I was really rather disappointed by the strap, however. It doesn’t per se feel cheap, but it sure as hell doesn’t feel expensive either. Its redeeming feature is the overall softness that allows it to wrap around the wrist without a long and painful break-in period and its tool-free spring bars that make for easy replacement. Both the lining as well as the outer leather surface feel more like cardboard than supple, high-quality leather – which, coming from a brand that attracts customers to its stores by selling high-end leather goods really is a weird choice for cost-cutting.

The steel folding clasp is a nice touch – once you figure out how to put it together. I have watched a friend of mine spend over six minutes (six actual minutes straight) trying to figure out where and how to insert the strap into it – myself, even after having done it a few times, I still get it wrong at first try. To be fair, Montblanc supplies a “Get Started” booklet in the box of the Summit II which kind of explains how to do it. The clasp also has a redeeming feature: it allows for infinite adjustability, allowing you to get the fit just right… However, once you have done that and wear the watch for a while, you’ll probably start to feel a pinching or itching feel on your wrist…

…Not knowing what’s causing it you’ll just move the watch around and sometimes it will get better temporarily, only for it to come back soon afterward. The cause for this really rather massive inconvenience is that the part of the clasp that falls innermost and closest to your wrist has four very sharp corners. They genuinely are very sharp indeed and as any one or more of them dig into your skin, it creates an itchy and consequently quite uncomfortable feel. This really is a shame because from the outside the clasp looks great with polished and matte surfaces and a nice clicky action… How could anyone at Montblanc approve that they could put Montblanc’s name on such a clasp is beyond me – but I’ll be sure to try and find a “product person” at SIHH and ask.

Wearability overall then is okay-ish and your experience may certainly vary with regards to the clasp. It is however quite frustrating to think that while Montblanc could get the case so damn right both in terms of diameter, 14.3mm thickness, execution and wearing comfort, they let the whole package down with this sharp-cornered clasp and cardboard-feeling leather strap.

The Montblanc Summit II is available in a rather wide range of model variations, as the cases can be stainless steel, black stainless steel, or black titanium, even. Strap options include the aforementioned leather strap and clasp in a variety of colors, there are rubber as well as nylon straps. I wouldn’t bother paying the $100 extra for the titanium sport edition, simply because this stainless steel version at 49 grams (without strap) really doesn’t feel heavy at all – it is lighter than regular 42-millimeter-wide stainless steel watches. With those niggles with the leather strap, I’d frankly just go for the nylon strap version to have a waterproof option with the watch and source a high-quality leather strap with a tang buckle for everyday wear. This should be no hardship at all, given the 22mm lug width, a real treat of the traditional styling of the Summit II’s case.

Operation & Smart Features

Operated via a combination of the super-responsive AMOLED touch screen, the beautifully calibrated digital crown and the two pushers flanking it, the second generation Android Wear system kicks things off with running a few updates right after you have paired it with your phone. This, in my book, is a good thing, indicating Google’s push to keep the software as user-friendly and up-to-date as possible. The crown feels fantastic to use, and so does the screen. The two pushers I wish had a bit more of a clicky feel to them, though I suspect their somewhat rubbery feel is a result of the gaskets required to attain the 50-meter water resistance rating – which is, of course, utter nonsense, but the Summit II should not have trouble with a quick splash in the pool, once you put it on a rubber strap, that is.

GPS and NFC functionalities are a must these days, even if many of us won’t use them often. Whether or not you’ll use these you probably already know; however, whatever your preferences are, you may rest assured that the latest generation connectivity hardware will ensure the best possible user experience – peace of mind rightfully expected and joyfully experienced at this price point. I haven’t had a chance to test it yet – no intercontinental travel for me since I got the watch –, but I will take my favorite tech reviewer, Michael Fisher’s word for the usefulness and effectiveness of Montblanc’s Timeshifter app that helps you eliminate jet lag. You tell it when, where and where from you’ll be traveling and the app helps you determine the best time to go to bed the night before you depart, when to have your first or last coffee on the trip, whether or not it’s a good idea to have a nap (and if so, when), and so on. This is exactly the sort of functionality that goes beyond gimmicks and makes use of a quasi-health-device strapped to one’s wrist. Cool stuff.

Battery Life

The 340 mAh battery will power the Summit II through a full day with average, but proper use, and while other smartwatches can promise longer battery life, were you able to push them to the brightness and snappy performance of the Summit II, with its Always-On display in use, you’d definitely see that claimed figure drop to levels where you’d need to charge them at the end of the day just the same for them to last the following day. The Montblanc Summit II has a Time Only mode thanks to the Snapdragon Wear 3100’s ultra-low-power co-processor that can take over display and sensor processing from the power-hungry quad-core chip that would otherwise drive the features of the watch. In this Time Only mode, the Summit II should last close to a full week which is pretty cool and shows the relentless push from hardware suppliers to painstakingly improve battery life performance in wearable devices.

Charging the Montblanc Summit II is possible via a small dock that looks like a hockey puck, basically. You lay the watch flat on it and charging happens via the four connectors on the case-back… Or at least it would, if the magnets weren’t really quite weak and, worse still if the puck wasn’t laid out in a way that made placing the watch with its never-fully-open folding clasp a mind-bending puzzle. You are either going to scratch the clasp if you lay the watch on it and place the puck between the clasp and the case-back, or you are going to spend a while trying to lay the watch on its side and have the puck and its weirdly attached micro-USB cable and its weak magnetic connection stay where you put it. Like with the clasp and strap, I really don’t think new technologies would have to be invented to resolve these issues and make for a considerably more pleasing end-user experience.

Summary

If I were in the market for a smartwatch, would I be considering the Summit II? Being the watch nerd that I am, with a deep-rooted appreciation for well-made cases, as well as an impatient end-user who gets infuriated by laggy interfaces and previous-gen tech, yes, I would. I would, even if I knew this would mean immediately sourcing a classy, well-made alligator strap on a tang buckle for another $150 or so.

There is a greater potential to it than that, though. As competitive as the market of high three-figure and low four-figure priced watches may be, I do genuinely believe that the Montblanc Summit II finally has earned its place on the shopping list of those looking for a well-made daily wearer with enhanced functionality. The superb size, the proportionate exterior, the Always-On display, the Montblanc-styled dials and the feel of the stainless steel case finally make for a watch that I would not at all mind wearing day in day out.

As baffled as I am by the charging dock, clasp and leather strap fiasco, the full-fetched Android Wear functionality, the top-tier performance, beautiful workmanship, bright screen and great wearability make the Montblanc Summit II a truly recommendable option if you are considering a daily wearer in this price segment and have either already fallen for, or are considering living with the bevy of features only a smartwatch can provide.

Price for the Montblanc Summit II starts at $995 and goes to $1,230 for the version on the Milanese bracelet and you can see all variations over at montblanc.com.

Necessary Data
>Brand: Montblanc
>Model: Summit II (Summit 2) Smartwatch
>Price: $995
>Size: 42mm wide, 14.30mm thick
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes – on a different strap and clasp.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: On the hunt for a smartwatch or daily wearer in this $1k price segment.
>Best characteristic of watch: Impressive case, bright and high-res screen, great performance, lots of features.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Strap, clasp and charging dock. How could they get these wrong?