On Monday, Fossil announced a brand new limited edition smartwatch created in collaboration with National Geographic photographer, athlete, and world adventurer Cory Richards. The product is called the ‘Fossil Q x Cory Richards’ and although it’s a fully-fledged smartwatch powered by the Android Wear operating system, the exterior design was inspired by the classic Fossil Blue model which holds a special place in Cory Richards’ heart. Hardware details are currently largely unknown but Fossil will fully unveil the smartwatch at Baselworld 2017 in Switzerland later this week.
Cory Richards is a world-renowned adventurer, storyteller, photographer for National Geographic, and most importantly according to Fossil, he is “A true creative at heart”, which is one of the reasons why the watchmaker considered him to be the perfect partner for its first-ever Fossil Q collaboration. Another reason is Richards’ own enthusiasm for Fossil watches. His first Fossil watch was the Fossil Blue which accompanied him in all of his journeys through his early twenties, including while he was climbing in Yosemite. Sadly, Cory Richards cracked his Fossil Blue’s crystal on that particular trip, and although the watch was still able to keep perfect time, it eventually met its demise on a sea-kayaking trip to Australia where it got filled with saltwater. Nevertheless, Cory Richards kept the watch and had it framed as a way to remember his past adventures. “The watch became a moving piece of art” according to Richards, who added that although the watch is no longer able to tell the time, it remains a testament to his past adventures and achievements.
Needless to say, Cory Richards’ story inspired Fossil to create a limited edition smartwatch, as a way to pay tribute to his iconic Fossil Blue watch. According to the press release, the limited edition Fossil Q x Cory Richards blends the best features of a smartwatch with a striking design, and boasts an always-on display as well as a built-in activity tracker able to count calories burned, steps, and differentiate between physical activities such as cycling or trekking. The wearable will feature customizable faces with light silver, black, and blue dials, along with orange elements on the second-hand. Interestingly enough, the press release also mentions that the case “has bene updated with a rugged topping” to contrast the silver-tone case and bracelet. Last but not least, the package will contain an interchangeable leather strap featuring Cory Richards’ signature, as seen in the image above. The Fossil Q x Cory Richards limited edition smartwatch will launch globally on March 27, 2017, and will be showcased at Baselworld 2017 in Basel, Switzerland between March 23-30.