Swatch has launched its own device, the Swatch Bellamy, to partake in the payments space. The Swiss watchmaker presented the new “pay-by-the-wrist” watch, at the landmark Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai earlier this week. Swatch joined forces with China UnionPay and Bank of Communications to introduce the contactless payment gadget to China.
The first four watches combine exciting, colorful yet functional Swatch design with built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, allowing people to use their watches to pay for purchases in shops and stores around the country.
Why the name Swatch Bellamy? Bellamy was the first to write about debit/credit cards, forty years before anyone else. So Swatch decided to acknowledge the innovator by naming the device Swatch Bellamy.
The $91 analog Swatch Bellamy will be rolled out by the partners across China in the coming months, starting in January 2016.
SWATCH BELLAMY will soon be launched in Switzerland with a Swiss bank and secure transaction partner, as well as in the USA.
