The startup has announced that its first smartwatches will hit the market in 2017 under the Kronaby label. But the full picture still remains blurry.

We first caught wind of Anima earlier this year. But we didn’t really know what to make of their venture, mostly because we didn’t have much to go on. Only a few things were already obvious.

For one, they had a cool name. And they would focus on designing beautiful smartwatches – very plausible given the Swede’s strong design acumen. The company was bankrolled by Chinese investors Goertek Inc, and presumably they have provided enough cash to fulfil the promise.

Other than that, we had no idea what their watches would look like, what kind of functionality they would have, or how much they would cost. We were told to wait until later this year to get more information on their anticipated men’s and women’s smartwatches.

Well, now it’s later, and we can give you some more news on the mysterious Swedish venture.

First, it seems there’s been some reorganization at their Malmö HQ, because Anima will not be releasing watches under its own name. Instead, they have launched a new brand called Kronaby, also located in Malmö and already employing a team of 70 people.

We are told that the first Kronaby watch will see the light of day on 26th January 2017. Seeing some light is already welcome news, since their marketing campaign is rather grey and rarely clear.

Perhaps they don’t want to give up too much too soon. Or maybe there isn’t all that much to show just yet.

We do know that the first collection will feature four unisex models. We are promised that it “combines state-of-the-art Scandinavian design and digital engineering together with traditional Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship.” Seems good on paper.

Sarandis Kalogeropulos, co-founder of Anima, tried to give us a bit more details:

“We have created a timepiece that honours our love for classic watches. A simply beautiful timepiece on the outside, with high-quality materials, a classic dial and hands. On the inside, however, nothing is typical about it. We have developed a new and unique movement, that coupled with the app, can be tailored to individual needs.”

So the picture becomes a bit clearer. We’ve learned of the new brand name, and we have a better idea of what the new collection will consist of. Still not so sure about what the watches will look like or how they will actually perform. But 2017 is fast approaching, stay tuned!