REVIEW – Let me begin this review by stating how much I loved my Apple Watch. It fairly covered most of what I could ever want in a smart watch—and more. However, one of the things I did not like about it was having to charge it every day. That’s no surprise, because the Apple Watch is a computer on the wrist that pretends to be a watch. However, last year, the health care company Withings released its smart watch, the ScanWatch Nova. I received it just before leaving on a 10-day vacation in the UK, which was a great way to test it. I wore it every day and night and it never needed charging. It’s one year later, and there is now a more elegant version of the Nova—the Brilliant Edition.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $599.95
Where to buy: Withings
What is it?
The Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant is a “black-tie” version of the original (let’s call it “diver” because it looks like a diver’s watch) ScanWatch Nova. It features all the pros—and cons—of that version. Its diameter is a slightly smaller 39mm, compared to the diver design’s 42mm. As a result, it looks more elegant.
The Nova Brilliant comes in two colorways—Titanium/gray and Gold. Gold is actually gold with silver accents. I chose to review Titanium/gray because I’m not much of a gold person.
What’s included?
- Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition
- Metal band with folding clasp
- Fluoroelastomer band
- Tools for sizing metal band
- Smartphone app for storing gathered health data
Tech specs
- 39 mm watch face
- 30-day battery
- Titanium fluted bezel
- Sapphire glass
- Sand dial
- OLED high-res grayscale screen
- Stainless steel case
- Lumi-Nova hands and indexes
- 5-Link wristband
Design and features
Much of what I write in this review would be repetitive of the ScanWatch Nova I reviewed last year. However, since the Nova Brilliant is an all-new design, I’ll concentrate on the differences where applicable. For a deep dive into specs and features, read my review of the original Nova.
Here is a quick overview of its features in this review:
The smart portion of the ScanWatch is contained both inside a small circular screen built into the watch face and also underneath the watch, where it sits on the wrist. Its features are many:
- Track body temperature 24/7
- On-demand electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Measure blood oxygen levels (SpO2)
- Measure heart rate beats per minute (BPM)
- Sleep quality score
- Count walking steps
- Count breaths taken per minute
- Menstrual tracking
As you may have guessed, the ScanWatch Nova Brilliant is a full-on smartwatch hiding inside a pretty analog face.
I will state that, as much as I like the more formal appearance of the ScanWatch Brilliant, I still prefer the more rugged look of the previous Nova Diver style.
Some of the differences between the Diver Nova and Brilliant Edition are more than skin deep. The Diver Nova can go as deep as 10ATM, meaning it can withstand water pressure up to 100 meters (swimming, snorkeling, and diving). The Brilliant Edition is rated at 5ATM—suitable for swimming and diving up to 50 meters.
The 39 mm watch-face diameter of the Brilliant is smaller than the 42 mm Diver Nova diameter. The Brilliant is also thinner and weighs noticeably less.
A small monochromatic display at the top of the Brilliant’s watch face relays the necessary health and tracking information required of a smartwatch.
The differences in the design of the watch faces are Black and White—literally. No matter the color of the Diver Nova’s bezel (there are three color choices), the face is black with a black circular health display with white text. The Brilliant’s face is white, but the health display remains black with white text. This black circle stands out rather than blends in. A white display with black text on the Brilliant’s white face would be less obvious, furthering its elegant look.
Speaking of the circular health window, Withings has upgraded the original monochrome LED display to OLED, making the text sharper and easier to read. It’s a subtle, but welcome improvement. A circular activity monitor (subdial) is a carry-over from the original Nova. It sits at the bottom of the watch face and can measure activity.
Withings also slightly improved its proprietary charger. This charger can be sized for other Withings smartwatches, making it more useful for those with more than one Withings watch. Charging time is relatively fast, but nothing earth-shattering. However, once its 30-day battery life is factored in, this lack of charging speed becomes trivial. I do wish charging could be wireless, though.
Another small but welcome improvement is the inclusion of a wristband adjustment guide. This flexible guide helps with sizing the wrist for adding (or removing) metallic band links, which are included. Withings provides an excellent set of tools to remove and add links properly until the proper fit is achieved.
The metal band on the Nova Brilliant Edition has a folding clasp. Withings also includes a silicone-like Fluoroelastomer band for exercising. On their website, Withings offers other bands and colors in leather, recycled PET woven, and different-colored fluoroelastomer.
As good as the exterior of the Nova Brilliant looks, it’s the interior and app that make this watch invaluable. This watch can warn of potential health risks while the wearer is either awake or sleeping. Its 30-day battery allows it to track health factors 24/7. For instance, I don’t have great sleep habits. The Nova Brilliant tracks sleep cycles—both light and deep, sleep duration, interruptions, and time taken to fall asleep and wake up. The data is logged in the app, so any trends can be viewed. It seems I fluctuate between deep and not-so-deep sleep all through the night.
If you are a runner/walker, the Nova Brilliant tracks activities, using smart detection and GPS. The activity subdial on the watch face with a 3-axis accelerometer helps show progress in a daily step goal.
Like the original Nova, the Brilliant can perform a medical-grade electrocardiogram that can detect a potential cardiac anomaly at any time. It can also measure SpO2 (peripheral capillary oxygen saturation). This is an estimate of the amount of oxygen in the blood. I have pulmonary issues and need to regularly check my blood oxygen levels. It’s nice to spot-check SpO2 levels on your wrist whenever you can.
The Nova Brillican can track baseline day and night temperature fluctuations. It uses a miniaturized heat-flux sensor with a temperature sensor alongside heart rate and accelerometer input calibration to deliver a body temperature variation assessment. You don’t need to understand all that, except to know that it can help indicate an onset of illness.
Note that this info is stored in the Withings app. If you want to understand the app’s findings better, the app can be upgraded to Withings+, a clinically designed in-app subscription. It turns complex data into insights with visualizations with expert reviews, thanks to Cardio Check-Up and a curated content library. Withings+ is $9.95/month or 99.50/year. The subscription includes 4 cardio check-ups, tailored health insights powered by AI, health improvement scores, and other exclusive content. 3 months of Withings+ is included free with every watch.
Even if you decide not to subscribe, the app still tracks and provides much health information. Here are some sample screenshots (not everything) from the app on my iPhone:
Final thoughts
Please read my review of the original ScanWatch Nova for a more in-depth report. If you are a fan of the Apple Watch (or similar smartwatch) because of its health tracking but would prefer a more traditional watch, the Withings Nova Brilliant Edition (or 2025 Diver design) is the one to look at.
What I like about Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Edition smartwatch
- Everything about the original ScanWatch Nove and a bit more
- Nice formal design
- Long-lasting battery
- Well made
- Comfortable
What needs to be improved?
- Expensive
- The black circular OLED screen stands out too much
Price: $599.95
Where to buy: Withings
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Withings. Withings did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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