Remember when a watch was just a watch? It was a simpler time of elegant time pieces with the sole purpose of telling local and world time. Today the modern watch is evolving into a marvel of technological advancement. I remember having a Casio calculator watch when I was a kid that made me feel like Batman when I wore it. All that thing did was crunch numbers where today’s watches can monitor health, show phone calls, text, go online and now even connect to your car.

The connected car is trending throughout the auto industry and what better way to connect to a car than the tech around your wrist? We’ve hit the point where hands free calling, voice recognition and iPod integration are all standard fair inside your vehicle. Now manufacturers are looking to the Smartwatch to enhance their vehicles.

Here are four Smartwatch integration’s we can really get behind

Hyundai Blue Link Smartwatch App

Live on Android based smart watches; Hyundai’s Blue Link app connects you to your car seamlessly. Blue Link is a service Hyundai has been using in recent years with smart phones. It works with most new Hyundai models and allows owners to locate their vehicle as well as lock or unlock the doors and remote start it from anywhere.  Now with their new smart watch app all of this can be done right from your wrist.

Volvo On Call App

Soon Volvo will be taking smart watch integration to the next level with its app available on Android and Apple smart watches. Volvo’s app can show you fuel mileage, lock and unlock doors, remote start, locate the car with GPS and even control the climate control system. Of course we wouldn’t be talking Volvo if we didn’t mention safety. Volvo’s app will also connect you to an operator and send your GPS location if the air bags have been deployed.

Viper Smart Start

Don’t have a brand new car packed with this new tech? If you still want James Bond style tech Viper has you covered with Smart Start. I’ve been a huge fan of their Smart Start system that can remote start their aftermarket system from a cell phone app. Now that app is connected to a smart watch so anyone with just about any car can enjoy this new tech.

Nissan Nismo Smartwatch

If you are one of the lucky few driving a Nismo edition 350z or GTR you can pick up Nissan’s Nismo Smartwatch. What’s unique about this is that the car came first, not the watch. The other solutions are add-on apps while this is a purpose built car watch. It monitors performance numbers, alerts you of maintenance and even tells you when your heart rate is too high at the race track. This performance smart gadget comes nicely packaged in a box made entirely of tire rubber scrapped from race tracks.

Is this a fad or the next innovation in the automotive industry? Only time will tell but it’s nice to see manufacturers embracing it and innovating it.