The Elektron and SuperCharger 2.3 watches are Sequent’s latest generation of movement-driven hybrid smartwatches. These are premium quartz watches with fitness tracking and smartwatch capabilities. The form factor and overall concept are more rooted in the world of traditional watches than modern electronics. At this point in the development of Sequent products, the watches are very comfortable to wear and practical. They have the “heart and soul” of a traditional classic watch, but are packed with thoroughly modern technology. Sequent’s 2.3 series of watches aren’t for everyone, but as is the case in the niche watch industry, there is a market for this very nifty product. In this review, we’ll look at the two main varieties of this latest generation of Sequent products: the Elektron 2.3 Transparent Blue, which has a translucent face in a titanium case, and the SuperCharger 2.3 Blue, which has a solid face in a blue case. Sequent also produces a small number of other dial colors and case styles, but each features the same Sequent 2.3 watch technology.
One of the most innovative things about the Sequent SuperCharger watch family is the technology they developed to generate power. Sequent includes a charging module dock for the 2.3 watch, but many people won’t need it. Besides the battery lasting up to a year on a full charge, the system generates electricity with the movement of your wrist. It uses the same principle that the rotor of an automatic mechanical watch uses gravity and motion to wind the mainspring. Instead of the rotor turning to operate the winding system, the rotor acts like a magnetic generator. A magnet in the center of the weighted rotor touches and moves a copper coil. This motion pushes electrons into the copper wire, generating an electric current. That current is then transferred to the battery. In principle, this is the same as what Seiko developed in their Kinetic movement, but it is different. I believe the main difference between the Seiko Kinetic and Sequent systems is the amount of power the electronic system uses and generates. The Sequent Elektron and SuperCharger 2.3 watches don’t have digital screens, but they do have some small lights on the dial face and are equipped with a heart rate monitor, Bluetooth, a blood oxygen sensor, and other tools and sensors that don’t require power from a traditional quartz movement.
Although I didn’t use the Sequent Elektron 2.3 (the model I wore most often) to track workouts (or other power-hungry actions), I did spend a lot of time with it on my wrist. You can find out the current battery level by pressing the crown twice. It uses an auxiliary hand and a 0-100 scale on the left side to show how much battery is left. This scale is usually used to show what percentage of your daily movement you have completed. It’s basically there to make sure people get enough steps and exercise every day. In any case, it was always 100% when I checked the battery level. I haven’t worn the watch for months on end, but even if the battery level gradually decreases despite turning off the power-generating rotor, I can still use the charger to charge it. What I’m trying to say is that the SuperCharger system seems to be more than just a gimmick that provides a small amount of recharge to the battery. Indeed, it looks like this watch will be a product that you can wear on a daily basis without needing to charge it and still enjoy a little smartwatch function. I think this selling point alone is enough to attract the attention of many consumers.
The main smartwatch features available on the Sequent Elektron/SuperCharger 2.3 start with basic Bluetooth phone connectivity so that the time on the watch face will be the same as the local time wherever you are. So, at a basic level, there’s no need to constantly update the time. The watch has a built-in heart rate monitor, blood oxygen monitor, and accelerometer. By combining these sensors with data from the phone (such as location data), the Sequent watch can work with the Sequent mobile phone app for basic fitness/exercise tracking. Even if you’re not officially logging a workout, the app will monitor this information and let you know when you want to know. Sequent also offers sleep quality tracking for those who want to sleep with their Sequent 2.3 watch on.
Press the pusher on the bottom of the case and the watch will instantly display your heart rate. When you press it, the watch will use the sensor on the case back to observe your blood for a moment and display it on a scale to the right of the subdial. Yes, this is not the most accurate scale, so if you want more specific numbers, you’ll need to refer to the Sequent app on your phone. Other than that, that’s pretty much all the Sequent 2.3 does. It assumes you’ll use your phone or other device for complex calendar and other timing data. It tries to do things that your phone can’t (like heart rate and charging) and gives you the style and personality of wearing a wristwatch. On top of that, all of the Sequent watches are very beautiful, both in design (by the talented Adrian Buchmann) and construction. The Elektron 2.3 watches come in natural or DLC-coated black titanium cases, while the SuperCharger series is a steel case. This new generation of Sequent watches is also modest in size and fits relatively lightly on the wrist. In most ways, this is a thoroughly modern connected electronic activity tracking watch born out of love and respect for traditional timepieces.
One of the obvious goals of this watch and other Sequent watches is to look like a classic watch, not a smartwatch, to most observers. You can see a bit of the circuit board through the translucent dial of the Elektron 2.3 model, but for the most part, Sequent’s 2.3 watches look very similar to the traditional items they aspire to be. No digital displays, just all analog hands, Super-LumiNova hour markers and matching hands, LED lights that are hidden unless lit, pushers and crowns that could easily be found on a mechanical watch, and an elegant, easy-to-read dial that’s not cluttered or overly stylized. Do you also like the fun “AUTO-MATIC” written on the dial? Even the back of the watch, complete with electronics, is carefully designed and constructed to resemble a traditional automatic watch as much as possible. The level of effort Sequent has put into blending the old and new worlds in the context of horology is very impressive. What seems to have been overlooked is the ability to use the LED light as a backlight or as a system to charge the luminary a little. The 2.3 dial has luminous hands and hour markers, but despite the dial being lit, there is no light to help you read the time in the dark. I think a clever engineering solution would be to equip Sequent Elektron and SuperCharger watches with an LED-assisted luminous charging or backlight system, perhaps to be adopted in future models.
Regardless of the case material, the Sequent 2.3 case dimensions appear to be the same, and in my opinion are very wearable. The case measures 42mm wide by 14.2mm thick, has an AR-coated sapphire crystal, 46.6mm lug-to-lug distance, and is water resistant to 50 meters. The case uses a standard 22mm wide strap that comes with quick release spring bars. The titanium version of the 2.3 watch is a bit darker and lighter than steel. The DLC-coated titanium model (which costs a bit more) is a matte black color and is more scratch resistant than natural titanium.
The definition of a “hybrid smartwatch” seems like a fluid and perhaps futile goal. No, the Sequent 2.3 is not your standard smartwatch with a digital screen and phone notifications. Nor is it your standard luxury quartz watch, as it communicates with your phone and has modern activity tracking capabilities. It is a design product, designed for the type of consumer who is fascinated by technical concept and physical execution, and who prefers to walk the middle path between the thoroughly modern watches of today and the finer hobbies of the past.
With the launch of the Electron and Supercharger 2.3 watches, Sequent offers 15 different products. It is clear that the company has high hopes for this latest generation of products. In terms of features and technology, further investment (funded from sales) will obviously enable Sequent to add more complications, performance and sophistication to these clever new watches that are naturally aimed at satisfying enthusiast standards but also designed for everyone to enjoy. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Prices are US$743 for the Sequent SuperCharger 2.3 in steel, US$857 for the Sequent Elektron 2.3 Transparent in natural titanium and US$909 for the Sequent Elektron 2.3 Transparent in DLC titanium. For more information, please visit the Sequent Watches website.
