Known better for its designer handbags, clothing and accessories, luxury brand Michael Kors (MK) has released its Access smartwatch.

It comes in two variants - Dylan and Bradshaw - which are available in MK's analogue watch line-up.

Both do not differ much from their analogue cousins and look gorgeous for the smartwatch genre.

Dylan, the more sporty version, comes in black (version tested), silver and gold stainless-steel cases with a black silicone watch strap.

Bradshaw is the more classic model from MK's signature American jetsetter line of watches. It is available in an array of stainless steel cases with colours such as gold, rose gold and blue.

The Bradshaw watch straps vary from leather straps to stainless-steel bracelets. I reviewed the gold version with stainless-steel gold/tortoise-shell bracelet.

Both watches are very comfortable to wear and would deceive anyone into thinking that he is wearing a normal watch.

They feature only one crown with the Michael Kors signature icon MK embossed on it. However, this crown cannot be turned and acts only as the home button. I was hoping it would be "turnable", like the Apple Watch's crown.

The Dylan is slightly bigger with a 46mm case, while the Bradshaw's measures 44.5mm. However, the touchscreen display of both models is the same at 1.4 inches, with a resolution of 320 x 290 pixels.

Thus, there is a thicker bezel for the Dylan. But it does make it look more rugged, even though both are equally well built.

Both watches do not have a built-in heart-rate monitor.

Like the Moto 360 and Fossil Q Marshal smartwatches, the Dylan and Bradshaw sport the "flat tyre" design as they have a small black space at the bottom of the display.

Thankfully, the exclusive MK watch faces are designed to complement this "flat tyre".

The watch faces range from animated falling crystals to an aviator-inspired simple look. You can also customise the watch faces in terms of dial colours or sub-dial functions.

However, these beautiful watch faces are marred by the low-resolution display. The watch faces would look so much better if MK had opted for a better display like the one on the Tag Heuer Connected smartwatch.

Powered by Android Wear 1.5, the "smart" functionalities of Dylan and Bradshaw are the same. When paired with your smartphone, you get the usual notifications from your smartphone. You can also ask the watch to set reminders or alerts via voice commands.

Both smartwatches are only water resistant down to 10m. In other words, you cannot swim with them but washing your hands or showering with them are fine.

The batteries in both the Dylan and the Bradshaw managed to last only one day before they had to be recharged. By the way, their conductive magnetic charger looks exactly the same as the Fossil Q Marshal's - except for the branding.

Trevor Tan

• Verdict: The Michael Kors Access smartwatch caters to the fashion conscious who don't mind charging it every day. If you love it flashy, get the Bradshaw. But if you prefer subtlety, Dylan is your friend.