I like sleek watches and smart gadgets. The Collider Hybrid HR by Fossil is right up my street. It's a smart watch that knows what it wants.
Unassuming elegance on my wrist
Love at first sight
When I first saw it, I didn't even notice that it was a smartwatch or a hybrid watch. It was only when I took a closer look at the dial that I discovered the heart rate, weather and step count. Hybrid in this case means that it combines the classic-analogue design of an ordinary wristwatch with the versatile features of a modern smartwatch. It's this combination that I love about the Fossil Collider Hybrid HR.
Well thought through
A low-key, elegant and clever wristwatch
Are you also a wristwatch enthusiast and like the Fossil Collider Hybrid HR? Or are you missing the smartwatch look? Either way, let me know by commenting below this article. If you don't want to miss any more jewels from our range of smartwatches or hybrid watches, follow me by clicking on the «Follow author» button.
Header image: The hybrid smartwatch Fossil Collider Hybrid HR impressed me from the very first moment.
When I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.
Product test
Our experts test products and their applications. Independently and neutrally.
I never leave my home without one. I adore them. I own eleven of them. I value them as accessories and only occasionally as timekeepers: wristwatches. When I need to know the time, I use my smartphone, the screens in public transport or the clock at the bottom right of my PC screen. A wristwatch is like a piece of clothing for me. I prefer simple models in subtle colours and with almost no fancy stuff on the dial. As I also have a flair for electronic gadgets, it didn't take long until I spotted the Fossil Collider Hybrid HR. Since our first meeting, all I think about is this wristwatch. I wear it almost every day.
Yes, I consider a wristwatch an accessory. And no, I don't consider it a status symbol. Although, or maybe because I own eleven of them, my most expensive wristwatch is worth just under CHF 1,000.–. And it was a gift. All others set me back CHF 250.– at most. Don't dream of a Glashütte Senator Tourbillon every now and then? Of course I do. But I would never wear such an valuable piece of jewellery around my wrist. I'm far too clumsy; I'm constantly knocking my hand on door frames, furniture or posts. Therefore, I settle for watches that are more affordable but still rather elegant.
My chronological object of desire: Glashütte Senator Tourbillon. Picture source: Chronomania
I also like automatic watches. Not because the weight swinging behind the dial makes me nervous, but because self-winding watches don't require changing the battery. That's also the reason why I find smartwatches so appealing. But until now, I've always found them too expensive. Imagine hitting your hand against a post when you're wearing an Apple Watch. What I need is a combination of elegant wristwatch, affordable accessory and cool gadget. This seemed to be wishful thinking for a long time. Until the Fossil Collider Hybrid HR was launched.
Double-clicking the glass activates the bluish backlight of the dial.
The dial is kept as simple as possible, even the numbers for the twelve hours are missing.
The hands as well as the outer edge of the dial are analogue and have a simple old school look – just as watches looked like before the invasion of smartwatches. The only thing that looks smart is the inner circle, which contains four symbols that you can personalise. It's up to you whether and where you want to display the current weather, number of steps, date or heart rate. You can also reassign the buttons and their commands via the app. You can even convert your own photo into watch format and display it on the dial. This is clearly a hybrid watch. Smartwatches have sharper and more colourful displays, while the Fossil Collider Hybrid HR is equipped with an e-ink display.
Not everyone's cup of tea: you can choose a picture of your cat as display background.
What can the latest Fossil watch do that ordinary wristwatches cannot? Plenty. Although the always-on screen doesn't have touchscreen functionality, you can turn on the backlight for five seconds by double-tapping the glass. The dial displays all kinds of health information, including activity minutes, calories burned, step count, heart rate and sleep phases. It's also possible to record training sessions and display the progress in achieving a daily goal. The Collider Hybrid HR also displays all your Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram messages. However, you cannot reply to them via the watch. The same goes for incoming calls: you can see, answer or reject them on the hybrid Fossil Watch, but you'll have to speak through your mobile phone in a call.
The menu of the Collider Hybrid HR only features the bare essentials.
I use my watch a lot and the battery lasts for about two weeks. Yet, while I use it when I go for a short run, I prefer my Garmin watch for more intense workout sessions, as it's designed for training, sweat and getting wet. The Fossil Collider Hybrid HR is more sensitive to moisture. The case is water resistant to 30 meters, but the leather strap isn't made to get wet. In standby mode, the battery is supposed to last up to three weeks. In my experience, it lasts even longer: when I go for another watch and put away the Collider Hybrid HR, I can easily leave it for a month without recharging it and it still doesn't run out of battery. The watch is fully charged after just one hour.
The Fossil app is well organised, easy to understand and works perfectly.
I've fallen in love with the Fossil Collider Hybrid HR. It offers exactly what I need: when I want, it sits quietly on my wrist, looking like an ordinary analogue and not attracting attention. It does what it has to do and nothing more. If I want, it displays what I want to see: my training progress, missed calls, current news or my heart rate. It keeps me from overdoing it and is very discreet: no flashing lights and no vibrations. It remains calm, looks unpretentious and isn't flashy. And yet, this watch turns heads.
