The Una Watch Wants to Fix Smartwatch Waste—But Can It?

Jennifer Moore · 2026-10-02

The Una Watch has one goal: stop you from tossing a perfectly good smartwatch in the trash every year or two. Instead of nudging you toward an annual upgrade, it ships with the tools you need to swap out parts yourself. Battery, display, even individual sensors—you can replace them on your own. It's a refreshing pitch. But this isn't the first modular smartwatch to promise a longer life. Previous attempts fizzled out. So does the Una Watch actually deliver, or is it another nice idea that falls short? I wore it to find out. ### What Makes the Una Watch Stand Out A few things jumped out right away: - **Review price:** $179, which puts it in budget-friendly territory - **Easily repairable:** replacing the screen or battery is genuinely simple - **Solid battery life:** the company promises 7 to 10 days per charge - **Open-source software:** developers can build apps that add entirely new features That open-source angle is the sleeper feature here. It means the watch's abilities aren't locked to whatever the manufacturer decides to ship. Over time, the community could make it do things no one planned for. > "The Una Watch doesn't just ask you to repair it—it hands you the tools and steps out of the way." ### Design and Comfort Here's the honest truth: picking up the Una Watch feels a bit like grabbing an old Garmin from a drawer. The mostly black look and the transflective, memory-in-pixel display give it a distinctly old-school vibe. That's not necessarily bad—it's just not trying to win a beauty contest. One thing to know before you buy: this watch is **not built for swimming**. It carries an IPX5 rating, so it shrugs off splashes and can survive a shower, but that's about it. If pool laps are part of your routine, look elsewhere. What you do get is four physical buttons spaced comfortably around a 40mm case that isn't too bulky on the wrist. Charging happens through a side-mounted USB-C port—likely one reason the watch isn't fully waterproof. The 20mm removable strap has a pleasant stretch to it and uses a traditional buckle to stay put. The memory-in-pixel display keeps power draw low, which helps explain those long stretches between charges. It won't dazzle you with brightness, but it's easy to read and sips battery rather than gulping it. ### The Verdict So Far The Una Watch makes a smart case for itself. Repairability, long battery life, and open-source software are three things most smartwatches ignore—and here they're the whole point. At $179, it's an affordable bet on a watch that could last years instead of months. Just go in with clear expectations. It's not a swimmer, and it won't turn heads. But if you're tired of disposable gadgets and want something you can actually fix, the Una Watch is worth a serious look.