News

Montblanc Combines Luxury With A Twist In Latest Wearable

Montblanc’s new Summit 3 Smartwatch is an exercise in classic watchmaking, but comes loaded with the latest wearable technology.

Published

4 years ago

September 6, 2022

Nour Nasir

Montblanc

As a purveyor of fine timepieces, luxury pens and luggage, Montblanc is no stranger to high-end design. The German brand created its first smartwatch back in 2017 and has just released its latest timepiece, the Summit 3, a high-end wearable aimed at a well-heeled “business lifestyle” audience.

Featuring a hand-crafted titanium case with optional calf leather straps, the watch sits at the high end of the wearable genre and manages to make an Apple Watch look positively ordinary by comparison. Here’s what Montblanc’s CEO had to say about the latest release:

“The Montblanc Summit 3 smartwatch takes luxury smart watchmaking to new heights, pairing premium materials with all the functionalities our clients need as they navigate their day more seamlessly and effectively. The personalization options are also extensive to reflect different style identities,” says Nicolas Baretzki, CEO of Montblanc.

montblanc summit 3 smartwatch

The smartwatch runs Google’s Wear OS and includes three different versions under the same Summit 3 line:

Titanium Gray with black calf and blue rubber straps.
Titanium Black with black calf and black rubber straps.
Titanium Bicolor with Montblanc Extreme 3.0 British green calf strap and black rubber straps.

Personalization options are enormous and include variations in the watch face, such as the 1858, Geosphere or Bohème — though all Summit 3 variants feature a raft of modern tech, generating daily progress, health insights and workout goals for the wearer.

Also Read: Fitbit Unveils 3 New Fitness Trackers — Without Wear OS 3

As well as looking and feeling beautiful, the Montblanc Summit 3 features a personal health suite that includes step tracking, sleep monitoring, and blood oxygen measurement. Of course, with OS Wear, it’s also possible to add apps such as Google Maps and Google Pay, whilst Montblanc’s improvements mean that the battery life of the Summit 3 easily beats the outgoing model.

So what will all of this high-tech titanium-wrapped goodness set you back? Expect to pay $1,290 for the base models before adding any extras.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.