The watch, which has inbuilt Oyster payment technology, has been trialled over the past six months by 500 members of Transport for London staff and is due to be rolled out later this year.
Oyster is in discussions with several watch brands, including Swatch, to secure an official launch partner.
Travellers with a Barclaycard OnePulse card can already touch in using their card to make journeys and Oyster is now trialling the use of Nokia handsets, which also feature Oyster technology. However, Sue Doyle, marketing director of TranSys, which owns Oyster, said it is unlikely that the Nokia product would officially launch for at least another two years.
Comments
Surely the Oyster Watch is a brand belonging to Rolex?
The first problem I can see is that most people wear their watch on the left arm, and the oyster readers are on the right!
That's a good point. Also could it be a desperate roll of the dice by Swatch to generate some point of difference and go back to its glorydays of the 80s?
The only people who are going to wear this watch will be anoraks! If the battery dies on your watch and you haven't got the time to fit a new battery, does that mean you'll be wearing two watches? One to tell the time, the other to 'smoothly' slide through the barriers?!
True, can't see it catching on. Although that said I finally saw someone with one of those Barclaycard Oyster cards the other day - the conductor on the train didn't quite know what to do with it so it's clear that they've hardly been a rip-roaring success.
Mr T - 30/01/2008
cack idea
Bad idea. There are many people who don't wear a watch and use their mobile phone or computer to know the time. How's about we all get a chip embedded in our necks like those dig ID tags?
Sorry - that should read DOG ID tags...
It could be included in our new biometric passports - a much better idea
Rubbish idea. Watch sales have nosedived because of mobile phones. People no longer buy watches as often as they once did, and instead use their phones to tell the time and wake them up. What Oyster/LU would really like to do is implant chips in everyone. They're already trying to make it compulsory to register your personal details if you have an Oyster card. I'd prefer it if they spent their time and energy on improving the service and reducing fares instead of commercial partnerships with banks and watch makers.
here here
i've read Ken wants to make it cheaper for people who register their personal details to travel on the tube thereby penalising those who don't do this with more expensive fares
disgrace
Comments
John Daffern - 29/01/2008
Surely the Oyster Watch is a brand belonging to Rolex?
Dave Nicholson - 29/01/2008
The first problem I can see is that most people wear their watch on the left arm, and the oyster readers are on the right!
Jeremy Lee - 29/01/2008
That's a good point. Also could it be a desperate roll of the dice by Swatch to generate some point of difference and go back to its glorydays of the 80s?
joe thomas - 29/01/2008
The only people who are going to wear this watch will be anoraks! If the battery dies on your watch and you haven't got the time to fit a new battery, does that mean you'll be wearing two watches? One to tell the time, the other to 'smoothly' slide through the barriers?!
Jeremy Lee - 29/01/2008
True, can't see it catching on. Although that said I finally saw someone with one of those Barclaycard Oyster cards the other day - the conductor on the train didn't quite know what to do with it so it's clear that they've hardly been a rip-roaring success.
Mr T - 30/01/2008
cack idea
Mike Blunt - 01/02/2008
Bad idea. There are many people who don't wear a watch and use their mobile phone or computer to know the time. How's about we all get a chip embedded in our necks like those dig ID tags?
Mike Blunt - 01/02/2008
Sorry - that should read DOG ID tags...
Jeremy Lee - 04/02/2008
It could be included in our new biometric passports - a much better idea
Darren Davidson - 05/02/2008
Rubbish idea. Watch sales have nosedived because of mobile phones. People no longer buy watches as often as they once did, and instead use their phones to tell the time and wake them up. What Oyster/LU would really like to do is implant chips in everyone. They're already trying to make it compulsory to register your personal details if you have an Oyster card. I'd prefer it if they spent their time and energy on improving the service and reducing fares instead of commercial partnerships with banks and watch makers.
Mark Smith - 05/02/2008
here here i've read Ken wants to make it cheaper for people who register their personal details to travel on the tube thereby penalising those who don't do this with more expensive fares disgrace