Over the past few years since the introduction of smartwatches, most watchmakers have not joined the Android Wear market and instead they have decided to blur the line between regular and smart watches by creating something called “hybrid watches”. These devices are analog watches sprinkled with smart features, as opposed to touchscreen-based wrist devices that can tell the time and date. Fossil is one of those watchmakers in the world to adopt the hybrid watch concept, and last September the company took the veil off its latest Fossil Q Marshall and Q Wander. Now the company is gearing up for the release of new hybrid watches branded by Diesel, Kate Spade, and Emporio Armani.
Fossil is getting ready to release a handful of new hybrid smartwatches in late 2016 and early 2017. The products will be part of three main lineups branded by Diesel, Kate Spade, and Emporio Armani, and each brand will be accompanied by its own dedicated application for notification settings and so on. Additionally, all models will be powered by a coin cell battery with a lifespan of roughly six months; they are equipped with three physical buttons each, and they will all be compatible with both Android and iOS-powered smartphones. There will be a total of five DieselOn Time hybrid smartwatches each wrapped in a stainless steel casing, and each paired with a leather strap available in black, brown, and dark brown color options. Another five Fossil models will carry the Emporio Armani Connected brand, and all models will be available with a black lip or stainless steel bracelet, a leather strap in rose gold and brown, another leather strap in blue, gun metal, or black, and lastly a stainless steel strap. Last but not least, the Fossil Kate Spade hybrid smartwatch will be available in three main models: rose gold with black leather strap, a silver model with gray leather strap, and a gold variant coupled with a pale pink leather strap.
As far as availability is concerned, the Fossil Kate Spade hybrids will be available somewhere between the end of the year and the beginning of 2017 and will cost $250. Meanwhile the Fossil DieselOn Time and Emporio Armani Connected models will be available through select retailers at the end of 2016, however, pricing for these models have yet to be specified.