LG’s Watch Urbane Luxe Is 23-Karat Gold Bonkers

Android Wear watches are cool and all, but none of them are especially fancy. (Even the new Moto 360, with its flat tyre.) Until now, at least. An alligator leather wristband, 23-karat gold plating, and a $1000-plus price tag mean the LG Watch Urbane Luxe is a particularly niche geek accessory.

The only chance I got to see the Watch Urbane Luxe was behind a (thick) plate of glass at LG’s booth at IFA 2015 in Berlin. If it’s anything like the regular $449 Watch Urbane it’ll be swell — Android Wear, a (massively overpowered) Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and a sizeable 410mAh battery all combine to make for a watch that runs smoothly and capably for a day or two.



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The Watch Urbane Luxe was developed in consultation with US-based Reeds Jewellers, and will be sold exclusively in the US with 500 individually numbered units available for anyone willing to stump up the cash. The Luxe’s wristband has a clasp developed by Cartier, one of the fancier names in horology, so you know LG means business.




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I’ve long been a fan and wearer of LG’s circular G Watch R, which is a little chunkier and more Casio G-Shock-esque than the Watch Urbane. (Actually, I stupidly left it on my flight into Berlin. Godspeed and safe travels, little G Watch.) This particular Android Wear watch is definitely more sleek and sophisticated — a Rolex for the tech geek.

LG is forecasting around US$1200 for the Urbane Luxe, which actually doesn’t sound too bad in the face of a $24,000 18-karat Apple Watch Edition. We’ve reached out to LG to find out whether we’ll be getting any stock in Australia, and how many thousands of dollars you’ll have to spend to get your hands to get the Watch Urbane Luxe on your wrist. [LG]

Campbell Simpson travelled to IFA 2015 as a guest of Samsung Australia.


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