The Image Gate

Will.i.am’s star power saw him create I.am+, a brand for consumer products that link fashion and technology. A camera accessory for the Apple Iphone was introduced several years ago, and now Will.i.am can add a Gucci timepiece to its credits.
   The new watch has been described as a a stand-alone ‘smartband’, untethered from a smartphone, by Gucci. So far only a concept has been shown at Baselworld, and planned functions include telephone, SMS, emails, music, maps, calendar, a fitness app, and a voice-activated personal assistant.
   The musician noted, ‘I.am+ and Gucci Timepieces are setting the pace with our vision for a untethered wearable. In creating a device that is both fashionable and technologically advanced, we aim to define this category. I coined the term “fashionology”, a merging of the worlds of fashion and technology, and that is exactly what this collaboration with Gucci represents.’
   Stéphane Linder, president and CEO of Gucci Timepieces, said, ‘Today, through this innovative collaboration with I.am+ and Will.i.am, Gucci Timepieces is fully embracing the future of wearable technology that is now ahead of us, with the objective of launching a wearable device concept that is a fashion accessory, incorporating the most comprehensive and advanced technological functionalities.’