Scottish startup Una has released a modular, user-repairable GPS watch priced at $199, aimed at buyers who want more control over their devices. The company was founded by Lewis Allison, the former chief technology officer of golf watch maker Shot Scope, and uses the slogan “one watch for life.” The watch has a 46mm case, four buttons and a silicone strap, similar to rugged GPS running watches from established brands. Unlike those watches, its screws are real Torx T3 screws, and the USB-C charging port sits on the right side of the case where a crown would normally be. In its review, Engadget gave the watch a score of 7.8 out of 10.
Inside, the watch breaks down into six parts that can be swapped separately, including a display module, two sensor modules for GPS and Bluetooth, a core section, a rear cover with a heart rate sensor, and the battery. The display is a 1.2-inch Memory In Pixel LCD with a 240 by 240 resolution under hardened mineral glass. The core holds a Cortex-M33 microcontroller with 2.5MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a vibration motor, a speaker, an altimeter and a temperature sensor, and the watch runs FreeRTOS. Una has published its software, housing and circuit board designs on GitHub and runs a developer forum. The 280mAh battery is rated for seven to 10 days, with 20 hours of GPS use, and Engadget’s reviewer got seven days, including several short GPS tracked walks and workouts.
Repair is the main selling point. Una supplies a replacement display, battery and back cover, and Engadget’s reviewer swapped the display in three minutes and eight seconds, while the battery took about two minutes. A replacement display costs $50 and a battery $40, while other modules are available by contacting the company, and Una offers step-by-step repair guides. The tradeoff is durability. The watch is rated IPX5, which covers rain, sweat and light splashes, and the exposed USB-C port is rated IP68 according to the company. Engadget noted that the thin rubber gaskets inside the covers may limit how much punishment the watch can take, so it is unlikely to suit people who use their watches in mud or water.
In everyday use, the watch behaves as a phone-connected GPS watch and not as a full smartwatch. The watch face cannot be customised beyond a 12 or 24 hour clock and shows step and activity progress as two semicircles. Built-in tracking covers walks, runs, hikes, bike rides, treadmill running and a generic workout, and the dual-frequency GPS found a position in under half a minute. The companion app shows daily activity and past workouts, and a store lets the community add apps such as sunrise and sunset times, trail running, tides and squash, along with a version of Doom. Software issues remain, including notifications that ignore a phone’s Do Not Disturb setting. Engadget described the watch as a good first step that shows modular, repairable wearables are possible.
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