--- description: With Apple rumored to be unveiling its take on a smartwatch on Tuesday, take a look at how TIME has covered the devices in the past title: The evolution of the smartwatch, as told by TIME image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt63fbc19e5257c160/6986a25bcd68483f530965a3/dicktracy.png?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [History](/section/history/) ## History Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Technology](/tag/technology/) ## Technology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Evolution of the Smartwatch  by [Alex Fitzpatrick](/author/alex-fitzpatrick/)  ## Alex Fitzpatrick Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 9, 2014 11:00 AM CUT  From the Sept. 21, 1953, issue of TIME From the Sept. 21, 1953, issue of TIMETIME  by [Alex Fitzpatrick](/author/alex-fitzpatrick/)  ## Alex Fitzpatrick Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 9, 2014 11:00 AM CUT Tech junkies have fantasized about a wrist-phone ever since comic book detective Dick Tracy first donned a two-way radio watch (described above) in the 1940s. In [1953](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,890634,00.html "undefined"), TIME reported that the U.S. Army Signal Corps had developed a wearable radio with a 40-mile range — but only in the past decade or so has the concept of a “smartwatch” really taken hold, with popular models from companies like Samsung, Motorola, and LG, mostly running versions of Android OS. One company is notably absent from that list: Apple. [Apple is rumored to be unveiling its take on a smartwatch](http://time.com/3270547/apple-iphone-iwatch-new-tech/ "undefined") — maybe called the “iWatch” or “iBand” — on Tuesday, in a move that would shake up an already exciting product category. But modern smartwatches aren’t brand new inventions — many have tried to perfect the “smartwatch” over the years. Let’s take a look back on how the devices have evolved, as told by TIME: **1\.** [**Seiko Message Watch, 1994**](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,982061-2,00.html "undefined") --- > “” --- **2\.** [**Fossil’s Palm Pilot Watch, 2002**](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1003780,00.html "undefined") --- > “” --- **3.** [**Microsoft’s Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT), 2003**](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1004059,00.html "undefined") --- > “” --- **4\.** [**BMW MP3 Watch, 2004**](With%20its elegant mingling of analog hands and digital functions, BMW's new MP3 watch %28available at dealerships for $275%29 looks as if it came straight out of a James Bond film. It's packed with 256 megabytes of internal flash memory, which means you can store more than four hours of high-fidelity music, record voice memos and use it as a mini--hard drive for transporting computer files as well. "undefined") --- > “” --- **5\.** [**Suunto X9 “Wristop Computer,” 2004**](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,995720,00.html "undefined") --- > “” --- 6\. [**Samsung and Sony Smartwatches, 2013**](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,2151808,00.html "undefined") --- > “” --- Your move indeed, Apple. Let’s see what you’ve got up your sleeve — or on your wrist. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3293508/smartwatch-apple/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3293508/smartwatch-apple/"},"headline":"The Evolution of the Smartwatch","datePublished":"2014-09-09T11:00:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:03:06.755Z","description":"With Apple rumored to be unveiling its take on a smartwatch on Tuesday, take a look at how TIME has covered the devices in the past","url":"https://time.com/3293508/smartwatch-apple/","keywords":["Technology","Tech","Apple","Gadgets","iWatch"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt63fbc19e5257c160/6986a25bcd68483f530965a3/dicktracy.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alex Fitzpatrick","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alex-fitzpatrick/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt63fbc19e5257c160/6986a25bcd68483f530965a3/dicktracy.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Dick Tracy, Sept. 21, 1953","caption":"Dick Tracy, Sept. 21, 1953","creditText":"TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/history/","name":"History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/technology/","name":"Technology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3293508/smartwatch-apple/","name":"The Evolution of the Smartwatch"}}]}] ```