We recently received Bluetooth capable watches from Sony Ericsson. The men’s watch (MBW-150 Classic Edition in Black) and the women’s watch (MBW-200 Sparkling Allure) are part of Sony Ericsson’s blue tooth accessories line in the UK.

When they arrived, Macala was pretty excited.  She was also a little perplexed. We are a site about fashion and technology, so technically the watches fit our audience: Technologically savvy lifestyle industry professionals. But she didn’t want to typical product reviews or giveaways, so she told Sony Ericsson this when we agreed to the post.

Street Style: Blending Fashion + Technology

Macala had an idea, she sent the watches to our writers and correspondents in Washington DC, New York and in Los Angeles. She had them do their best street style photos they could using only their iPhones. The one caveat was that I was to use an old fashioned camera that used manually loaded film, and I had to develop and process it myself. Two opposite ends of the extreme, but  I was up to the challenge.

We wore the watches for one month, not only to test the concept how fashion, technology and usability all converged in these watches, but to see how they held up against modern U.S. city elements.

Sony Ericsson In New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC

First of all, what are Sony Ericsson watches anyway?

Fossil and Sony Ericsson first launched Bluetooth-enabled watches in 2006, with watches made specifically for women debuting in 2008.  These watches autopair to your phone via Bluetooth, and not only do they tell the time, but they also have Caller ID and music control functions.  They’re constructed out of mineral crystal glass and leather.

In terms of function – and it seems like the watches in the rest of Sony Ericsson’s lines are all similar in terms of this – both watches are identical.  As previously described, they both have the caller ID have music remote control-like functions. When receiving calls or texts, both watches vibrate and show the caller or texter’s number on the OLED display, so they’re both excellent and discreet ways to know who’s calling you and when without having to always reach for your phone.

What do the Sony Ericsson watches look like in person, and what kind of clothes/style would work well with them?

While the two watches are technologically similar, the differences are all in looks.  They’re both statement pieces, but the Sparkling Allure is smaller, white instead of black and studded with crystals evenly spaced around the face.  I say “statement” in the sense in sense of size — they’re both big watches.  Neither is overdone or over the top, but they’re the kind of size will definitely get you noticed.

I especially like the Sparkling Allure, it’s feminine but not too girly, futuristic or gimmicky looking.  I recieved several compliments the first few days I wore the watch, and I think it goes well with crisp and modern fit clothing.  In the picture, I’m wearing the watch with the Poplin Cross-Front Dress from American Apparel.  I also think the Sparkling Allure would look great with a blazer.

The men’s watch, has attitude, but the colors and design are simple  and nuanced and make it acceptable to wear in a wide range of styles  – from streetwear casual to professional clothing.  I gave it to my friend, Z., to try out, and he really liked the boldness of the watch juxtaposed with its classically modern shape.  He says he wear it pretty much every day.

How do the Sony Ericsson watches stand up in terms of its technological capabilities?

Perhaps a result of being mainly targeted towards those in countries outside of the US, the watches came with EU power chargers, not American ones.  Luckily, since Z. has a Sony Ericsson phone, he was easily able to charge our watches with his phone’s charger.

The main problem I had was trying to auto pair my iPhone with my watch.  I wasn’t able to auto pair them, though Z. was able to auto pair his with his Sony Ericsson phone in seconds.  After looking at some online help forums, it seems as though the problem probably stems from iPhone’s Bluetooth capabilities as opposed to the watch’s capabilities.  In the spirit of consumer testing, I auto-paired my phone with Z.’s phone and found it a smooth and quick process.

I quite like the caller and text alerts, which are made with a silent buzz to the wrist.  I found these alerts especially useful while commuting or when I was in professional settings — places and situations where it’s useful to know who is calling and when but are not necessarily appropriate places to scramble around for a phone and take a call.

The Bottom Line

The Sony Ericsson Bluetooth watches are incredibly stylish, slick and cool.  I love how the watches exude modern boldness, yet they’re sleek and elegant at the same time.  While I’m sad that my phone isn’t compatible with my iPhone, I love the way the watch looks and feels, and wearing the watch makes me feel as though I’m one step closer to becoming the next 007.

Disclosure: Sony Ericsson believes that transparency is key to any online engagement; as such, we have provided the products free of charge for the bloggers to use. However, when reviewing or talking about the products, we ask consumers to be as honest as possible. If the bloggers don’t like it, we’d prefer to know! Sony Ericsson provided the product only, the amazing shoots and styling are entirely down to the talented bloggers!

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