Una Watch: Repairable, Open-Source Smartwatch

Una, a new smartwatch, champions user control through its modular, repairable, and open-source architecture. Founded by Lewis Allison, ex-CTO of Shot Scope, the company's mission is encapsulated in its slogan, "one watch for life," offered at a competitive $249 price point.

The Una watch features a conventional 46mm GPS running watch aesthetic with a hardened mineral glass LCD display. Its modularity is evident, allowing users to disassemble the watch into six parts using a Torx T3 screwdriver. Key components like the GPS and Bluetooth sensor modules are discrete and easily swappable.

At its core, the watch utilizes a Cortex-M33 microcontroller with 2.5MB of RAM and 4GB of eMMC storage, running on FreeRTOS. This configuration emphasizes low power consumption. The rear cover houses the PPG sensor module, and a 280mAh battery provides 7-10 days of life on a single charge, with 20 hours of GPS tracking capability.

While the Una watch offers significant user control and customization, its modular design introduces durability limitations. The hardware carries an IPX5 rating, suitable for rain and sweat but not submersion. Despite the IP68-rated USB-C port, the overall construction suggests it may not withstand extreme conditions, a compromise for its innovative open-source approach.