Edinburgh's UNA Watch launches a repairable GPS sports watch built to last

An Edinburgh company is taking on the biggest names in wearable technology with a simple idea: a watch you can fix yourself. UNA Watch has launched a GPS sports watch designed to be repaired and modified by its owners, offering an alternative to sealed devices and regular replacement cycles.

The watch is assembled from replaceable components, so owners can change parts such as the battery and display rather than throwing the whole device away. The company describes it as the world's first modular and repairable GPS sports watch.

UNA also offers an open software platform, allowing users to programme their own apps. Independent developers are already creating tools for mapping and sleep tracking, as well as a version of the classic game Snake. The company first released elements of its hardware design under a Creative Commons licence before demand from users led to the open software platform, and it is currently running an app competition for developers.

Founder Lewis Allison, an electronics engineer who spent a decade developing wearable technology, said trying to beat the biggest brands by copying their closed model would make no sense, so UNA has taken the opposite approach, giving people the tools to repair, adapt and programme the product they own. Your watch should belong to you, he said, and that should not be a radical idea.

He admits the approach costs slightly more and may mean selling someone a replacement battery instead of a new watch, but says it is the right thing to do. The aim is for UNA watches to become familiar objects that people keep, rather than disposable accessories.

The company is backed by Techstart Ventures and SFC Capital, and moved into full commercial production after a crowdfunding campaign attracted 1,200 supporters. The watch is priced at £179 and is available in the UK, US, Canada, the EU, Norway and Switzerland.

For anyone who wants their sports kit to last, it is an Edinburgh-made answer to the throwaway gadget.

The watch, accessories and repair videos are available on the UNA Watch website.