The Sequent Watch could be so good… if it was actually at all useful (Picture: Sequent)

I’ve just smashed the world record for the 10,000 and 20,000 metres.

I wasn’t really expecting to break running world records while in a yoga class but you can’t argue with a fitness watch (well, we can – and do – below).

The Sequent watch is touted as the ‘world’s first self-charging smartwatch’.

According to its releases: ‘Based on a traditional Swiss automatic watch movement, we have developed and patented the world’s first kinetic self-charging battery system, transforming kinetic energy into electrical energy to power the Sequent smartwatch.’


Let’s get this out of the way first: This could be a great idea.



A kinetically-powered smartwatch is a fascinating development that has huge promise. Sequent’s interpretation of it does not.

Whenever you move it while wearing, the movement makes noise. It sounds like a cross between a child’s toy and a duck’s quack.

It is impossible to wear in quiet surroundings because of the volume it has and it is ceaselessly irritating for you and those around you.

It also requires some pretty rigorous arm movements to charge properly. A soldier on a march or a devoted runner would both be fine but those with more humble arm movements will have to resort to charging.

Sequent itself admits as much and includes a charging device in the package.

It saves on power by only checking your heartrate when you tell it to.

You have to hold down a button until it flashes green then tap it another two or four times to make it track a fitness session.

If you think this should be easier, that’s because it should be.

Sequent says: ‘The watch features the newest generation of Heart Rate sensor, GPS tracking and notification system, which can connect by Bluetooth to our proprietary Biofeedback health & sport app.’

I have the app, I have the watch, I do not know what ‘proprietary biofeedback’ is or where I might find it. It’s got a step counter, a heartbeat sensor… and that’s about it.

I have asked Sequent what ‘biofeedback’ actually means (and a couple of other questions I had) so will report back here if I get any clarity on it.

And the difficult thing with the step counter is that it is, without exception, wrong every day.

According to my iPhone, I walk an average of 9,000 steps a day. I don’t have my phone with me during exercise so this is lower than my actual step count.

According to Sequent, which I leave on during exercise, I am averaging 6,440 steps in the last week.

This somehow includes the day of my record-breaking run that wasn’t a run.

I tapped the watch the right amount of times so it tracked my exercise closely.



In the 24 minutes, I managed nearly 38,000 steps and ‘ran’ 28.4km in 24 minutes.

This would smash the current 20km road record – held by Zersenay Tadese at 55.21 – in half so the world should really stand up and take notice.

I might be a world-record setter… but probably not (Picture: Alex Hudson/Metro.co.uk)

In actual fact, I was doing a slightly-too-difficult yoga move in a studio and didn’t move more than a couple of metres the entire time.

It would actually take me four runs and over two hours to run that far.

And there are even more problems:

It is a project that is still delivering watches from its first Kickstarter campaign (the watch being reviewed here) while setting up its second campaign to, in its own words, ‘polish all SuperCharger1 features and perfectly develop all aspect of it’.

The original campaign was funded with over $1.2m (£900k) from crowdfunding and pre-orders. It’s received another £390,000 for its Supercharger2 campaign.

It is a project besieged with delays and was due to ship in December 2017 and it is only now that we’ve been able to get our wrists on the product.

The Supercharger2 is scheduled to ship in March 2020 but comments on that Kickstarter page are still getting angry about not receiving watches from 2017.

The watch has won an innovation award for being an ‘exciting, inno­vative idea’ and it is, it’s just terribly executed.

There are people still now complaining and threatening legal action on Kickstarter.

It costs around £30 to get one delivered because Sequent refuses to cover customs charges, it uses cheaper mineral glass prone to scratching rather than crystal and it simply does not record exercise nor steps accurately.


A hybrid smartwatch has huge potential. It can let you digitally detox while still making sure fitness is tracked and important notifications aren’t missed.

This watch is not it.

It incorrectly tracks steps and fitness rates, there is no vibrate function to alert you to important notifications and the ‘rechargeable smartwatch’ still needs charging.

In effect, it’s a bad regular watch that makes a funny sound.

The watches were briefly on sale on their website but now are only available on IndieGoGo, where there are fewer consumer rights to receive the products they ‘backed’ rather than bought.

But you never know, I could check with the Guinness Book Of World Records to see if moving a couple of metres in downward dog really could be the way to set new distance running records.

If that really were true, my heart rate would definitely go over 152 BPM.

All I’d need to do would be to hold the button for two seconds then tap four times then wait for the app to update to find out.

The details Sequent Supercharger2 is available to order (though is not currently available) now and the last project was delayed by around two years. The Sequent smartwatch reviewed here is still being released to people though is somehow not on sale anywhere this reviewer can find. Name: The Sequent Watch Price: £359 full price quoted though currently on IndieGoGo for £152 The review cost: Self-charging smartwatch with sportband, purchased for £119 plus ~£32 customs charge and two-year wait In one line: What would be a nice idea terribly executed with flaws in design, app development and the horrible noise it makes Review rating: 1/5 stars Should I buy one? Absolutely not