This Innovative Smart Strap Brings Whoop-Like Functionality to Your Rolex

Get the best of both worlds.

Silver smartwatch with black segmented band showing green light sensor on the underside.

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Lately, there’s been something of a trend on social media of watch enthusiasts replacing their watch straps with a Whoop or Fitbit Air. By positioning the fitness band’s sensor on the underside of their wrist, the idea is to receive the benefits of a Whoop while still wearing a mechanical watch, without having to wear one on each wrist.

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In theory, the idea makes sense. But in practice, not so much. The main issue is that these bands are not meant to be paired with a watch, and vice versa. The fit is going to be awkward and uncomfortable in most cases, and it’s going to be bulkier than you’d like it to be.

Enter the Codex XBand, a new project on Kickstarter that’s aiming to produce a dedicated smart wearable integrated into the clasp of a dedicated luxury-level rubber watch strap.

Look again, that’s not a Rolex Oysterflex.

Codex

Band together

The XBand is made of rubber with styling reminiscent of, and clearly inspired by, Rolex’s Oysterflex bracelet. This inspiration continues to the oversized stainless steel clasp, which has a raised center portion to match the strap and opens via a deployant system. If I saw someone wearing the XBand on a Rolex from across the room, I would assume it was an Oysterflex.

The strap itself is quite premium. It’s made of FKM rubber, which is the same material used in high-end rubber watch straps, and it’s equipped with what appears to be a very nice push-button quick-release spring bar system. It’s sized via a cut-to-size format, like the one you’ll find on the Patek Philippe Aquanaut, ensuring a seamless look once sized.

Black and silver digital wristwatch worn on a wrist holding a golf club with a white glove. — The XBand’s clasp has hidden sensors to measure your vitals, sleep and activity.

As nice as the strap is, it’s the 316L stainless steel clasp that’s the real innovation here. It’s a touch wider and longer than a Rolex Oysterlock clasp at 18mm wide and 44mm long, but it offsets that by measuring a bit thinner. That’s remarkable because the clasp hides sensors that give it Whoop-like functionality.

Through its clasp-embedded sensors, the XBand can track vitals and activity levels. Specifically, the band’s Goodix GH3026 sensor (the same one found in the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3) is able to track your heart rate, blood oxygen level, stress level, glucose trends and more.

Diagram showing a black natural rubber watch strap with 316 stainless steel double push clasp and quick release button structure. — The key components all look quite good and well considered.

It tracks your sleep, too, giving feedback on your total sleep time, sleep debt, sleep efficiency and more. It’ll also keep track of your steps and workouts, with a built-in accelerometer and 40 dedicated modes for different sports and exercises. All of this information is available in a dedicated Codex app, as the XBand has no display of its own.

The XBand supports magnetic charging and takes about 1.5 hours to get fully juiced up, with the battery lasting a week between charges. The strap is available in four colors: the previously mentioned Oysterflex-esque black, plus white, green and orange.

Four silicone wristbands with metal clasps in colors Moonlight White, Classic Black, Vitality Orange, and Forest Green shown on a green gradient background. — The strap is available in four colors.

Availability and pricing

As someone who has dabbled with wearing a Whoop on his right wrist and a traditional watch on his left but could never commit to being a double-wrister, this idea does intrigue me. I think the XBand is a clever solution to a problem that a lot of watch enthusiasts are looking to solve, and I think it’s much more elegant and attractive than it has any right to be.

Still, I don’t think the XBand is for me. Maybe I’m just a horological purist, but I want a traditional clasp on my watch strap, as a great clasp can be a real joy on the wrist. Additionally, I’m not wearing my mechanical watches to sleep or work out, which are the main times I’d want to wear a fitness tracker anyway.

But I’m still glad the XBand exists. It’s a great-looking product, and I have no doubt it’s going to appeal to a lot of watch nerds who are looking to “featuresmax” their watches. If this sounds like you, you can pick up your own XBand on Kickstarter. The campaign’s meager $1,913 goal has already been funded with 27 days left to go as of this writing, and the Early Bird price of $280 is still active.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona watch with white dial, black bezel, and orange rubber strap.

Codex XBand

Starts at $280

About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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