Casio Computer, the Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer known for its line of high-end watches, is set to launch its first ever smartwatch in March 2016.
The smartwatch will be launched first in Japan and the United States, with dates for other countries and regions expected to follow afterwards.
The smartwatch is expected to have an initial retail price of around $349 to $400, similar to that of the Apple smartwatch at $349, according to NDTV.
The pricing may not be accidental, as Casio President Kazuhiro Kashio has said he wanted the company's newest offering to be appealing to and attainable for the masses.
Kashio also said the new smartwatch would be directed towards men, particularly those who often engage in outdoor activities. The new smartwatch will be designed to be durable and comfortable as it prioritizes function over form, helping to make it an ideal accompaniment for any avid weekend warrior.
The specific features of the new smartwatch remain unknown, though the company has indicated that it would feature many of the same things found in other similar devices already on the market.
Kashio said the company has already been working on the smartwatch for four years, according to the Wall Street Journal. Along the way, Kashio said he has rejected several different prototypes of the smartwatch before finally settling on the one they were now preparing for a 2016 release.
As for specific goals, Kashio indicated that he would like sales of the new smartwatch to climb to the $80-million mark quickly. With companies such as Apple, Samsung and even Swatch already on the market ahead of them, Casio could be facing an uphill climb when it tries to sell its new smartwatch.
The company has its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Besides watches, its products include calculators, mobile phones, cameras and musical instruments. It was founded in 1946, and in 1957, it released the world's first entirely electric compact calculator.
