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TAG Heuer's next smartwatch may include a swappable timepiece

The Tag Connected Modular could switch to a mechanical watch on a whim.

AOL

TAG Heuer has dropped a few hints about its plans for a successor to the Connected, but the biggest news may be what it isn't mentioning. Android Central sources claim that TAG is working on the Connected Modular, a "fully customizable" Android Wear 2.0 watch that would let you not only replace the straps, but the timepiece itself. Reportedly, you could swap in an automatic mechanical watch module on demand -- say, for social occasions when you feel that a smartwatch would be too gauche. That would be far more convenient than TAG's current strategy, which gives you the 'privilege' of buying a mechanical equivalent to the Connected (at the same price as your original watch) after the warranty expires.

If the scoop is accurate, TAG will unveil the Modular on March 14th, or several weeks ahead of the already-announced May release for new hardware. To us, the big remaining questions revolve around pricing. Will the Modular do more to justify its (likely high) price than the Connected did? And will that mechanical module be affordable enough that it's worth buying? The modularity and already promised tech upgrades (brighter displays, GPS and payments) suggest that the answer could be "yes," but nothing's guaranteed until there's something you can strap on your wrist.