One of the more interesting moves by Sony in 2015 has been First Flight, an internal crowdfunding platform by Sony that was meant to help surface creative ideas at the company. The idea here is that the platform allows for Sony employees to get creative with products with low cost to the company. If consumers back and fund the project, Sony steps in and look at how it can scale and deliver on the vision.

One of the first successful products from Fight Flight was the FES e-paper watch and it’s set to go on sale next month.

As a reminder, the FES e-paper watch is truly a watch and not a smartwatch. For those wanting more functionality, you’ll have to look at the other upcoming crowdfunded watch from Sony, the Wena Wrist Smartwatch. Instead, the FES e-paper is best seen as a fashionable digital watch that can last as long as 60 days on a single button battery.

Meant as a polar opposite to the company’s Android Wear series, the FES e-paper is instead targeted at the fashion-conscious consumer who wants something simple and elegant with just a bit of flare. To that point, Sony is launching the e-paper watch next month in Japan at MoMA Design Store on Omotesando and Isetan in Shinjuku. The last one is most notable because that’s where the Apple Watch was also launched in Japan.

Both stores are the furthest thing from your traditional electronic store, which is the only place you’d find Android Wear units like the SmartWatch 3, and instead are boutique department stores. This is a very wise move by Sony as the end user for a fashionable watch and that of a techie, who tends to buy a smartwatch, are very different. While equally elegant in design, the FES e-paper watch would be dwarfed in features (considering it only tells time) if in an electronic store with its story of design lost versus in a department store where the consumer is looking a timepiece that’s also elegant and fashionable.

The Sony FES e-paper watch will go on sale on December 1st. It’s unlikely that we’ll see them come to North America. Instead, if successful, Sony will further expand their availability in Japan where the watch will likely stay exclusive. The FES e-paper watch is priced at ¥29,700 ($242).

Discuss:

Does the Sony FES e-paper watch interest you?

[Via Sony]