EZON: Redefining Professional Road Running Watches with Affordability and Expertise
Professional smart sports watches represent a niche segment within the smartwatch market, and Garmin, the sector’s leader, has consistently ranked among the top 5 global smartwatch vendors by shipment. Garmin focuses on the mid-to-high-end market, with its smart sports watches priced between 2,000 and 5,000 yuan, and its running-specific watches costing nearly 2,000 yuan.
36Kr has learned that EZON, a Fuzhou-based company specializing in smart sports watches, is targeting Garmin's running watches and winning over runners with its cost-effective offerings at around 1,000 yuan.
Just as Suunto specializes in diving and COROS in trail running, EZON focuses on road running. Established in 2008, EZON entered the professional road running sector in 2015, subsequently launching wearable GPS devices and optical heart rate products, with closed-loop production based in Fuzhou, Fujian.
EZON r6
How to run scientifically? In 2017, while expanding its product line based on dynamic optical heart rate, EZON partnered with the Sports Science Institute of the General Administration of Sport of China to establish the "Joint Laboratory for Sports Wearable Intelligence." This collaboration focused on studying Chinese users’ exercise behaviors and led to the development of the "EZON Running" app. Additionally, EZON invited marathon experts like Niu Chao to test its watches and refine their features.
The EZON r6 is equipped with triple positioning (GPS + Beidou + GLONASS), AI training plans, and a virtual pacemaker function. It boasts a 20-day static battery life and 12 hours of battery life when GPS is active.
In terms of user experience, EZON’s running watches cater more to professional runners. The "virtual pacemaker" feature—modeled after official pace setters in marathons—lets users set a target time and distance, calculating and maintaining real-time pace to help distribute energy evenly throughout the race.
For daily use, users can follow training plans on the "EZON Running" app, which offers programs ranging from beginner to advanced levels. Beyond regulating heart rate, the watch automatically measures key exercise metrics like maximal oxygen uptake and lactate threshold to provide in-depth exercise analysis.
Water resistance is critical for smart watches. Currently, most smartwatches only achieve IP68 water resistance— a rating also found on many flagship smartphones, but one that doesn’t mean they can be freely submerged. Ai Qi, EZON’s Deputy General Manager, told 36Kr: "Many factories in Shenzhen can quickly produce an Apple Watch, but crafting a smartwatch with 50-meter water resistance is far more challenging." Water resistance ratings (10m, 30m, 50m, 100m) indicate varying underwater pressure resistance; for example, 50m equals 5 atmospheres. Achieving these ratings demands rigorous design, materials, and manufacturing processes—from structural and aesthetic design to material selection. EZON enhances the internal hardness of its reinforced plastic cases to pass underwater pressure tests.
Lightweight design and long battery life are essential for running watches. The key differences between running watches and general smartwatches lie in their screens and operating systems. Running watches use MIP (Memory In Pixel) semi-transparent and semi-reflective screens, which display only 4 colors. Their advantages include clear visibility in sunlight and low power consumption—making them a staple for outdoor sports watch brands. For operating systems, sports brands typically adopt RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) driven by Bluetooth chips, which extend battery life by focusing on exercise and basic interaction functions.
In marketing, as a professional sports watch brand, EZON primarily promotes itself by sponsoring marathon events. It has partnered with major races like the Beijing Marathon, Shanghai Marathon, Shenzhen Marathon, Xiamen Marathon, Chongqing Marathon, Taiyuan Marathon, and Qinhuangdao Marathon. It is also a strategic partner and the exclusive official watch for international marathons in Shenzhen, Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Qinhuangdao.
According to reports, the "EZON Running" app has collected 120 million valid exercise data entries (defined as data from users who wore the watch continuously for 3 months). Exercise running watches differ fundamentally from smartphone-ecosystem smartwatches in user perception. Ai Qi told 36Kr: "We hope that when runners head out, besides wearing a comfortable pair of running shoes, they’ll put on a running watch—making running healthier, more scientific, and more enjoyable."
Visit us at: https://ezonwatch.com
