Glance turns any classic timepiece into a TV-controlling smartwatch

Smartwatches have saturated the wearables market this year, but many consumers won’t part with their expensive and stylish timepieces just to receive a few notifications. Enter Glance, the wrist-mounted accessory that turns any old strap or watch into a wrist-mounted smart device.

The US$70 Glance, developed by Toronto-based Kiwi Wearables Technology, has garnered only a third of its Kickstarter funding goal, but it’s more promising than these statistics would suggest. The company’s previous endeavour birthed the Kiwi Move, an app-centric wearable relying on sensors and motion technology, which was praised at this year’s CES.

The Glance however, features a tiny OLED screen, while the grooved, rubber-backed design ensures that it fits snugly between the curve of one’s wrist and watch, bangle or bundled strap. When paired with an Android or iOS device, it turns any non-smart accessory into a smartwatch.

But this nifty device goes beyond conventional smartwatches. Sure, it can find your lost phone through the press of a button, but it also flaunts 3D gesture controls for smart screens. Using Bluetooth 4.0 and 3D motion sensing technology, a virtual click of the thumb mirrors a left click of a mouse. Similarly, moving one’s hand across a screen with the index finger moves the cursor. It’s perfect for quick and fuss-free navigation of smart TVs and computers from the comfort of a couch.

Glance also tracks activity levels, replacing innate fitness wristbands like Fitbit, while providing customary smartwatch call, message and email notifications with haptic and visual feedback.

Kiwi Wearables plans to ship the Glance by November 2014, provided that the targets are reached. The device comes in three sizes and a plethora of styles, and will be manufactured by a “Fortune 500 manufacturing company” once the project takes off.