I’ve always had an admiration for watches, especially those that are both elegant, sporty and fashionable. I could never understand why I liked them, but I wished that someday, I would own a watch that would capture my attention. Little did I know that watches were set on a path towards evolution. Now smartwatches are getting me intrigued, and I am at a loss if I should alter my dream watch to instead own a “smart watch”.

At this year’s Baselworld, famed watch brand Fossil Group announced the launch of more than 300 connected watch styles across 14 brands in 2017. That’s a whopping number of timepieces to grace the wrists of Fossil fans and watch collectors. By reimagining the watch experience with the combination of fashion and technology, Fossil Group has, quite simply, reinvented the watch. If you have a passion like me for watches with both technology and style, you know this will fulfill your desire.

 

Here are the new Fossil Group highlights, which range from slimmer and smaller hybrid smartwatches to full-round touchscreen smartwatches with custom AMOLED displays and branded micro-apps:

Hybrid Smartwatches

 

Fossil Group’s line-up of 2017 hybrid smartwatches – connected watches with discreet notifications and activity tracking that look like traditional watches – are now slimmer, sleeker and smarter. With new design variations and more functional side-button pushers that can be assigned to specific tasks (such as, “ring your phone,” take a selfie, track a goal or control music), the hybrid smartwatch is increasingly versatile and customisable.

o DKNY MINUTE hybrid smartwatch collection (Holiday 2017)

o Marc Jacobs Riley hybrid smartwatch (Fall 2017)

o MICHELE Connected hybrid smartwatch collection (Holiday 2017)

o Relic – Duncan men’s hybrid smartwatch collection and the Eliza women’s hybrid smartwatch collection (Fall 2017)

o Tory Burch – The Collins hybrid smartwatch (Holiday 2017)

o Armani Exchange Connected line of hybrid smartwatches extends its collection to include two new colorways of the silicone style (Fall 2017) and will introduce five dress styles (Holiday 2017)

o Chaps Connected line of hybrid smartwatches will include new colorways (Fall 2017)

o Diesel On collection of hybrid smartwatches will include new colorways and a new platform based on the popular Mega Chief (Fall 2017)

o Emporio Armani Connected line of hybrid smartwatches will include new platforms and new colorways (Fall 2017)

o Fossil Q Accomplice and Q Activist hybrid smartwatch cases with customisable pushers (Summer/Fall 2017)

o Kate Spade Holland hybrid smartwatch (Fall 2017)

o Misfit – Four new colorways will join the Phase hybrid smartwatch collection (April 2017)

o Michael Kors Access will expand its collection of hybrid smartwatches by offering two new colorways for ladies (Fall 2017) and new colorways and platforms for men (Holiday 2017)

o Skagen – 19 new styles and four new platforms set to launch throughout 2017, including Jorn (men’s), Hald (women’s), Signatur (men’s) and Signatur t-bar (women’s)

Touchscreen Smartwatches

Fossil Group’s new 2017 touchscreen smartwatches, compatible with both iOS® and Android™ phones, are powered by Android Wear™ 2.0, Google’s smart watch platform and a Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100 processor. They feature a one-of-a-kind, full-AMOLED, high-resolution screens that preserve the integrity of sophisticated watch design while enabling crystal clear illumination. Customers can personalise the watch faces by choosing from millions of branded dial designs developed and programmed by Fossil Group. In addition, Android Wear™ 2.0 allows users to customise key information to appear on their watch face, create shortcuts to play music, call a car or monitor activity goals.

Micro-apps for the Touchscreen Smartwatches

Branded smartwatch micro-apps will be rolled out with each brand’s new touchscreen smartwatch. Enabled by Android Wear™ 2.0 and built by Fossil Group’s internal software development team, each micro-app will offer unique functionalities in line with the brands’ DNA and target consumer in mind, without the need to be tethered to a smartphone. Additionally, user’s third-party apps can be downloaded through the on-watch Google Play™ Store.

o Diesel On will include its first touchscreen smartwatch available in five out-sized styles (Holiday 2017)

o Emporio Armani – Emporio Armani Connected will include its first touchscreen smartwatch (Beginning September 2017)

o Fossil – Q Venture and Q Explorist are the brand’s slimmest, most feature-packed touchscreen smartwatches to date (Fall 2017)

o Michael Kors – Michael Kors Access Sofie and Michael Kors Access Grayson are two new introductions to the touchscreen smartwatch collection (Fall 2017)

o Misfit – Misfit Vapor is powered by Android Wear™ 2.0 and includes heart rate monitoring, GPS, standalone music functionality, and is swimproof to 5ATM (LateSummer 2017)

Price and availability of these smartwatches will be updated at a later time.