Is a $69 smartwatch worth it?

In the world of wearables, a sub-$100 smartwatch is almost a pipe dream, with top brands inching prices higher every year and premium devices landing well over $500. And yet, earlier this summer, London-based tech house Nothing launched the CMF Watch Pro 2 for just $69, offering shoppers an extremely budget-friendly option with a watch form factor and staple features.

At a glance, the watch delivers a uniquely customizable design, a colorful AMOLED display, and basic health and fitness tracking tools. However, you also get what you pay for. A watch at this price point can’t be expected to compete with the likes of higher-end names, can it? I took it for a spin to find out.

When it comes to design, a classically round watch case with a rotating digital crown is a great start in my book. When you add in that the crown actually functions (unlike those of some very expensive competitors) I am even more impressed. Though I’m typically partial to square watch cases for the sake of data screens, there’s something comforting about the device’s simple, traditional, circular shape. The CMF Watch Pro 2 also lands with solid dimensions, boasting a 1.32-inch AMOLED display and approachable build that looks good on even my small wrist. The aluminum alloy case doesn’t feel high-end by any means, but it’s plenty refined for $70 and it stood up just fine to my daily wear, including workouts, daily chores, and house projects. The watch could use an additional button for navigation, but all-in-all, the touchscreen is responsive enough to make do without.

My favorite aspect of the CMF Watch Pro 2, though, is its modular design. Quietly quirky by nature, I love the ability to mismatch watch bands, swap out bezels, and generally create a custom look. The brand’s leather bands were a little stiff at first but comfortable enough after a day or so. The silicone band is very flexible and soft on the skin, and though it does attract dust, I really like the feel of it. Both options kept the watch plenty secure on my wrist. The interchangeable bezels are also fun, though on occasion, I did struggle to get them to stay in place. I also don’t love that they’re branded. A clean, text-free option would go a long way to classing up the device.

Another avenue of customization I appreciate on this device is the magnitude of available watch faces. Within the CMF Watch app, users can explore a “dial gallery” with more than 100 colorful watch faces, all of which align with the modern style of the watch itself. These watch faces are highly customizable in terms of colors, styles, and complications, and the library includes both static and interactive options. Some are specifically built to capitalize on the device’s always-on display without draining the battery. I was personally drawn to some of the more graphic looks, rather than the data-packed ones, but for a particularly funky look, I love Prismatic Time, a kaleidoscope watch face that mimics the watch’s color scheme.

Once I was done playing dress up, it was time to really dig into what this affordable find can do. The watch utilizes a simple operating system with swipeable, customizable widgets and intuitive navigation. It packs basic tools like weather, alarms, reminders, notifications, and music controls and also supports Bluetooth phone calls and quick replies for texts. I encountered a few bugs when syncing my watch to the companion app, but there have already been a series of updates that have seemed to clear up the issue. The companion app, meanwhile, is simple but well-designed to provide clear access to data and settings. My only complaint on the software side is that it seems unwilling to export activity data despite the claim that it can sync with other platforms like Strava.

Unfortunately, because of those issues, I can’t give you our usual comparison graphs for heart rate and GPS monitoring, but I can tell you from experience that fitness and health tracking are definitely not the watch’s strongest suit. While unboxing, I was excited to see the device offers all the basics, including 120 sport modes, automatic workout detection, and 24/7 health monitoring consisting of blood oxygen, heart rate, sleep, and cycle tracking. The company even introduced trendy metrics like Training load and Active Score.

However, not all of my workouts were recorded accurately, and while it’s pretty great that a sub-$100 watch has it as a feature in the first place, the built-in GPS proved consistently problematic. Even just getting the GPS to connect was a struggle every single workout. Meanwhile, my heart rate appeared decent during some workouts but inconsistent compared to reference devices like my Apple Watch Series 9. Overall, the CMF watch rarely captured the peaks recorded by other devices and, in turn, recorded much lower averages.

Unfortunately, the watch didn’t perform much better overnight, either. Compared to my trusted sleep mat and Oura Ring 3, I saw some agreement regarding total time asleep, but hardly any sleep stage overlap. The watch also missed a few midnight bathroom breaks and recorded others as much longer than I actually remember being awake. Overall, it is not a device I would bother wearing to bed at this point.

Again, I will say I’ve been impressed with the updates issued thus far. It’s possible health and fitness tracking algorithms will also see improvements via software updates. For now, I would only recommend utilizing the CMF Watch Pro 2 as a very basic smartwatch and bare-bones activity tracker. It does offer up to 11 days of battery life between charges, which is fanstasic. As always, this depends heavily on usage. With my always-on display enabled, regular workouts, and all advanced health monitoring turned on, I landed between five and six days. Another of my colleagues who also has a test unit experienced even longer battery life based on his use.

With a unique design language, a bright, responsive screen, compatibility with Android and iPhone, and a handful of basic smart features, the CMF Watch Pro 2 is a decent buy at a great price. I found the simplicity of the watch refreshing and the modular build genuinely fun. It offers a commendable user experience, considering just how cheap it is. If you are after a basic smartwatch and aren’t concerned about fitness tracking, the watch is worth considering.

On the other hand, the health and fitness tracking stats recorded by this device are far from reliable, and I can’t in good conscience recommend it as a dedicated activity tracker. My fingers are crossed we will see improvements hit the device via software updates.

There are a few other budget-friendly options worth considering if fitness tracking is important to you, particularly if you can step away from the smartwatch form factor. The Xiaomi Mi Band 8 ($37.82 at AliExpress) caps off a tracker line we’ve been impressed with in the past and offers an attractive band-style form factor. For a bit more, Fitbit’s Inspire 3 ($99.95 at Amazon) delivers fantastic health tracking, especially for overnight stats. Neither of these bands packs built-in GPS, though, and for that, shoppers will likely need to spend a little more.

If a watch form factor is important to you and you really want accurate wellness tracking, the best bet is to shop for an older-generation device from Garmin or one of the other big names in wearables like Samsung (or an older or refurbished Apple Watch if you’re an iPhone user). But if you want a stylish, brand-new watch with some modular quirks and incredible battery life — and aren’t interested in dedicated fitness tracking — then the CMF Watch Pro 2 is definitely well-rounded enough to outkick its staggeringly low $70 price tag.