Interview: The Creator of NOWATCH Explains the Future of Wearables

Smartwatches have become a familiar part of everyday life, with devices like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit helping users track fitness, sleep, and activity. Yet a growing number of health experts argue that one of the biggest threats to modern well-being is not a lack of exercise, but unmanaged stress. That challenge has inspired a new generation of wearable technology designed to look beyond step counts and heart rate metrics. One of the most notable examples is NOWATCH, a wearable created to help users better understand their mental and physical stress levels.

Founded by Michiel de Koning, NOWATCH takes a different approach from traditional smartwatches. Instead of prioritizing notifications and screen interactions, the device focuses on collecting health data that can reveal how stress affects the body throughout the day. It tracks familiar metrics such as heart rate, sleep quality, and activity levels, while also measuring skin conductance, a physiological indicator linked to the body's stress response. Researchers have long used skin conductance to study emotional and mental states because changes in sweat gland activity can reflect levels of psychological arousal and stress.

According to de Koning, stress remains one of the most significant factors affecting overall health, yet it is often poorly understood. While many people actively monitor nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits, stress can be harder to identify and manage. Questions such as what constitutes healthy stress, when stress becomes harmful, and how individuals can build resilience are often difficult to answer. The goal of NOWATCH is to provide users with a clearer picture of their personal stress patterns so they can make more informed lifestyle decisions and improve long-term well-being.

The device also stands out for its battery performance. While many mainstream smartwatches require frequent charging, NOWATCH currently offers around four days of battery life on a single charge. The company says future firmware updates could extend that lifespan significantly, potentially reaching between 10 and 14 days, with ambitions of eventually pushing battery performance even further. Importantly, these improvements are expected to be delivered through software updates, allowing existing owners to benefit without purchasing new hardware.

As wearable technology continues to evolve, products like NOWATCH highlight a broader shift in the industry. Rather than focusing solely on fitness tracking or smartphone connectivity, developers are increasingly exploring ways technology can support mental wellness. For consumers looking to better understand stress and build healthier habits, the future of wearable health tech may be less about checking notifications and more about understanding what the body is trying to say.