Chip turns every watch into a contactless payment device

It is now possible to fit traditional wristwatches or luxury models made of metal with a contactless payment function. The Swiss company Winwatch incorporates tiny security chips from Infineon Technologies almost invisibly into its patented sapphire crystal STISS for this purpose. The chip facilitates fast and secured payment transactions by radio frequency in milliseconds.

"A fast and robust connection from the watch to the reader at the checkout is crucial for customer acceptance," says Alex Kalbermatten, CEO of Winwatch. "Infineon surpasses all other solutions currently available on the market in terms of wireless quality. For example, by integrating the contactless chip, we were able to develop a sapphire crystal that turns every watch - from mechanical heirlooms to metal sports watches - into a contactless payment device. And all of this without a battery."

"Whether with a classic card, a fashion accessory such as a ring or smart wearables – chip innovations from Infineon combine the real and the digital world and enable simple, secured and hygienic payment transactions," says Björn Scharfen, Head of the product line Payment and Ticketing Solutions at Infineon. With our security and contactless expertise as well as energy-efficient chip design, we play a leading role in this growth market".