So yes, I may be, just may be, a bit of a watch hoarder. I still have about 20 old dumb watches in my drawer that I just can't bear to part with, despite the fact that I've worn nothing but smart watches (yes, watchES) for over six years now. I've had about five full-on Android smart watches, and now have (yikes!) about eight or nine hybrids. I thought that that excessive smart and smarter watch collection puts me in good stead to review this watch, and also give some information about the hybrid versus smartwatch thing.
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So, this is a hybrid watch, meaning that it looks just like a regular old-fashioned watch most of the time. It has three buttons on the side which you can program (and change whenever you'd like) on the accompanying app. I usually have mine set so that the top one shows you notifications, the middle one the date, and the bottom one turns on and off the music (or podcast, or whatever) that is playing on my phone. The way the notifications work is that you set it up, for example, so that the hands will point to 1 on the watch every time I get a notification from my wife. You can also include notifications from apps (I have different numbers set for ebay notifications, my doorbell app, other contacts, etc.). So, while there is no display to actually READ the notification, it will buzz your wrist every so often, you can see where the notification is coming from, and can then know whether or not you want to take out your phone. It does work well for turning on and off music (I ride a motorcycle, and it's particularly useful there), without having to scroll through screens on a real smart watch. You can also program the buttons to do things like finding your phone, or telling you when you will arrive at a saved destination (work, home).
I've gone to using the hybrids about 80% of the time, and using my "real" smart watches the rest. Your usage may vary, and it may be the relative novelty of these things that have hooked me. But I DO like the way the look way better than even my fancy Huawei watch (which is pretty styling), and I usually don't miss all the functionality of the true smart watches most of the time. However, if I'm working in my shop and don't want to have to take my phone out at all, I'll put on a true smart watch so I can actually see my notifications, etc.
I own (yes, I know) hybrids from Skagen (a division of Fossil), Timex, Emporio Armani, Chaps, and Fossil (these). These fossil commuters are the ones i like best, though all are pretty nice. They have a more substantial, slightly heavier feel than the Skagens, and the numbers and such are a bit more readable (though with my 50-something eyes, the date numbers are next to useless without glasses). The app is great and intuitive, and they just look great on my wrist (a normal to smallish man's wrist, I'd say). I have it in three different finishes, and the fourth is on the way!!!!
Hope this is helpful, and please like my review if, well, you liked it!
A few quirks but overall a great watch
I purchased this watch for two reason. One, I wanted a great looking watch as an accessory to my business casual work attire and I've already received compliments after wearing it for 2 days at work. The quick detach band allows me to coordinate with the rest of my look on any particular day. Second, I wanted to be able to tell if the my phone going off in my pocket was something important or a random app notification. This watch does exactly that. I can now tell quickly if my boss, parents or close friends are calling or texting or if it's another annoying robocall. Being in management, I like to set an example by following the same rules our shop floor people do (e.g. No phone use out on the floor). This watch allows me to discretely know when I'm getting a message that needs addressed so I can step off the floor and take care of it.
I've tried various app notifications and found some work well, some don't. For instance, I set my weather app thinking it would only go off for weather alerts. However, since the app continually shows the temperature in the notification bar of my phone, the watch went off every time the temperature changed. I didn't count that as a negative since the weather apps were designed specifically for use with this type of watch and Fossil obviously cannot design their app to work with every potential app available.
Beautiful watch! One scary moment while installing. Glows in the dark!
UPDATE: 6 months later I dropped it on the tile floor and the crystal shattered. It's close to $40 to get it replaced plus all the effort o package and ship it. I still need to try since I really like the watch.
First impressions: Like someone else said, it looks better in person than any of the photos. Beautiful watch! My wife keeps complimenting me. I'm also excited to look into other watchbands since these are easy (but apparently not TOO easy) to take off and switch.
The watch back was easy to remove with the include Q-style screwdriver (we called it a Q-driver haha). The package came with a watch battery.
One scary moment came when I tried to pair it to my Moto X4. At first it said it could find the phone, but it wasn't compatible. YIKES! It suggested I try many things, including installing an old version of the Fossil Q app. Nothing worked. I finally figured it out though! Under Bluetooth settings on my phone, I had to click "Pair new device". I was so relieved to see "Fossil" listed there. Works great now!
The option for finding the watch from my phone doesn't look too helpful ... merely shows "out of range," "you're close," or "you're very close." And the map doesn't get very close at all.
Setting up notifications has been pretty straightforward with up to 12 distinct notifications for specific callers or apps. I do wish I could have special notifications for a specific contact's SMS messages, but it only has "any SMS" as an option.
The only other issue so far is that the numbers for day of the month are small. I also wish that it could sync with my phone's alarms rather than requiring me to use alarms in Fossil's app.
Great news too! The minute/hour hands and the ticks for each hour all glow in the dark!
Here's to hoping that I can carry my phone in my work bag and not my pocket!
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