At first glance, the glistening crystal on my wrist simply looks like a stylish piece of jewelry.

In fact that was even what some of my friends had casually mentioned to me over the weekend – when we had been gathered together for a post-run morning brunch.

So they had been quite surprised to find out that the crystal actually doubles up as an activity tracker that has the look and feel of a piece of jewelry.

A range of fitness accessories for the fashion and style conscious

The shining crystal that I had been wearing over the weekend, is part of the Swarovski Activity Tracking Jewelry (SATJ) Collection – a range of fitness fashion accessories that has just been launched in Singapore and is set to shake up the wearable tech market.

Explained Joan Ng, Swarovski Senior Vice President, APAC Product Marketing, “With the SATJ, we bring our jewelry expertise and global reach to a category which has historically been dominated by male consumers. The SATJ is versatile enough to dress up or down, and the Swarovski Shine Activity Crystal gives the modern active woman a fitness tracker that looks and feels like a piece of jewelry, so she never feels the need to leave home without wearing it, and at the same time, it reminds her to stay active and fit throughout her days and nights.”

Having been launched earlier in China, the United States and Hong Kong, Swarovski’s eventual aim is to release the SATJ range globally – and in line with these plans, they are now targeting the Singapore market.

A Collaboration between Swarovski and Misfit

The SATJ is a collaboration between Swarovski and Misfit, a leading manufacturer of wearable tech products today. Said Lisa Wong Sze Man, 38, the Head of Marketing and Communication, SEA Consumer Goods Business, Swarovski Singapore, “With the SATJ, we want to make something that is functional and fashionable, and showcase the possibilities and limitations of Swarovski. To launch tracking jewelry is not really our limit; the idea is to partner with someone influential in the wearable tech market, and make something really innovative for the modern, active woman.”

Added Lisa, “As such, our target audience of this product is the modern active woman who cares about their health and who are interested in getting fit as well. This is a unique product that enables them to do it but at the same time, our Swarovski woman always want to look pretty and with the Swarovski Activity Crystal, they can feel the magic of the sparkles. So this will be the perfect choice that they can make, to suit all of their needs.”

Singapore Launch Event took place last week

At the Singapore Launch Event of the SATJ which took place recently, this was when I had my first glimpse of the SATJ collection. Embedded with innovative activity tracking technology, the Activity Crystal is at the heart of the collection and generates interest amongst modern women today, thanks to the unique pairing of glamour and femininity together with wearable technology.

My initial impression of the SATJ was that it’s definitely a rather unique product and that fashion conscious women today will certainly be able to appreciate something like this. It’s also a fitness tracker that can discreetly and easily be worn to a range of events, be it a sports event, a day out with friends or even to work, a corporate meeting or wedding dinner, all without looking out of place at all.

As such, the Activity Crystal comes with two contrastingly different types of bands – one is a rubbery Sport Band that can be used for sports activities while the other one, a Slake bracelet – studded with a string of dainty crystals – is used for more formal occasions. Both types of bands look quite pretty with the Swarovski Activity Crystal – which measures about one inch in diameter – encased within.

Both bands are available in multiple colours depending on your preference and additional bands can also be purchased depending on your needs.

A versatile fitness band to suit all occasions

Explained Lisa, “Our main selling point of the SATJ is the appearance and versatility of the fitness band. Most fitness trackers in the market comes with one design that generally tends to have a very sporty look – so when you want to go out to a function or event, you have no choice but to simply not wear the tracker. But with the SATJ, you can wear it for example with that amazing cocktail dress and it will not look out of place.”

When I had put the beautiful pink crystal-studded bracelet onto my wrist, it definitely looked very pretty and I can certainly see how it would fit right into the occasion at say, a formal company D&D or a wedding reception. And the Slake Bracelet is quite comfortable to wear for hours on end, as it feels quite soft.

Lisa continued, “This boils back to what our brand, Swarovski, stands for. We are a very happy brand and we want to make every day extraordinary. There are many tracking devices out there in the market and we see it as our mission to add a little bit of sparkles to make a fitness tracker look prettier for the modern, active woman.”

Setting up the SATJ

For setting up the SATJ, it is pretty easy to do. You first need to download the Misfit app from the Apple or Google Android App Stores and then sync it with the SATJ via BlueTooth. It should detect the SATJ pretty quickly; at least that’s what I had found.

Following that, you will be required to set up an account and key in basic details such as your fitness goals and activity levels, email address, date of birth, height & weight, and also whether you would prefer to go by imperial or metric units. I have currently set my daily goal at 10,000 steps (1,000 points).

I had actually been guided through all of these steps by the Swarovski staff members at the launch event, but i think that it should probably be quite simple to key in these at home on your own too.

The main issue though, is that if you have more than one SATJ at home though, then there may be a little confusion as to which SATJ unit is being detected by which app. But by looking at the serial numbers listed on the bottom of the box, you can easily solve this problem.

Using the SATJ

To use the SATJ, it is pretty simple and fuss-free. Though the SATJ crystal may not be able to display the numerical readings, you can still track your day’s progress by double-tapping on the activity crystal. This is because the SATJ comprises of 12 white lights which will glow accordingly depending on how close you are to matching your daily fitness goals. Once you have successfully met your daily goal, then all 12 lights will blink and flash upon tapping the SATJ, as if to congratulate you.

As well, when you double-tap, you can check the time on the SATJ as the white lights on the crystal’s face will glow and blink according to the hour and minute hands of a typical analogue watch. However I must admit that it takes some time to get used to checking the time through this way, if you are more accustomed to a digital-style time.

What I particularly liked about the SATJ is that when you sync your readings to the Misfit app, it will tell you how much additional exercise you need in order to meet your daily goals, for example, 1.5 hours of walking or 30 minutes of running. I think that this really helps you to plan your exercise time accordingly.

And in terms of tracking functionality, the SATJ is pretty accurate in that it does not measure vigorous and sudden hand movements such as swinging, which is pretty much in line with the quality that we have come to expect from Misfit.

Working out with the SATJ

We were subjected to a strenuous Barre workout at the launch event – which had comprised of a mixture of bodyweight exercises, cardio and free weights. I was pretty shagged by the end of the workout session, but I must admit that this being my first session with the SATJ, it had been rather motivating to see the white lights glowing and slowly winding around the circular crystal face whenever I tapped it during the course of the workout.

And subsequently after taking the SATJ home, I have taken it for a few runs, ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. I perspire a lot so at the beginning I had been slightly worried that the crystal may get a little tarnished but so far it seems to have been okay. After each run, I would clean it with wet wipes, and about a week later, it still seems to be as glossy and sparkly as the day I had just received it despite the treatment I have subjected the SATJ to, so far.

According to Lisa, the SATJ crystal is supposed to be hardy. She said, “Being a crystal by nature, the SATJ is actually very resistant and the way that we designed our crystal band, it comes with a part where there is no crystal so this means that the band will not scratch the crystal either. It’s very resistant overall and we have had no complaints yet about this product.”

And also, when synched with the Misfit app, you can check your fitness and workout progress with the SATJ over a period of time and you will also be continuously motivated to keep on achieving your fitness goals. The app will also congratulate you if you have successfully achieved your goals over a period of time. So far, my own streak is about seven days and counting, thanks to the regular running that I do.

When you are working out, the SATJ also automatically detects that you are doing an exercise session, even when it is an intensive or a light workout and it will record this as an activity. It will then be up to you, subsequently, to categorise the activity i.e. running, cycling, brisk walking, or whatever. I think that this is a rather neat feature, because you do not have to consciously remember to switch the ‘workout mode’ on and off each time. Rather the SATJ will silently do its tracking work in the background.

While the workout tracking is pretty decent in terms of measuring the distance of my runs, I must say that the Swarovski Shine crystal cannot fully replace an actual GPS watch though, if you want a true and accurate range of statistics from your run.

And if you wish to specifically log a workout, you can choose to triple-tap on your Swarovski Shine in order to begin clocking it.

The SATJ is also advertised as being water resistant up to 50 metres, but I have yet to take it swimming though – I still feel that it is safer to take the SATJ off whenever I hop into the water just as a precaution.

For Phanin Leksrisompong (Nin), who has been using the SATJ for the past few months, the SATJ has definitely helped her in terms of her fitness goals. She said, “I consider myself a moderately active person – I do yoga in the mornings and go for a walk in the evenings after work.”

Added Nin, “I used to snack a lot, but now with the SATJ, I try to walk home to achieve my fitness goals. This has helped me not only to clock steps, but also to manage my weight and change my daily habits and lifestyles. And I can reward myself by earning points too.”

Offers Detailed analysis of sleep quality

Besides tracking daily activity, the SATJ also tracks your sleeping quality. What i particularly like about this, is that the sleep tracking is automatically detected so you do not need to consciously remember to switch any buttons on and off.

And when synced together with the Misfit app, I am able to see a more in-depth analysis of the number of hours I have slept, as well as how much time I have spent in a light sleep or a deep slumber. This is quite useful, for example, as you will then know why you are not feeling particularly rested next morning, despite say, having had eight hours of sleep the previous night – it may be because most of this could have been in a light sleep rather than a restful one.

The data stored in the Misfit app can also be used to compare sleep quality over a duration of time.

Personally the Swarovski Shine sports band is quite comfortable to wear in bed too, as it’s very lightweight and so it’s quite easy to forget that you are wearing it.

Added Nin, “The SATJ has made me more aware of my sleeping patterns – so I have been trying to go to sleep early and also get more sleep since I started to use it.”

If you want a more accurate measurement of your sleep patterns though, there is an option on the Misfit app where you can tell your SATJ that you are about to go to sleep.

Other Features

Besides tracking fitness and sleep, the SATJ also has a couple of other interesting features according to Lisa.

She said, “By tapping on the Activity Crystal, you can play, forward or stop the music from your smartphone during your workout. Also, the Activity Crystal can act as a selfie button which makes it very easy to take pictures.”

Using the Misfit app too, you can also log a food diary and share your progress with your friends who are also users of Misfit. This helps you to gauge how healthy and fit you are in comparison with your friends.

Battery Life

No recharging is needed for the SATJ because it relies on a standard watch battery which is simply inserted into the back of the activity tracking crystal. According to Swarovski, the battery lasts between four to six months depending on your intensity of usage.

This is quite good as it means that you don’t need to constantly remember to plug your Swarovski Shine crystal into the charger.

Overall Comments

As a whole, the details and statistics that users have access to on the activity crystal will suit most people who want to have a basic guideline of their health and fitness levels.

But it must be noted that for serious fitness gurus who are more invested in their health, they may find the Swarovski Shine a little lacking as compared to some other more comprehensive fitness trackers and apps in the market. For example, the Shine does not comprise of an altimeter to measure stairs climbed, or a heart rate monitor – but then again, including these features will only weigh down the petite size of the Shine and make it feel much heavier.

The Swarovski Shine is a stylish tracker that will suit the needs of modern women who want to get fit while looking good.

However, for active women who are looking for a basic yet versatile fitness tracker that will not look out of place regardless of what they wear, then the SATJ may be what they have been searching for.

Added Nin, “I feel that the SATJ is suitable for women who are looking for a healthy lifestyle. But when you are choosing your goals, do remember to set something that is achievable but at the same time, challenging enough that you will have to work for it.”

She continued, “At the beginning when I had started to use the SATJ, I set my goal as 1,000 points (10,000 steps) because that’s what is being recommended by everyone as the goal to strive towards. But I felt discouraged as it was not achievable for me. So I moved back to 700 points and this has motivated and helped me to improve my fitness goals slowly.”

The SATJ is priced at $280 and is available at Swarovski outlets across Singapore.

Thank you Swarovski for the SATJ and the chance to review it.