Fossil bets big on Android Wear at IFA

Fossil unveiled plans this week at IFA in Berlin that it is betting big on Android Wear 2.0 this year.

It seems that Fossil thinks Android Wear is its future and that by the end of 2017 the company will have launched more than 300 connected watch styles across 14 brands.

“Today our wearables segment is the fastest-growing part of our business,” said Greg McKelvey, chief strategy and digital officer at Fossil Group. “Customer demand is strong and getting stronger, and we’re just on the front end of this business evolution. Clearly, this distinct combination of the best design and the best tech is winning with fashion-conscious consumers, especially our female customers who were long neglected by other wearables brands.”

“Our partnership with Fossil Group has been a driving force for the growth of Android Wear’s device portfolio, which has allowed us to offer users choices and diversity,” said David Singleton, vice president of Android engineering at Google. “We are thrilled to continue the partnership into 2018 and implement new ways to connect fashion and technology, leveraging the flexibility of Android Wear and the design capabilities of Fossil Group and its brands.”

Before the end of 2017, the company will have a lot more smart watches on the way.

• Diesel – The first Diesel On Full Guard touchscreen smartwatch is available for presale, with the entire collection globally available September 25.


• Emporio Armani – The first Emporio Armani Connected touchscreen smartwatch is the epitome of sophistication, combining classic watch design with innovative technology. The smartwatch – available September 14 – features 11 interchangeable straps and a Saved Faces watch app, which allows you to take your watch from day to night with leather, silicone and stainless steel straps.


• Fossil – Fossil launches its first full-round touchscreen smartwatches, Fossil Q Venture and Fossil Q Explorist. These sleeker smartwatches feature stunning OLED displays and exclusive new watch apps. New styles are now available in select Fossil stores and on Fossil.com.


• Michael Kors – The Michael Kors Access Sofie touchscreen smartwatches were developed with women in mind and feature a dazzling, sleek casebody and screen. The Michael Kors Access Grayson touchscreen smartwatch is designed for the sophisticated man on the go with a stainless steel casebody and oversized screen. All new Michael Kors Access touchscreen smartwatches will be available globally September 25.


• Misfit – Misfit Vapor, which includes heart rate monitoring, standalone music functionality, and is swim proof to 5ATM, will be available in October.

Although Apple Watch is the dominant wearable in the market, it is clear that there is still a lot of room for other brands. With this many options, the toughest question is how many watches is too many watches.

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