Span concept is perfect marriage of analog, digital, and smart notifications

As many of you know, the Moto 360 and LG G Watch will usher in the Android Wear era over the next few months. Smartwatches, around a while now, haven’t really taken off yet. At least not like we expect them to.

We’ve seen a few great real-world devices spring up over the last few years; we’ve also seen some conceptual renders and designs that grab our attention. None, however, have managed to do capture us the way Span has.

Designed by Bret Recor and Seth Murray of Box Clever, this concept manages to blend old school watch ideas with the smarter needs of tomorrow. Looking very much like something we’d expect to by the end of the year, it’s a gorgeous watch that sneaks in alerts and notifications.

I’m not sure what’s possible with Android Wear but I imagine a clever developer could mimic this entire experience with an app face or theme. That’s not to suggest, however, that I would not buy this exact device. The materials look to be of premium build and the interaction is familiar. As WIRED points out, the dial around the edge could be considered a cousin to the iPod scroll wheel.

What say you? Is this something you’d consider wearing? Does it strike the right balance of smartwatch and “regular” watch or do you demand more of next-gen gear?

Wired