Withings' pricey new watch is for health nuts and diving enthusiasts

If you liked the concept of the Withings ScanWatch, but the design was a little too plain for your taste, there’s a new variant out in the wild. Today, the company announced the Withings ScanWatch Horizon, which melds the tried and trusted ScanWatch health kit with a dive watch facade.

The Horizon’s most apparent feature is its hardy exterior. A stainless steel and titanium body, 43mm sapphire glass lens, and fluoroelastomer band complete the Horizon’s facade, including a rotating diving dial and high contrast, glowing hands. As a hybrid watch, the ScanWatch Horizon also includes a small circular display that provides smart notification readouts, health stats, and aids menu navigation. A turnable crown, that doubles as a button, also features on the watch’s right side.

See also: The best hybrid watches you can buy

The usual Withings smarts are included, too. The ScanWatch Horizon packs in-depth sleep tracking, activity tracking, on-demand ECG, and a medical-grade SpO2 sensor informing breathing disturbance monitoring. As a diving watch, the Horizon also features 10 ATM water resistance, good for water depths of 100m. Additionally, battery life of 30 days sweetens the appeal.

Withings ScanWatch Horizon pricing and availability

Diving isn’t a cheap hobby, so don’t expect the Withings ScanWatch Horizon to pack a low price. It’s available with a blue or green tint and starts at €499.95 (~$585) for buyers in mainland Europe. That’s a pretty penny for a hybrid watch, especially when compared to contemporary smartwatches from Samsung, Apple, and Garmin. You can buy two regular ScanWatches for that price, too.

However, Withings is going for a particular niche here, and the Horizon seems an accomplished diving watch with extra smarts. Most of that premium is the result of its focus on build quality, too.