First Portable Stroke Counting Watch for Rowers

Philadelphia, PA - March 23, 2006 - The Nielsen-Kellerman Cadence T1 is specifically designed for the sport of rowing. It is the first and only watch that uses the natural motion of the rower to calculate and measure his or her stroke rate. Previously, expensive equipment ($200 vs. $79) was needed to measure stroke rate and the boat itself required hard wiring. The Cadence watch eliminates this need and is an especially helpful tool for rowers, like students, who use a variety of boats. Tracking the stroke rate of an athlete or team of rowers is a critical part of the training process.

Nielsen-Kellerman, a manufacturer of rowing and sculling equipment, acquired the intellectual property for a tilt switch which calculates a rower's stroke rate. Bresslergroup, a full service product development firm in Philadelphia, was charged with integrating the new switch technology in a device that appealed to three audiences; coach, spectator and athlete. The watch can be worn on the wrist by all three user groups and also directly attached to the end of an oar.

Since most athletes wear a sports watch, the combination of training tool / timepiece consolidates the amount of equipment needed for a rowing workout. The multi-functional nature of the Cadence as training tool / fashion item also creates opportunities for product personalization. Bands are available in a variety of colors and patterns and can be custom imprinted for boat clubs, college crew teams, etc. The innovative watch band wraps around and snuggly adjusts to any diameter wrist or oar. Traditional watch bands do not provide fine enough adjustability to work as universally.

The Cadence Watch is expected to increase NK's revenue in the rowing market by 7% in the first year, and 15% in following years. The watch was designed for use while rowing and throughout the day, thereby increasing NK's visibility beyond their core market. NK is the current leader in the rowing products market. The Cadence T1 secures their position as market leader and innovator of new products.

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