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Xiaomi has announced a new variant in its wearable lineup, the Watch S5 Transparent Edition, which launched today alongside the standard 41mm Watch S5. The new model is priced at 2,499 yuan ($372) and will be restricted to a production run of just 5,000 units.
Design Details
The differentiator for this model is its casing. Instead of the usual aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel chassis found on most smartwatches, Xiaomi has built the 47mm octagonal watch body using a transparent material it refers to as Dragon Crystal Glass 3.0.
The design allows light to pass directly through the middle frame, exposing the internal structural elements of the device. To provide necessary structural rigidity and a bit of visual contrast, a brushed stainless steel bezel is embedded directly into the glass case.
Using glass for a watch chassis raises practical questions about durability, given that wrist-worn wearables are frequently subjected to accidental bumps and scrapes against doors and desks. Xiaomi claims to have addressed this by using a single piece of glass that undergoes a particularly lengthy manufacturing process.
According to the company, each case requires 20 distinct manufacturing steps, which include 240 minutes of CNC precision machining and 800 minutes of multi-stage polishing to achieve the clear finish.
The resulting glass has a Vickers hardness rating of 810 HV0.05. This specific material is designed to resist scratches and daily wear. Furthermore, the company says that unlike clear plastics, silicones, or resins that are sometimes used in transparent tech products, this glass will not discolor or turn yellow over time.
On the interface side, the watch ships with a custom red watch face designed to look like a traditional mechanical timepiece. This aesthetic choice is a direct nod to the company’s smartphone lineup, specifically mirroring the design language of the Xiaomi 18 Pro series Transparent Special Edition.
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