Ferrari, and Tommy Hilfiger.

Similarly, Fossil said it would add more than 100 wearables, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, to its assortment for holiday 2016, under all of the licensed brands it works with for its regular watches, including Chaps, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Kate Spade New York, and Michael Kors. It also is producing more SKUs under its proprietary Fossil, Skagen, and Misfit labels; Fossil purchased the Misfit smartwatch brand in 2015.

TAG Heuer has taken a slightly different approach to bringing its existing partners into the smartwatch arena. It married 11 of its brand ambassadors with its TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch by having each celebrity—ranging from athletes such as Tom Brady, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Jeremy Lin to musicians such as David Guetta and NERVO—design an original smartwatch face. They are available through the TAG Heuer Connected app.

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