Smart watches have been all the rage of late, and you won’t have been able to look at a tech website or browse a magazine without being bombarded by adverts for the latest Apple Watch or Fitbit tracker. The range of them is astounding and growing every day. However, in the past year or so a new breed of ‘smart’ watch has arrived on our shelves, the hybrid. They aim to attract the more traditional watch buyer and bring them into the ‘smart’ fold, by combining the traditional and the modern. These watches have machined faces and dials as watches have had for centuries, but combine digital technology to more or less of a degree, usually depending on the brand or model. For instance, one may incorporate a small digital display in the dial, whereas another may have no screen, but be able to vibrate to pre-set alerts, track your steps and location. Along with full-blown smartwatches, today there are a huge variety of these hybrid styles as well.

Fossil watches are one of the forerunners in the smartwatch market, but also a great exponent of the hybrid design as well. As a company, they have been making watches for more than 25 years, and digital watches for nearly 15, so they are well experienced. The newest line ‘Q Neely’ and ‘Q Jacqueline’ are hybrid watches designed to appeal to a more feminine customer. Traditionally, technology in watches was the preserve of men and geeks at that, but with the market ever expanding it makes sense to add a daintier, more attractive line to their range. With 36mm cases and a slim depth, they suit slender wrists, and with a range of straps in silicone, leather and even stainless steel mesh, they can be customized to the wearer’s taste.

With the smart and hybrid watch market estimated to be worth multiple billions in the coming years, we can expect many more offerings to come to market soon, but we fully expect that established brands like Fossil will continue to evolve and hone their designs and produce even finer pieces than these.