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

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.

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Dr. StrangeBrew

The best available. A nice watch with the battery life and features I need. However...

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2019

Color: Black, Dark Brown

Update two days after my initial review... After further consideration, I am changing this review drastically. I want to love this watch so much, but this thing has really been getting on my nerves.

I am still considering this the best hybrid available, btw. I’m so confused!

I am annoyed enough at the software for this watch that I am knocking down to three until Fossil fixes them (then I’ll move up to four stars). I'm not sure this watch was really mature enough to be released. But it can get there.

The software fixable (hopefully) problems:
1. How the heck do you get the light to go on consistently? You can flick it, hit it hard with your (other) hand, whatever. I just can’t get it to go on consistently. UGH! I’m assuming that this isn’t an inherent hardware issue, and that Fossil can turn up the sensitivity to improve...
2. How do I get tomorrow’s weather? I can get today’s, and a three day forecast two days out, but nowhere can I find tomorrow’s weather.
3. Let me invert the text/background. It would be so much easier for me and my old eyes to see if it was just inverted. During notifications, put the whole thing like that. Let me choose. Shouldn’t be hard to do. If you have young eyes this might not be an issue. I’m having a really hard time reading notifications due to the white on black choice (that I cannot change).

Not fixable hardware issue that will keep this watch from ever getting five stars from me:
I'm not sure if they are using older technology for the e-ink or something. Contrast is not nearly as good as something like a Kindle Paperwhite. (Note: according to one of the answers for a question for this product, the crystal is tinted brown on the brown one. That would reduce contrast.)

...and now, my previous review (with some edits because it went against what I typed above)... This has a better summary of my opinions on smartwatches, the features of this one, etc.
———————————
I have owned this watch for about two weeks now. I like this watch, and see it as, perhaps, the best smart watch I have ever owned for my preference for features.

I am really into hybrid smartwatches. I want a watch with real hands. I want days or weeks between charging. I want a watch that looks like a normal watch. I want a watch that I can look at only briefly in order to find out what the message was, or who’s calling, or whatever. I do not want a watch that has apps built into it, or listens for “Hello Google,” has games on it, or whatever. If you’re into those things, look elsewhere. This does not run on Android/Google Wear, or Rizen, or Pebble’s OS, or anything like that.

I used the Withings Steel HR for a long time. It almost fit the bill. The problem with it was that the display was too small. When there was a notification, I had to stare at it for a long time and watch it scroll across. Really rude when I was talking to someone. Loved the watch, but would give 4 stars due to that behavior. I was waiting for something that solved that issue.

So, I got this watch after a long period of anticipation. The watch fits the bill. It gives good notifications that I can look at quickly. It has long battery life. It is a good looking watch, and not obviously a smartwatch. Let me break these down further for you:

The good:
1. Appearance: It looks like a watch. A nice watch. Not the sexiest thing I’ve ever owned, but a nice looking watch. It does not look like a smartwatch. It’s not incredibly large. The info on the display is subtle due to the dark background. Yay!
2. Battery life: This watch meets the manufacturer spec’s. I think it might even be better than specified. I don’t get that many notifications, so my use might be light, but after a week, It was easily over 50%. Yay.
3. Notifications: FINALLY! I can see (most of) what the notification is without hitting buttons or waiting for it to scroll. Yay.
4. Features: The features on this thing are surpass what I need. I like the weather (see more under cons though). I like the fact that it can control music (not a feature I use). I like the fact that I can ring my phone when I’ve lost it in the couch. Yay!
5. Very coolness : I love what they did with the hands... When you are doing anything with it, the hands point to the 3 and the 9 so you can see all parts of the screen that have info on them. Brilliant! Also, you can have it such that when you turn/flick your wrist, the hands circle around once. It looks cool, and it lets you see any one of the items on the screen. It has always bothered me that "real smartwatches", if you set them up with virtual analog hands, will still cover the date. Just let me see the date!!! This watch always lets you see it. AWESOME!

Cons:
1. Responsiveness: This watch is e-ink. E-ink is not quick. Be patient, and understand that e-ink is not yet a responsive technology.
2. Light: I can’t figure out how to get the light to come on consistently. Still working on that. If I figure out the trick, I’ll update this review. Hitting the watch harder isn’t it. Flicking it with my finger is inconsistent. Tapping it on the top left a strange amount (people will go “What did you just do???”) seems to do it pretty consistently.
3: User interface: It’s kinda weird. When a notification comes up, you have to hit the middle button to see it more. Why the heck can’t you just use the upper and lower buttons to scroll it right away??? Dismissing the notifications is weird too. It seems as though the best method is to just hold the middle button for a little bit.
4: Old person use: I’m currently roughly (the_current_year - 1973) years old. My eyes are not what they used to be. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to see what’s going on, especially with the light text over dark background, which leads to:
5: Customization: Why can’t I switch it from white text on black background to black on white? It would be much easier to look at. It might not look as sexy, but I sure would find it easier to use.
6: Weather: I can’t figure it out. It seems to show the extended forecast starting two days out. It’s Friday. I want to see weather for the weekend. It shows me the weather starting on Sunday? Where is Saturday? Perhaps I’m looking in the wrong place, but clearly they didn’t put it in the right place. (Note that weather is a functionality beyond what my requirements are, but it really is nice to have. As long as I don’t care what the next day’s weather is!)

So, as you can see, I definitely have some complaints about it. These might be deal killers for you, but for me it’s the best available. Looks like a normal watch, gives decent notifications, has long battery life. That’s what I want. When a better hybrid comes out, I’ll switch to that, but I don’t see that coming anytime soon.

132 people found this helpful

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Matt Miller

The perfect blend of analog and smartwatch

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020

Color: SmokeVerified Purchase

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

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AmaAddict

Great idea, terrible implementation

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2019

Color: Black, Dark BrownVerified Purchase

Let me start off by saying that I was really looking forward to this watch. As a Pebble owner, I was looking for something that offered me basic notification management and fitness tracking while giving me a long battery life. On paper, this watch looked perfect. But, unfortunately, I ended up returning it for three main reasons:

1. The app is required and is guarded by a license agreement with a forced arbitration clause. So what? Well, it matters a great deal. The watch is useless without the app (you can't even set the time), and forced arbitration clauses prevent you from being part of a class action lawsuit. If they ever withdraw the app or if the watches start catching fire or whatever, your only recourse will be to start arbitration with them in Dallas, TX. Unless you individually are willing to go through the time and effort to do so, you'll never be able to recoup your losses. Fossil knows this, which is why they are hiding behind a forced arbitration clause.

2. The app is buggy. A few hours after I installed the app, my phone let out it's "dying" noise to let me know the battery was just about gone. This was odd since I had fully charged it at lunch and hadn't used it much. When I picked it up, it was super hot and in the battery logs, it showed that the Fossil app had used 43% of my battery.

3. The watch is buggy. In my first day with it, it lost Bluetooth connectivity three times and each time required reinstalling the app and factory resetting the watch to get it to re-sync. Even worse, there's no indication from the watch that it's lost signal. This means that you're likely to miss important notifications because you're unaware that your watch disconnected. At least on the Pebble, you can put an icon on the watch face to indicate if you're connected or have it buzz if it loses connectivity.

In summary, stay away. Maybe their next model will get the bugs out.

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mo

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.

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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

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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.

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5 star		69%
4 star		16%
3 star		6%
2 star		3%
1 star		5%

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