Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Fossil Men's 42mm Collider Stainless Steel and Leather Hybrid HR Smart Watch, Color: Black, Brown (Model: FTW7008)

Top positive review

The perfect blend of analog and smartwatch

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020

I am an analog watch person. I refused to give up actual watch hands and classic looks. I also refuse to be slave to a nightly charging mandate, requiring me to take off my watch. However, I have longingly watched other smartwatch owners glance down at their wrist to view an unheard text notification, or check their heart rate. Why can't I have both!?!

- Well, as luck would have it, Fosil must have read my mind! This watch provides me with the best of both worlds. The analog hands are always there , working as a watch should. Time is set by the watch-phone pairing, so I know it will always be accurate. The hands glow pretty well, so night time viewing is generally available. If I need read more than just the time at night, a double-tap on the screen provides a blueish light for 10 seconds or so, allowing messages or settings to be viewed.

The battery is great, and after 12 days of continuous wearing and use, it still shows nearly half charge remaining.

I shower with it daily, and no water issues have arisen.

When you receive a text message, the hands move to 9 and 3 temporarily, to allow for unobstructed viewing.

The face has a few different configurations available, and you can also have a photo in the background. The screen is basic black pixels (think calculator style) so don't expect much in that regard. In general, the face options and functions are fairly limited and basic. This is not trying to be an Apple watch, so don't attempt to compare the two. This is a great analog watch, that can also notify and display your messages, while also tracking your heart rate and sleeping patterns.

If you have always wanted a real watch, with smartwatch features, this is it!

The watch band can be removed with a simple pinch of a clasp, so swapping between different band styles is super easy.

The phone app is a bit basic, and doesn not offer a ton of ability, but it does let me choose what apps I wish to he notified by, as well as loggs my heart rate and sleep info. While I have no actual inside knowledge on it, I would suspect some additional functionality to he added to the app/watch down the line from Fossil.

I have worn two different $350 citizen watches for the last 8 years, and I feel like I am still wearing the same watch, just with secret smartwatch capabilities now. Same side, weight and style as I am used to.

I am very happy with this watch, and highly recommend to others.

22 people found this helpful

Top critical review

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Nicholas Gaylord

Beautiful design but has a major flaw

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2019

I really liked almost everything about this watch. The analog movement is beautiful, the feature set is minimalistic which I actually like, and all in all the materials and build quality really impressed me. In terms of the fitness-tracking, the heart rate monitor seemed mostly okay, though I would have liked to be able to adjust the frequency for the continuous heart rate monitoring. It was definitely a lot more accurate when it took my pulse more frequently in workout mode. And, as others have noted, I really do wish it would be possible to receive notifications from any app on my phone, instead of just a whitelisted set. The battery life is every bit as amazing as they claim.

The problem though, which is leading me to return the watch, and which I have observed equally severely in two separate watches, is condensation. Any exposure to temperature change produces a very significant buildup of condensation on the inside of the watch crystal. I've never submerged my watch, and never exposed it to anything more than my sweat during exercise and a few drops of light rain. Moreover this has worsened over time as I have worn it, suggesting that the seals of the watch body are nowhere near adequate.

169 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Matt Miller

The perfect blend of analog and smartwatch

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020

Color: SmokeVerified Purchase

22 people found this helpful

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EXCELLENT WATCH IF YOU KNOW WHAT ARE YOU GETTING IT FOR.

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2019

Color: SmokeVerified Purchase

Update: after the latest firmware update a lot of the issues are fixed.
1-Do Not Disturb mode added, you can now access all the features of the watch with a Long press on the middle button
2- Added Notification support for many essential apps ( FaceTime, Skype, Viber...etc)
3- Step tracking is a bit more accurate now.
4- Added the ability to use custom images as watch faces.
5- Added new complications: Battery percentage and Calorie count.

Update on battery: If you use the workout features, and Timer daily expect a less battery life -Max of 8 days- on a single charge but since it only takes 1 hour to fully charge it from flat it is worth it.

Fossil is doing an overall excellent job with a relatively new concept.

Long story short: This is not to replace smartwatches, so if you want all the features of a smart watch look somewhere else.
This is a two week review of the stainless steel collider model. Just a background of why I wanted a hybrid watch, I wear a regular watch with a fitness bracelet. The battery life of this watch with the classical looks are excellent ( 11 days on a single charge from 94%). There are 13 white listed apps on the iPhone app as part of being a MINIMALIST SMART WATCH. The pedometer is not that accurate( adds 500-1000 steps per day). The sleep tracking;however, is accurate. The vibration motion is subtle enough for notifications but I would not depend on it as an alarm clock to wake you in the morning. The music controls are fun once you get used to the buttons. You will not be able to reply to messages or contact Siri through - not a big deal to me though. The e-ink display can be seen in almost any conditions. In dark areas double tapping firmly the screen will gibe you lights. All in all this the best looking feature packed Hybrid watch until now. The iPhone software is easy to navigate and simple enough for the very day use.
Conclusions
Pros:
1- Battery Life
2- Aesthetics.
3- NIce interface
4- e-ink
Cons:
1- Fittnes tracking is not accurate.
2-Can’t reply to messages
3- limited app support

32 people found this helpful

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Matthew Anderton

Great hybrid watch!

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2019

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

As an old Pebble fan, love that somebody is finally making good use of e-ink in watches again. The activity tracking seems more accurate and consistent than my Fossil WearOS watch (Gen 4), but glad that it syncs to Google Fit. The app is slick and easy to use. Very happy so far. I am a little concerned that the watch seems to fog up a little (see photo) on the INSIDE when I go from a warm environment to a cold one. It clears up quickly, but I'm afraid it might be a symptom of a larger problem.

7 people found this helpful

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Donn M. Searle

Runs O/23 days continuously on single charge!

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2021

Color: Black, Dark BrownVerified Purchase

—I received this watch on April 23RD; put it on the charger and have worn it continuously since. It charged fully in a little over an hour. In the intervening twelve days of continuous use, it has consumed just 29% of its battery reserve. I haven’t exercised with it, but in all other respects, I’ve availed myself of all of its other recordings.
—The Fossil keeps absolutely accurate time, and all of the programmable face offerings are easily read. After looking over them on the watch (they are set from the phone app), I prefer the default pictured. The notifications, accessed via the three buttons, are also customizable on the phone app. The Fossil app is straightforward and the phone quickly pairs when the two devices are close together. If the cell phone is put on its charger, a notification appears at the base of the watch face: A phone icon with a diagonal line through it. Unplug the phone & the icon disappears. The watch notifies messages & phone calls -which you choose to display from your contacts. I have set family & American Express from my Contacts -no others. These notifications -text & phone number only, are answered on the phone.
—This watch is capable of driving one to drink, with all its capabilities, if you set them up. DON’T! The idea here is to SIMPLIFY your life. Wearing the watch with its leather strap full time, is quite comfortable.
—Regarding the reports of fogging: I have experience NO lens fogging. I treat the watch the same as I would any fine timepiece: I do not expose it to water.
—Regarding the charger: I purchased an after-market charger, which magnet is so weak, it isn’t worth a hoot in hell. But I like the idea of a stand. The charger that comes with the watch is strong; the metal watch back fairly snaps onto the round, grey magnet. And keeping in mind that Fossil recommends charging on a computer USB port to avoid the possibility of an electrical surge, I glued the Fossil magnetic charger to the stand & affixed the apparatus to the top of my Dell CPU and am set for the next worry-free charge, whenever that day arrives.
—A footnote: The Fossil (made in China) is my second choice. My first was the U.S.-made Garmin Vivofit, at about the same price. But the Garmin not only wouldn’t pair, the correct time would not set and the display is far more faint & fuzzy than its appearance in the Amazon description. The Garmin has no buttons; all of its functions are accessed by swiping. And more swiping. Further, unlike Fossil which is always on; the Garmin isn’t. To read it, one gives it a turn of the wrist. That battery-saving feature doesn’t count for much: Owners report a need for recharging every few days, depending on how stingy one is, using GPS. Fossil doesn’ t have GPS function. I compensate by not getting lost. As soon as the Garmin return was scanned by UPS, Amazon credited my account in full.
Still the best customer service, bar none!

2 people found this helpful

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Trevor L

Updates have made this unique watch more useful

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022

Color: Black, BrownVerified Purchase

It does very few things, but does those really well. It has better battery life than a Wear OS or Apple Watch, by more than a week. It has a better screen than a fitness tracking band for reading notifications, since it is watch with a full face screen instead of some narrow band. It looks tremendously better then a Fitbit Sense, which is the only watch to approach it in terms of both battery life and screen size. It’s very much a niche product but has improved a lot with updates.
If you accept it limitations, it’s very impressive. It has no apps. It isn’t waterproof. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, so it is controlled from three buttons along one side. It doesn’t do contactless payments. All these are detractors, but ….. it has better than ten day battery life with its screen always-on. It shows messages and notifications across the whole screen, unlike a Withings or a narrow screen fitness tracker. It has changeable faces since it has a full screen display. It looks fantastic and can be worn with dress clothes without looking out of place (even more so than an Apple Watch IMO). I use the music controls function (which is very reliable) to increase/decrease volume and skip tracks when I wear earbuds that don’t have those controls (i.e. when wearing only one ear bud). Not only don’t I need to take my phone out to do that, but with the push button interface I can do all of those things by feel without even looking at the watch. It rings my phone when I can’t find it. None of what it can do is new to smart watches. It does just enough to make me happy, plus goes ten days between charges, and looks great.
This watch is tremendously more useful and convenient now than when it first was introduced, due to several software updates. So, many early reviews don’t do it justice. For example, if you’re a lefty, you can now wear the watch reversed on your right wrist despite the fact that reviews written during the year the watch launched say it doesn’t have that function, which was added during the third update. You can send quick replies to calls that you don't accept, although many reviews were made before that function was added. This has become a very solid option. Sure I wish that I could leave it on in the shower, but I don’t because it isn’t waterproof and it’s glass would fog. What it does, it does well. The fact that the price it half way between a fitness band and a smart watch is appropriate. It does half way between what those two products do.

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Jason

Excellent first impression

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2021

Color: Black, BrownVerified Purchase

Finally a smart watch/fitness tracker for me!! Not only is it stylish, the e-ink style screen allows the watch face to remain on, at all times. The battery life is un-freaking+believable, especially when compared to many current offerings which tout "a full days charge". This will easily last 10 x that, without blinking an eye all the while receiving regular SMS, PHONE. & Ring (security) notifications.

The proprietary android app is minimalistic and straight forward. Very easy to navigate and understand.

My only real gripe is the charger, which itself is proprietary, ensuring you will have to hold onto yet another USB charging cable. Fortunately however, you will only have to reach for it once every two weeks.

Cannot recommend this enough to traditional watch wearers looking to sip their toes in the smart waters. As well as tech nerds fed up with the painful battery life allowed unto the current crop of wearables.

I find myself firmly in the latter of the 2

I had/have previously owned and regularly wore the OG Moto watch, more recently though the Samsung Active 2. The trade off of a black and white e-ink smart watch instead of a color screen which plugs into an app store FULL of applications which barely provide the service (s) they advertise, often limited due to technology and screen size, was a no brainer. (What is supposed to compel me to to control my Smarthtings hub from a tiny 1 inch watch with limited pressure sensitivity?!?) My point is, smart watches are often very useful little devices which allow access to an abundance of services right there on your wrist. But the problem is most of them suck. Fossil keeps the essential features and functions of smart devices and stretches the battery life from am optimistic 2 days to a much more manageable 2 weeks.

Give fossil a go. You won't be disappointed

Helpful

Rob Conder

This is exactly what I'd hoped a smartwatch would be.

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2021

Color: Black, Dark BrownVerified Purchase

The very attractive price of this watch coupled with the Fossil brand name caught my eye. At this price, I was willing to take a risk. I am absolutely amazed at how cool this thing is. It's completely customizable: select a face from a dozen or so pre-designed ones, or CREATE YOUR OWN using text, images, dial and information layout tools, etc. The screen is an LCD "paper display", meaning it uses little power and is easily visible in direct sunlight, ensuring that your battery will last for weeks! Pair it with your smartphone, and it immediately and automatically sets itself to the correct time, date, and time zone. Control your smartphone's music app from your wrist, check or dismiss notifications, etc. The calorie tracking system combined with a very comprehensive exercise/heart rate monitor allows you to watch and track your progress. You can even link to a buddy's Fossil Collider smartwatch and compete or set goals for yourself! This is everything I'd hoped a smartwatch would be, and the finish I selected is beautiful. I'm absolutely thrilled with my purchase.

One person found this helpful

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Dennis K

Finally found a solid replacement for my Pebble.

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2019

Color: SmokeVerified Purchase

I bought this to replace my recently deceased Pebble 2's, both of which died due to the silicon degrading and the buttons tearing, which let water get in. I really loved both of them, and couldn't seem to find a new watch to replace them.

I was interested in buying the Collider when I first saw it, but the reviews were pretty bad. Apparently there were only 13 apps that notifications worked for, and most of those weren't anything I used, so I was going to pass on it. Then I saw on the Fossil Hybrid subreddit that they finally released an update that allowed all notifications to work, so I decided to take a chance and ordered the stainless steel version.

Four days into ownership and I find myself genuinely enjoying the watch.

Pros:
- Comfort. The Pebble 2 HR's sensor was big enough to make the watch uncomfortable if it wasn't sitting right, digging into my wrist and forcing me to adjust it throughout the day. The Collider does not have that issue. Its a heck of a lot more comfortable, although quite a bit heavier (mostly due to the stainless steel band).
- Battery. The Pebble 2 HR lasted about 8 days, so I generally charged it once a week. I've been using the Collider for four days and its at 81%. Granted, I definitely get a lot less notifications than most people, so my battery life will be better than average.
- Sleep Tracking actually works. I sleep during afternoons, and I move around a lot while I sleep, so the Pebble 2 would only track maybe half of my sleep. The Collider seems way more accurate, showing almost exactly when I fell asleep and when I get out of bed. It doesn't pick up every time I wake up to change positions, but it does show maybe half, which is impressive since it only takes a few seconds for me to go back to sleep.
- The design. The watch is pretty. Every person I've shown it to has agreed that its a really cool looking watch. Seriously, you need to see this watch in person.

Cons:
- The temperature is always incorrect, usually by 5-12 degrees when compared to any other weather app I check. Its kind of annoying, but I can just check my phone when I need to see the weather.
- The vibration is barely noticeable. For texts and e-mails, the vibration is both short and weak, making is easy to miss the notification. This is the one thing about the watch that I don't like. If I'm walking, I won't feel the vibrating at all.

If it wasn't for the vibration issues, the watch would be perfect for me. I still really like the watch, and recommend it to anybody looking for a smartwatch that they don't have to worry about charging daily.

Update: After over a year of daily use, I still absolutely love this watch. I raised my rating from a 4 to a 5 because the updates over the past year have fixed every issue I had with the watch. The temperature is accurate and you can increase the vibration settings now.

The battery life has also improved quite a bit, now I charge it once every 3-4 weeks. But that is probably because I'm not a big texter, so I don't get as many notifications in a day as an average person.

15 people found this helpful

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Chris

Perfect for me!

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2021

Color: SmokeVerified Purchase

LOVE LOVE LOVE how this watch looks and feels on my wrist. Can make subtle design adjustments that keep the watch looking very sporty/classy, yet perfectly functional for my daily routines. Battery is amazing. Official Fossil watch bands are very high quality and feel super comfortable on my wrist. The stainless steel band that comes with this watch has a nice weight and is easy to latch/unlatch. Removing a link to customize length and fit is tricky unless you have a super small screwdriver head to poke the pin completely out via the pin hole. The user interface looks super clean and legible in bright daylight. Bluetooth range is around 30-50 feet depending on obstructions. I've had other Wear OS watches and this one perfectly scratches that itch between functionality, battery life and great aesthetics.

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Harold Eustache

Great watch - A (nearly) perfect hybrid

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2020

Color: Black, BrownVerified Purchase

I’ve had this watch for about a week now and it’s a great piece of equipment. I did quite a bit of research to find the best hybrid watch that could still do all of the things I wanted. This has those things and more. First, I found the Fossil App to be totally easy to use, the pairing process to be extremely simple and the features work well. My watch so far in a week has not unpaired once. In addition, I like how I can control which apps notify me to my watch and how. I also have found it easy to read the watch face when someone is calling and accept or decline the call. I do wish that it had notifications for IMessages but I knew going in it did not and that has not taken away from the watch. I’ve had the watch for a week and I fully charged it and I am still currently at 80% charge, which is mind blowing.

Pros:

Fossil App
Easy Pairing
Battery Life
Responsive buttons

Cons:
Unreliable HR monitor
Watch hands same color as watch? (Why!?!)
No IMessage

This is a fantastic watch and I would recommend it to anyone in the market for a great Hybrid!

2 people found this helpful

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4 star		16%
3 star		6%
2 star		3%
1 star		5%

Fossil Men's 42mm Collider Stainless Steel and Leather Hybrid HR...

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Fossil Men's 42mm Collider Stainless Steel and Leather Hybrid HR Smart Watch, Color: Black, Brown (Model: FTW7008)

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Fossil Men's 42mm Collider Stainless Steel and Leather Hybrid HR Smart Watch, Color: Black, Brown (Model: FTW7008)

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