Pocuter Launches Spectra Smartwatch on Kickstarter: A Fusion of Luxury Features and DIY Potential

Pocuter Inc, known for the success of the Pocuter One, has introduced a new product, the Pocuter Spectra smartwatch, through a Kickstarter campaign. This smartwatch aims to blend the maker community's interest in open-source hardware with the features of a high-end smartwatch, appealing to both hackers and general consumers.

The watch offers users extensive opportunities for modification and user-repairability, all while maintaining the quality and feature set of a premium smartwatch. According to CEO Gürkan Dogan, this product is community-driven, allowing users to explore endless project possibilities. An example Dogan provided was a magician using Pocuter One for tricks—showcasing how diverse the applications can be. The Spectra’s motion sensors could, for example, control drones, while its Wi-Fi chip could extend connectivity when outdoors.

Designing the Pocuter Spectra came with its challenges, especially when it came to making the watch easy to repair. In contrast to typical smartwatches that require complicated and sometimes hazardous methods to open, the Spectra can be accessed by simply unscrewing four screws. This user-friendly design is part of Pocuter's commitment to sustainability and the right-to-repair movement. The company also offers affordable replacement parts to ensure that users can maintain their watches long-term.

The smartwatch is powered by Espressif’s ESP32-S3 chip, with 8MB RAM and 32MB flash memory, which allows apps to launch instantly. It features a 368x448 AMOLED display, a digital crown, an aluminum housing, and a wide array of sensors for tracking fitness and environmental conditions. Additionally, it includes onboard speech recognition and a Micro SD card slot, enabling storage expansion of up to 512GB.

Pocuter chose crowdfunding to ensure market validation, seeing it as the best way to confirm that their unique product has demand. Despite a rise in crowd-investing platforms, where backers invest in shares of a company, Pocuter has found success with traditional crowdfunding. They previously raised €130,000 for their Pocuter One project without spending on marketing. Their approach to creating devices people can’t easily buy elsewhere has proven effective.

The Spectra smartwatch has also caught the attention of the maker community behind the Pebble Time Smartwatch, which raised over $20 million on Kickstarter. Though Pebble was later acquired by Fitbit, with support ending in 2018, the rebble.io community continues to support the device. Pocuter has partnered with this community, led by David Groom, to collaborate on developing the Spectra further.

The Pocuter Spectra smartwatch is designed to bridge the divide between the maker community and mainstream consumers, effectively combining the best of both worlds. It emphasizes repairability and hackability, catering to tech enthusiasts who appreciate the ability to modify and customize their devices. At the same time, it offers premium features typically found in high-end smartwatches, appealing to everyday users looking for quality and functionality.

This dual focus enables users to engage deeply with their smartwatch, whether by modifying its software or hardware for personal projects or by enjoying a seamless, feature-rich experience in their daily lives. The Spectra's thoughtful design not only encourages creativity and innovation but also promotes sustainability through its user-repairable structure and affordable replacement parts.

By addressing the needs of both demographics, Pocuter is positioning the Spectra smartwatch as a versatile solution in the wearable tech market, empowering users to explore new possibilities while enjoying the convenience and style of a modern smartwatch.