The premium Meta M1 smartwatch is now available for pre-order

Smartwatches are everywhere this year, but with few exceptions, the majority of them suffer from a lack of style or design sense. Meta Watch is looking to capitalize on this opportunity with its new Meta M1, a smartwatch that puts premium materials and design on the same pedastal as functionality. Originally expected this spring and first seen in prototype form at the CES trade show in January, the Meta M1 is available for preorder in a variety of finishes and band options starting today. The M1 Core can be had with a stainless steel case and rubber, leather, or steel bands for $249 to $349. The M1 Color offers a stainless case and white or red rubber band options for $249. The most premium model, the M1 Limited, offers a black case with brown leather strap or a rose gold plated case with a blue crocodile strap for $399. A black M1 Limited with a matching black steel band can be had for $449. Preorders are expected to ship in September of this year.

Left a little cold by Android Wear? No time to wait for the iWatch? Put off by the Pebble? There are a host of smartwatches coming to market but one of the best-looking is finally available to pre-order after originally being slated for a spring release. The Meta M1 can now be picked up for between $249 and $449 from the official site. The Meta brand is the result of a collaboration between a group of ex-Fossil engineers, and the M1 represents their most stylish attempt to date: well-respected Nokia and Vertu designer Frank Nuovo was brought in to help with the aesthetics of the timepiece. With Motorola and HP both launching eye-catching smartwatches later this year, manufacturers seem to be realizing that design matters for wearables. The Meta M1 is available in a total of eight different variations, covering rubber, leather and stainless steel straps and five different colors (black, white, red, silver and gold). The face uses a monochrome display, like the Pebble, and the device links with Android and iOS apps to control notifications, alerts and other settings on the smartwatch. According to its designers, the Meta M1 was built to be a watch first and a smart wearable second — it offers pertinent information at a glance, but there’s no voice control. If you put down your name for one of the timepieces then you can expect your order to start shipping at some point in September. As Frank Nuovo himself puts it: “Art of the glance is about being able to casually glance at your digital life without being consumed by it. If you’re out with somebody, pay attention to them. If you need to know if an email or message came in, you can glance nicely, easily, at your Meta, and see what’s going on without disrupting the flow of the day.”