The US firm has announced two timepieces - one targeted at each sex - powered by Google's Android Wear.
Samsung,
Nixon and Fossil have also revealed new software-powered models at the
Baselworld trade show. Swatch's Tissot brand unveiled its first
"connected watch" too, which links up to smartphones but does not run
apps.
The launches coincide with a decline in traditional watch sales.
The
Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry recently reported a "steep
decline" in revenues, with January's 1.5bn Swiss francs ($1.6bn; £1.1bn)
representing an 8% drop on the same month's sales in 2015.
The business group has blamed a "troubled economic situation" for the fall.
However,
research firm Futuresource Consulting has reported that global
smartwatch shipments now outnumber those of traditional Swiss watches.
"Many consumers are still not sure how a smartwatch will benefit them
in terms of lifestyle and practicality," said its report, timed to
coincide with the event in Basel.
"[But] ongoing advancements by
the integrated chip manufacturers means they can go smaller - which
opens up the market for more petite, women's watches, effectively
increasing their total available market."
Thinner smartwatches
Smartwatch
manufacturers that use Google's Android Wear have limited ability to
customise the operating system's features, so much of their efforts are
focused instead on design.
Michael Kors - whose devices are manufactured by Fossil - focused on their exclusive digital watchfaces and "glamorous sty.
Fossil also unveiled two new smartwatches under its own brand - the
Fossil Q Wander and Q Marshal - which it said were slimmer than its
first-generation models.
California-based Nixon, however, had one
trick up its sleeve for its first Android Wear watch - the Mission. It
is water-resistant to 100m (328ft) - a record for the category - and
still able to accept voice commands.
That allows Nixon to target
the device at surfers, who need that level of protection because of the
force with which they sometimes hit the waves.
Swiss smartwatch
Tissot has taken a different approach with its Smart-Touch.
The
watch links up to a smartphone via Bluetooth when commanded to do so
and can then provide navigation directions by moving its hands.
In addition, it can use the phone to synchronise itself to the local time zone.
The watch can also trigger an alarm on a fob, with which it is sold, in order to find mislaid keys
Another unusual feature is a solar panel - used to recharge its
battery, which is said to last up to a year before it needs to be
swapped out.
"Swatch Group is the only Swiss watchmaker able to
do a smartwatch on its own," boasted the firm's chief executive Francois
Thiebaud.
But one attendee had doubts about its chances.
"It's
difficult to see how Tissot can scale this to deliver the breadth of
functionality that an open platform like Android or Tizen can offer,"
said Ben Wood from the CCS Insight consultancy.
"Swatch's only chance for success would be to bring this functionality to its wider range of watches."
