The CMF Watch Pro punches way above its weight class. At just $69 / £69, it looks and feels much more premium than the price suggests. Moving from my more expensive Fossil Gen 1 watch, I was worried it would feel limited or frustrating. But I’ve really enjoyed testing this bargain smartwatch.
The design takes clear inspiration from the Apple Watch, but it looks great. The materials and finishes are excellent, and Nothing’s minimalist aesthetic shines through the stylish watch faces. It’s a chunky watch, but super lightweight and comfy on the wrist.
Of course with such a low price, you lose some features that pricier watches include – no Wi-Fi, mobile payments, etc. Most features require a connection to your phone. But the Watch Pro covers smartwatch basics well enough for most users.
The main frustration is it loses connection to your phone constantly. So you miss notifications until you manually reconnect. Software updates are steadily improving things. But for now, it’s an inconvenient issue on an otherwise excellent budget smartwatch.
A premium look at a bargain price
The Watch Pro’s biggest selling point is the just $69 price tag. It looks similar to an Apple Watch, but competes against cheap fitness bands like Xiaomi and Fitbit. None have the Watch Pro’s sleek style.
It launched in September 2023 as Nothing’s first wearable alongside some earbuds and a charger. You can find it from Nothing’s website or retailers like Amazon.
Big, bold, and lightweight
This is a large watch – almost as big as the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s chunky but very lightweight at under 50g. I’m a taller guy and it looks great on my wrist. Smaller wrists may find it too oversized though.
I tested the dark grey model, which I think looks better than the shiny metallic version. The dark finish is matte and should resist scratches better.
The screen is big, sharp and responsive. There are thick bezels but you rarely notice since the UI uses dark backgrounds. My only complaint is no ambient light sensor – brightness has to be adjusted manually.
Covers the smartwatch basics
Don’t expect a full app store or tons of features. It’s limited compared to Wear OS or Apple Watch. But all the essential smartwatch functions are here for most users’ needs. And there’s no Wi-Fi, so many features require a Bluetooth connection to your phone.
You get the usual exercise tracking with 110 workout modes. Heart rate, stress, and blood oxygen monitoring. Music controls and direct calling from your watch’s speaker. A handy camera remote app. And up to 13 days of battery life depending on usage.
Reliable tracking and stylish UI
In my testing, the fitness tracking results closely matched my other devices. Heart rate data looked accurate. Sleep tracking was sometimes off. The magnetic charger is a bit flimsy but recharges quickly in under 2 hours.
The watch feels fast and responsive. I didn’t experience any lag or freezing. The minimalist software design matches Nothing’s aesthetic nicely.
The only real issue is the watch constantly loses Bluetooth connection to your phone. You have to manually reconnect and reopen the app to get notifications again. Frequent software updates help, but stability needs improvement.
A stylish smartwatch bargain, but still needs polish
The CMF Watch Pro brings premium style and surprisingly capable features considering its affordable $69 price tag. It covers smartwatch basics well for the money. But connection issues and a basic feature set keep it from competing with full-fledged smartwatches. For the price, it’s a stylish steal. But it still needs some polish.
