Collaborations and special editions are nothing new around here, and most of them make a good deal of sense. Others, however, seem to defy conventional wisdom. We received word of just such a crossover this week from TAG Heuer when they revealed the new Limited Edition Connected X Super Mario watch. It?s TAG?s smart watch that?s been given the full Mario treatment, from the hardware to the software. That means a handful of new UI elements and skins designed around, well, Mario. 

I enjoy Super Mario games quite a bit, and, like many of you, grew up playing the original three games (insert quip here about remembering hidden 1-up block and warp zone locations). These days, I build levels with my son in Mario Maker 2, a game we?ve gotten a lot of mileage out of and one that?s brought out all manner of creativity from him and myself (shoutout to DGR for the inspiration). Distilling all this into a digital luxury watch, TAG Heuer looks to leverage that nostalgia in hopes of netting more Connected users.
And just what is a TAG Heuer Connected, anyway" In short, it?s a smartwatch built into an analog looking case. Brushed and polished surfaces, real lugs, and a fixed bezel means it looks a lot like their traditional chronograph watches, but a fully digital screen gives up the game pretty quick. A heart rate sensor, a GPS, an accelerometer and gyroscope are all present and accounted for, while Wear OS by Google will keep you plugged in to your day to day notificatio...