Lockets have long carried things that people held dear—a photo, a lock of a child’s hair, a perfume or special scent, perhaps the imprint of a fingerprint—and now, thanks to technology innovations, a new locket called Bond Heart can hold a heartbeat.
Bond Touch founder Kwame Ferreira says he created this minimalist locket as a form of “smart jewelry” that serves an emotional wearable. The Bond Heart locket allows the owner to upload a heartbeat recording to it. When held, the locket vibrates, so the wearer feels that heartbeat, creating an emotional and sensory experience.
Ferreira says his grandmother inspired the locket: Her tight hugs are fond memories, as he could feel her heartbeat through their embrace. “She was the pillar of my family, and now I feel like she is always with me as I reach for my Bond Heart and feel her heartbeat,” Ferreira says.
He debuted Bond Heart in April as a potential Mother’s Day gift, but he also considers it an ideal gift for people in long-distance relationships, military spouses, and friends who are separated for any reason.
“I feel there is a whole rich language of touch, heartbeats, and emotion that is underutilized. It’s not easy to capture it, or transmit it between people, but I feel like we’ve done a good job,” Ferreira says. “We are able to bridge distance between people, and that is valuable. We all want to be connected to our loved ones in unique ways. Bond Heart fulfills this need.”
Ferreira founded Bond Touch in 2017 after a work conversation about how people could use technology when they’re separated by distance. Its Bond Touch bracelets produce vibrations that replicate someone’s touch.
“We’ve sold over a million Bond Touch bracelets and realized there was a lot more to do in this space” Ferreria says. “Embedding touch, in this case heartbeats, into a wearable and immediately making it precious and unique felt like a challenge worth taking.
“The journey into jewelry has been exactly this—a journey trying to take jewelry into a new level of emotional connection,” he says.
Here’s how it works: Users download the Bond Heart app and record a heartbeat by putting their finger over the smartphone’s camera. The recorded heartbeat is stored in the app and then uploaded to the locket.
To feel the heartbeat in the Bond Heart, the wearer double taps the locket while grasping its front and back. The locket pulses with the heartbeat’s rhythm until the user lets go. Multiple heartbeats can be stored in the app, allowing users to change the heartbeat as they wish.
Priced at $99, the Bond Heart is made of black or white recycled plastic and surrounded by an aluminum case. It hangs from a 21-inch chain and comes with a charger. A gold-colored aluminum case and chain are also available.
Top: The Bond Heart came on the market just in time for Mother’s Day, but Bond Touch founder Kwame Ferreira says the locket is ideal for any relationship where you want to feel connected even when you’re not together. (Photos courtesy of Bond Touch)
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