Technology advances pretty quickly these days and there seems no end to the combination of functions and features you can cram into everyday objects. Two of the biggest culprits in the 'overly gimmicky' category are surely ineffective Bluetooth integration and multi-functional watches.

So the new Bluetooth Watch from MobileWear could very well be the perfect storm, but we don't like to be too judgemental, so we unpacked MobileWear's ballsy addition to the market with an open mind.

The biggest problem with innovative watches, by far, is the design. It seems that most manufacturers forget that aside from their obvious purpose of telling the time, the big appeal for a popular watch is usually reliant on effective styling. Whatever your preference, bigger is rarely better, and in attempting to prematurely cram new technologies into something that fits comfortably on your wrist, we've been underwhelmed by chunky, ugly and heavy devices that you wouldn't be seen dead with outside the comfort of your own home.

Get the latest Dell Coupons and other computer coupons at CheapStingyBargains.com.

MobileWear's Bluetooth watch doesn't appear too bad at first glance, adopting a rather simplistic aviator design with a stylish enough black and silver faceplate and OLED display. If anything it looks a little old-fashioned, but in the watch industry a bit of nostalgia isn't necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, it's far bulkier than we'd hoped once you get it out of the box. We couldn't see any particular reason why, considering all that's really been added is a Bluetooth chip.

We were also a little disappointed by the rubber strap on the cheaper model: at a distance it looks fashionable enough but considering the relative good looks of the timepiece we'd have thought leather (or at least imitation leather) is the only way to go. On the upside it's fairly comfortable to wear, even despite the bulk, so we'll give MobileWear a C+ so far in the hope that the additional features prove worthwhile.

The next step is obviously to investigate the Bluetooth functionality to find out exactly what it can do. If you're wondering what the primary intention of such a hybrid could be, it's not as exciting as you might think. In short, the watch is intended to pair with your mobile phone and alert you through the wonders of vibration when you receive an incoming call or text message.

You can mute or cancel incoming calls from the watch, and you're shown the number or contact that's calling on the display, which is a nice touch. Realistically the people who will buy this are those who either frequently miss calls through not hearing/feeling a phone or who are too lazy to reach into their pocket to pick it up. We have to question the size of the market on this one but felt it worth putting the watch through its paces to see if we might be pleasantly surprised.

The first issue we had is related to compatibility. Rather late in the day we discovered that it's currently only compatible with 'some' Sony Ericsson phones, with upcoming support for Symbian-based Smartphones. This whittles an already thin window of appeal down to a sharp point, and although the pairing process is relatively painless we still think it's a high price to pay for such functionality.

Starting at around £120, the second issue we have is whether you like the styling and can live with the additional bulk. Once you're past this you'll need a compatible phone to use it with, and finally need to feel you'll get enough use from the technology to make it worth all the hassle.

In conclusion, this is a niche device that works well in an optimum environment and will appeal to some people, but we'd rather hold out until they find a way to integrate such technologies without making sacrifices in terms of design.