A review of the Fossil HR Collider Hybrid - FTW7008

A Fossil Hybrid smartwatch that goes 2 weeks without charging? I had to investigate for myself and almost 2 weeks ago it came delivered to my house. I don’t normally due full reviews, but this watch was something I got excited about as soon as I saw the launch content and knew I had to share my experiences with the collector community because like it or not Fossil is a technology company too (and we love that)

Okay let’s dig in!

The look

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To casual onlookers there isn’t anything at first glance to tell you that it is a smartwatch. The case is 13mm thick and 42mm in diameter and by any accounts a normal watch size these days without being a dinner plate on your wrist. The display for the smart features is very Pebble-ish…and if you don’t know what that is, it’s something called e-ink, which is very low energy similar to the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. I found the display to be really dark most of the time, but the watch has a backlight feature with 2 taps on the screen. The 2 taps didn’t always work for me and sometimes I had to give it some pressure on the taps to get the light to appear.

The watch hands sit above the display and sometimes they get in the way of reading the display. I do some cardio (against my will) and it seemed like every time I did cardio the hands were blocking the timer – Fossil incorporated a really nice feature that allows the hands to move (or clap) at the quick flick of the wrist which allows you to see the display and in my case see the timer so I know how much longer before I could stop exercising! 

The presets

There are many features and customizations you can include on this watch, but be warned it’s nowhere near as robust as other smartwatches including those from Fossil and that is by design. This isn’t a watch for a fitness buff or someone who wants to do everything including paying for coffee from their phone. Features at a high level offered currently (as of November 24, 2019) are:

For the Face

• Current Temperature

• Steps

• Second Timezone

• Heart Rate

• Day-Date

• Chance of Rain

• Active Minutes

For the Pushers

• Workout Mode

• Wellness Dashboard

• Stopwatch

• Past Notification

• Music Control

• Timer

• Weather

You can change the presets anytime and the face of the watch too. I experimented with them all and wanted to provide a few notes that I would want to know if I were buying this watch.

• I found the steps were a mixed bag. I went on a few walks with other pedometers and multiple phones and the numbers were all very close to the watch within a few steps sometimes and other times the HR Hybrid was way over the actual amounts. I also enjoyed waking up and seeing that somehow in the night I took 76 steps.

• I am addicted to the Heart Rate feature. It is on continuously and I found it very interesting how certain food (or drinks) or dreaded conference calls really sent my heart rate up.

• The notifications from third party apps are weak and I’ve seen some reviews really hurting this watch for the notifications available to you. For someone who looks at several monitors all day for work I’ve never been a fan of having yet another screen to see my emails on, so I really didn’t care that not all apps are supported (yet). I found that I was constantly doing double duty however to monitor my watch for emails and then checking my phone for messages/alerts for other apps. I went ahead and actually shut off all the app notifications syncing with the watch and simply used it for incoming calls & texts. You can change this at any time and I’m sure while traveling I will open it up again to other apps.

• The notifications also cause quite a vibration on your wrist that is very noticeable, which I like. I do wish there was a way to set the number of vibrations especially for emails coming in.

• Workout mode was a feature I was most excited about. I like seeing my heart rate, timer and knowing that watch is smart enough to know I’m running vs. using an elliptical machine. My cardio of choice is always cycling and whether indoors on a trainer or outside in the real world, the workout mode doesn’t include any cycling options! At the moment there are simple options for workout, treadmill, weights, run and elliptical. If you are fitness buff, this watch isn’t for you at this time, but I imagine after some updates and new versions the technology will be on par with other smart watches around the fitness component.

• Move alerts – this is by far one of my favorite features and probably the simplest. Sitting is the new cancer and every 40 minutes if the watch sensed I didn’t move I would get an alert. I decided right away that I would get up and walk around the office every 40 minutes (or sooner) to avoid getting dinged by the watch – just a game I played.

Companion App

Unlike the Explorist smartwatches and others from Fossil that sync with the Wear OS app, the HR Hybrid uses a Fossil branded companion app available in the appstores. The syncing between watch and phone was flawless every time – I never had an issue. The app is basic at most with some settings & customizations that you can change in realtime on your device. I found that I would sync all the time just to see the dashboard populate with the latest numbers. Screenshots below showcase some of the elements of the dashboard.

My only real complaint of the software is that in order to save any changes to the watch I had to turn location settings on to always (on iOS). I don’t do that for any other app on my device and even if I left the location settings to only when using, Fossil still required me to change it to always to save the changes. Not a huge issue and I would go back in and change my settings preferences after I saved the presets on my watch.

Battery Life

If you hate charging any devices on a regular basis, then the Fossil HR Hybrid is for you. I love testing claims especially around numbers and this watch is TRUE to advertising from Fossil. I found on average I lost 5-7% battery life after a full day of emails, calls, 4000-5000 steps a day and 30 minutes of cardio. The battery life appears on the app after each sync - everyday I was amazed that I still had majority of the power left.

In Conclusion

I maybe heavily biased to Fossil, but hear me out. The Fossil HR Collider watch could not have been launched at a better time for me. I’ve crossed over into my 40’s this year and after several doctor’s appointments I’ve been told to move more and that I need to monitor my heart rate. I’m no fitness buff and I’ve had a few fitness bands in the past, a few different Fossil Q Hybrids and even currently own a Gen 4 Explorist smartwatch from Fossil. Whether it’s due to charging frequencies or the look of the smartwatch - neither of these have been something in my regular routine.

Knowing that Fossil has introduced a very traditional looking watch with fantastic battery life and that more updates and third party app support is coming is enough for me to stay tuned and keep the Fossil HR Collider in my rotation.

Fossil.com - FTW7008

Fossil.com - All current Hybrid Watches including HR Hybrids

Fossil Forrester Series and Limited Box Set

Allow us to set the stage…...we are National Park junkies, the concept, the history, the beauty and the branding. State Parks are on the list too — there is something timeless about some of them and reminds us going camping in that 9 passenger station wagon from the 80’s. In a different life a career as a park ranger could have been on the list, maybe it still is. Also if you’re like us — take a review of the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World. On a recent vacation I found myself is awe of the branding and the colors — really felt like an upscale lodge from yesteryear.

Where are we going with this? Let’s talk about Fossil Forrester series. There is something familiar about this new series like an old map or a welcome sign to your favorite park. Fossil nailed it with the concept and the branding. Every new Forrester that is released looks familiar (in a good way) and honestly calls out to take that camping or hiking trip - it is Fall btw, the best time of year to hike.

Here at the Underground Fossil Collectors Club, we’ve been sporting the Forrester LE1083 box set. Always a fan of changing straps that fit our mood — this latest Limited Edition has a 42mm case with 3 straps. Fossil Tin Collectors take note….the tin is a standout in this box set and very well done, so get it now! The latest Limited Edition is only 554 pieces and with the holidays coming and the low price of $119, these will go fast. Get it here on Fossil.com

Fossil Defender back again and limited

Time travel with us to almost a year ago when we saw the launch of the Fossil Archival Series with the release of the modern take of the 90’s mood watch – those things went fast! So fast, that I didn’t even get one and one could say with sure certainty that its success changed the roadmap for Fossil to release more of these retro releases.

Today we find ourselves with the latest addition to the Fossil Archival Series: The Defender. Did we mention it’s also a Limited-Edition Defender? Let’s make this official – today we are proud to welcome the first Fossil Defender to be included in the limited-edition club! Launched officially today this Defender has a run of 854 watches and these will go fast! Folks on our Fossil Collector’s Club Facebook group are talking about it and buying them up already.

Let’s talk about the watch & packaging first and then bear with us we’ll geek out at the end for all you Defender fans.

Many of us in the collecting world are obsessed with packaging. Fossil historically has the most fun and sometimes most thoughtful packaging on limited edition items and other special releases. The LE1062 comes in a steamer trunk replica leather presentation box with the Defender logo embossed on the top of the box.

The Defender comes with interchangeable bezels that rotate off & on easily. For long time fans of Fossil, you’ll find some similarities to the old Fossil LE1002: The Explorer, which features interchangeable bezels too in limited edition packaging. Our newest Defender also features a leather & nylon field strap --- so you’ve got options to make your Defender, your Defender! 

Here’s where we geek out on this watch. We love Fossil Defenders here at the Underground Fossil Collector’s Club – this site and community was built on people looking for Defenders. The original Defender line was DE and launched in 1995. Unlike more recent Defenders this latest addition is a tribute to those original Defenders.

• Did you notice the logo on the face? That logo ceased to exist with the last of the original Defenders, the DE-1544 and was not featured on any future Defender releases except for advertising pieces.

• Did you notice the crown position? Only 2 other Defenders ever had the 4:00 crown position – DE-1526 & DE-1527.

• Lastly do you see the similarities! The LE-1062 is a modern take on DE-1527 with a larger case, but unfortunately, it’s not an automatic (aut-o-matic). Also unlike its predecessor which was rated at 200m, this new addition is only rated at 30m, which is “splash resistant”, so don’t take your new Defender swimming!

Fossil Defender DE-1527 and the newest Defender LE-1062

Overall this latest addition to the Archival Series is a much-needed win for us Fossil fans. Could they have done a few things better like the movement and water resistance? Sure, they could have, but that’s really not the point of these throwback designs from yesteryear. Fossil has a long history of military/aviation pieces and limited-edition collections that come in at an affordable price point and the new Defender is the perfect combination of each with a price at $255.

Welcome back Defender! Available now on Fossil.com

A Fossil intern is running the show - Design Major II

Another month and we have another new limited-edition Fossil watch to talk about. What a great time to be alive.

Years past we haven’t spent a lot of time or attention on newer Fossil pieces beyond the limited-edition pieces that are now hard to find (anyone have a LE-1015 or LE-1027). The relaunch of the new “official” Fossil Collectors Club is keeping us busy checking the website and staying in touch with all the latest news & drops and this brings us to August.

The August 2019 drop is a part two of the Curator Series….called the Design Major II. If you remember last year we had a similar drop of an intern designed watch – the Design Major, which had a similar color scheme but a much lower production number of 554 pieces. If you think about the concept for a minute it is a pretty impressive feat that a company as large as Fossil gives the design reigns to an intern to design a watch. We’re sure there has to be some supervision and approvals in place, but what if there wasn’t….think about the possibilities…..or maybe not, that might be scary! Fossil does actively recruit interns and if you are interested, please visit - https://www.fossilgroup.com/careers/find-your-dream-job/internships/

The Design Major II is marketed as the ultimate everyday watch and we wanted to test it thoroughly before posting about it because what good is a review or a post without wearing it first? The watch arrived on July 26th and in that time it has been on 2 camping trips, a river rafting trip and it went 120mph on the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point….which is near home base for the Underground Fossil Collectors Club. Pleased to say that after one month of wear it’s still in the regular rotation – the case is definitely huge at 46mm and might not be for everyone, but the comments and looks received have been noticeable including a trip to the Honda dealership where the dealer couldn’t stop looking at the watch and finally I had to tell him about it and where he could buy one! (advertising by word of mouth is still a thing).

Black is my happy color and I’m pleased that so many of the limited releases have black faces which makes for an easy purchase. The font of the numerals on the face are brilliant and really make the watch stand out on a somewhat busy face. I’d say Fossil has another winner and let’s give Mr. Cho a job!

The watch is currently available on Fossil.com and retails for $165. Get it now before all 1254 pieces are gone!

The Design Major II retails for $165 and is limited to 1254 pieces

Sullivan – a new friend

I’ve found a new friend; his name is Sullivan and up until a few days ago he came in 3 flavors. It sounds weird right? I work from home in a cone of silence, so nothing is weird anymore!

It’s rare that I fall so hard for a modern watch that isn’t a limited edition, military themed or from the 90’s, but Sullivan caught my eye right away. A clean, simple multi-function watch.

I still don’t understand the Fossil Outlet vs. Fossil Sale on the website, but on my daily jog on the Fossil site, I saw Sullivan and it was already discounted for $59. Typed in Sullivan and found 2 other models…..color me impressed, I bought 2 of them, the BQ2445 & BQ2447. There is a BQ2446 model that comes in olive green - the case is either rose gold or bronzed and personal preference tells me I wouldn’t wear it, but you never know — for the moment I stuck with the 2 pictured below. In the distance I can hear Meatloaf singing “2 out of 3 ain’t bad”

So far the BQ2445 with the black silicone strap has been my daily. I’ve worn it a waterpark, the beach and a few other ‘summer’ events and all good. Still looks fab. The BQ2447 is quite a watch for the price and I haven’t had the pleasure of breaking him out yet, but with a busy work travel season coming up, he’ll be traveling with me soon!

the BQ2445 fresh from the beach with a little sand and sunscreen - Happy Summer 2019!

the BQ2447 waiting for the big reveal at a workplace near you

love in color #MakeTimeForGood

A new limited edition to talk about and the proceeds go to a good cause? Tell me more!

Fossil has partnered with the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) in honor of Pride Month. HMI proudly celebrates 40 years as the nation’s largest and very first LGBTQ+ Youth Services organization. HMI and we think everyone should believe that all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.

Okay let’s talk about the watch! What we like about this watch straight off the bat is the interchangeable straps allowing the watch owner to fully show pride in their own way. Old time Fossil collectors will notice that the straps are all 18mm which was “the size” of almost all collectible Fossil watches from years ago. It’s rare these days to have a new Fossil watch that utilizes this size strap — finally my 90’s stash of straps will come in handy!

The case size is 38mm which is small for this day & age we admit, but the genius behind it is the watch is unisex and that size looks great on any wrist - any smaller it might be something that appeals to those of us accustomed to the 40mm + sizes that rule the day.

One last thing to note is the face of this watch. The color palette is subtle and when paired with a sold colored strap it’s even more subtle, but what we noticed was the Fossil logo on the face — classy and very clean, something we hope to see in other releases that doesn’t flash the logo, but instead places it on the face in such a way that makes you say wow. Wow!

The limited edition Pride watch is limited to 1000 units and the proceeds all go to HMI, which is AMAZING! Something else to note is the rainbow nylon strap that you can purchase for $20 alongside the watch. If we had to wager these straps are going to go fast regardless of which 18mm lug watch you pair it with, so buy one now because like all good things they won’t be around forever.

Lastly during this Pride season, we invite you to #MakeTimeForGood and join all of us in supporting HMI and their impact on LGBTQIA+ youth in the community and if you would like to donate outside of the watch purchase please visit:

https://hmi.org/get-involved/fossil/

To learn more about the #MakeTimeForGood initiative please visit:

http://maketimeforgood.com

Fossil is certainly keeping us busy with all these new limited editions & collaborations launching. It’s a great time to be an Underground Fossil Collector - until next release!

Fossil Red Star Line

Fossil Red Star Line? Okay it’s made up, but after 30 years anything goes. The pre-1990 Fossil watches are truly niche and certainly a much more acquired taste than the collectible and larger Fossil watches of the 90’s and up.

Are they valuable? Nope.
Are they cool? Some.
Are these on collector’s radars? Yup!
Was 1985 the best for movies? Yes and don’t try to change our minds!

In 1989 a Fossil catalog featured a page of “red star” Russian themed watches. Pre-Defender military watches! Now that we’ve got your attention, take a look!

Welcome home “Oversized Russian inspired GF-4211” to the Underground Fossil Collectors Club.

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Now that the GF-4211 is home, we’re on the hunt for others featured on this page. It was refreshing the simplicity of this watch and after a quick cleanup of the Prestige Time 1 jewel movement, it was up and running in no time.

Fossil & Crosley / Crosley & Fossil Limited Edition Watches & Turntable

Hot dog! We’ve got a new limited-edition Fossil watch to discuss and it’s a big one. Proudly presenting the first limited edition launched in the new official Fossil Collectors Club…….and we are already in love with it. Leave it to Fossil & Crosley to come up with something totally unique – a mashup of 2 of our favorite things, music & watches and just in time for Record Store Day on April 13. As someone with 7 filing cabinets full of 45RPMs in his basement, it’s almost like Fossil & Crosley knew I’d be all over this!

Here it is — The latest Limited Edition from Fossil, the LE1060

The watch obviously was inspired by a Crosley turntable - the groove dial reflects the same grooves in a vinyl record and the spinning disc second half reflects record player tonearm. It’s quite mesmerizing to watch (especially during conference calls) and with only 500 of each (men’s & women’s) these might sell out quicker than the limited-edition mood watch from September 2018.

Similar to other limited editions we’ve praised, the LE1060 & LE1061 both have such great detail that flows from the packaging to the back of the case. What you won’t read anywhere else however is my love for the strap of this watch. I know it’s weird to discuss the strap on a watch post, but at first glance it took me back to older Fossil straps and their sturdiness and as soon as I put it on it felt comfortable and familiar. The strap is 22MM wide and leather, but has a silicone/rubber backing that feels solid and so comfortable – seriously this watch and strap combination is something meant to be worn with no break-in period required.

As an added bonus (BONUS!) the collaboration between Fossil & Crosley has also led to a limited-edition turntable. Yes, friends you heard that right, a limited-edition turntable! Who knew such a thing existed.

The record player is Crosley’s signature turntable with Fossil’s signature brand graphics and aligning with the black and rose-tone accents of the watch. We’ll post about the turntable in a later post because it’s on order!

For now enjoy the pictures of the Fossil & Crosley Limited-Edition LE1060 watch, numbered 170 out of 500 and check out the collection with more information on Fossil’s website

Oh those Limited Editions! The Modern Machine LE1030

Taking a short break from our journey through the Fossil Times newsletters, let’s discuss collector’s lore – Limited Editions! We love limited editions and like a fine automobile or in my case a clean pair of sneakers we enjoy sporting them on special occasions.

The Modern Machine Assembly LE1030 released in 2014 was a very limited run of 654 pieces. I’ve only just obtained one recently because these sold out fast at 495USD and rarely have come up for sale since. The reviews of the design and packaging have been discussed and envied for years now and I finally have one in my possession! Description from the booklet because I can’t say it better than Fossil:

A stylish watch set that harkens back to the aeronautic industrial era of the 1940s. Fossil’s Limited-Edition Modern Machine can be disassembled using multiple interchanging machined parts that reassemble into two very distinctive time-measuring instruments. Mix the bezel, band or even the watch center core for a new look, for a total of 32 different time-telling combinations. Its double 316L stainless steel shell is both robust and shock absorbent, with water-resistance of up to 100 meters, and the dial faces are designed with luminescent hands and markers to be read in low light or night. Along with its wristwatch combinations, the Modern Machine set features an optional field timer for everyday field carry. Packaged in a Limited-Edition gift box, this tough yet timeless set comes complete with four interchangeable batteries, one topstitched leather belt strap and one Zulu-inspired military weave strap with matching hardware, as well as a hefty three-row plated stainless steel solid bracelet. This sleek and modern set is all the wearer will need to complement any wardrobe choice. Limited to 654.

Limited Editions are the essential piece for any Fossil collector and we’ve seen all sorts of Limited-Edition collectors over the years. Some only collect Disney or Superman or other TV characters, while some like the sports releases (Nolan Ryan!) I tend to collect the military/field collections with the snazzy packaging and the LE1030 has been high on my list for almost 5 years now. The elegant leather box with the grey felt lining and presentation of the interchangeable bezels is beautiful. Some of these bezels aren’t found anywhere else and don’t get me started on the fonts – it’s a real treasure.

A touching non-eBay rare Fossil Defender find

As collections grow we start to branch out to other forums to find nice pieces without having to pay wishful seller premiums. Anyone can start a website and attempt to sell collectible Fossil watches for $129. Likewise, anyone can sell watches on eBay and buy low with one user ID and sell high with another user ID…...we know who they are and over the years we’ve learned to avoid those traps. All of this to say in 2018 it isn’t difficult to still obtain vintage timepieces online at a reasonable price.

The purpose of this post isn’t to list out these other online avenues for great finds, but to highlight a nice story that worked out well in our ongoing attempt to finish the Fossil DE collection.

The rarest DE Defenders are the 4 similar models DE-1524, DE-1525, DE-1535 and DE-1536.

Some would argue that the DE-1542, DE-1543 and DE-1544 are rarer, but at least those appeared in several US catalogs. The 4 similar models only appeared in one Defender catalog, which we featured a few months ago.

Collecting tip is the more desirable Defenders and to some extent Speedways appear for sale in Germany more so than anywhere else and our site metrics would indicate that to be true - we have a lot of German collectors. I don’t always search German classifieds, but when I do I find a rare Defender and in late 2017 a DE-1535 made a grand appearance on a German classified site.

Common concerns dealing with classified sites anywhere is reliability and trustworthiness of the seller. Add a few thousand miles between us and questions rise up like will she actually ship it? What guarantees will I have? How bad is the exchange rate?

Swallowing my nerves I sent off a simple email expressing interest and name dropping the Collectors Club and to my surprise Nadja, the seller was very personable and I knew instantly I could trust her. After a few awkward email exchanges with the language barrier we had a deal! Like all watches she bought it to wear it and realized it was too heavy for a woman's wrist even after swapping out the original brown strap for a black one. Nadja even went as far as sending me pictures of the watch all packaged up and a parcel number for tracking.

After a few weeks the DE-1535 made it's way to Ohio where it's proudly displayed with all the other DE Defenders. I like stories like this and had to share -- we're all people and these unique interactions is what makes collecting anything fun.  In the end I have a fun story to tell, a rare Defender watch and an extra OEM strap for another Defender that needed a good strap and I'll save that for another story. Happy Collecting!