Customer Ratings & Reviews

The wearable device market has become competitive in the short time that it has been around. With all the contenders on the market that are available you might be asking why should I spend my cash on this device? Let's have a look at the fourth generation Fossil Q Explorist HR. Most consumers looking for a smartwatch want a device that is at least comparable or better than the legacy watches on the market. In terms of style this watch will not disappoint. It certainly does draw attention and i have had a few people come up to me and ask what kind of watch it was. This watch can be worn in any setting whether you are spending the night out on the town or in a professional setting. Fossil excels in the aesthetics department and I doubt anyone would disagree with that sentiment. i have a slim athletic build and despite that it lloks great on my wrist. I will have to take it to a jeweler to have some links removed because the stainless steel band is a little big on me. I also will purchase a silicon and leather band. This watch claims it can be used on IOS and Android. I own an android device and setup was not difficult but it took a little longer than I would have liked. but to be fair a system update was performed from Android wear to Wear OS. Functionality has improved greatly in the new update there is less swiping to complete a simple task. You need to open the play store and download Wear OS to your phone to setup your Fossil smartwatch. Applications on Wear OS are plentiful, whether or not they are useful to the user is subjective. There are many useful applications to be found and then the latter can be said. But at least you the user have options. There are many features this device supports such as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, heart rate monitor and nfc support for Google PAY. It is also r suitable for water activities such as swimming, fishing or other activities. It can be submerged up to 30 meters. You can receive and respond to notifications. text through swiping works better than I thought it would on such a small screen. You also have gesture controls there are three while they are useful it takes some time to adjust and remember them. I am still getting used to them. Of the three I find myself using the first two and even then I find myself succeeding about 2/3 of the time. I disabled the third one it is supposed to take you back to the home screen. :::Pros & Cons::: Pros - Aesthetics (looks good and has a nice weight) - Plenty of features - Performance - Swappable wrist straps (22mm) Neutral -Battery life (Manage to get 19 hrs with always on display, BT & NFC on a full charge. Some may see this as a con) Cons - Google assistant (activates when the crown is touched and it is sensitive I find myself pressing it accidentally often) TL:DR This smartwatch has a great look and feel. It is solid overall and there are minor complaints. If you are able to overlook the few flaws then this may just be what you are looking for.

I love the design of this watch. It charges fast, and lasts a full day. My husband loves to see his notifications ahead on his watch and it has a nice selection of watchfaces.

I love my new smart watch. I did a lot of research before my purchase and I'm confident I made the right decision. I love the different faces and the ability to customize each of them. I enjoy wearing different bands with different outfits. Definitely recommend this and the Venture.

I've owned quite a few fossil watches in my day. I've always found them to be a nice solid midpoint of reliable and attractive without being over-the-top expensive. I was excited at the chance to try out fossil's foray into Smartwatches. First, I love the way the watch looks. The biggest drawback I've found with most smartwatches is they look silly with business clothes. This watch is designed like a high-end watch, with a real, metal watchband that adjusts the standard way (i.e. links have to be removed to make it smaller, etc). I like wearing it to work and can finally remove my other "fitness band." I had to charge it out of the box--it was partially charged, but the instructions recommend charging it full, so I did. One of the biggest drawbacks that I see so far is that the charger is a proprietary design--I like having more than one charger for devices I use all the time (phone, fitbit, etc) so it irks me when I have to buy an extra, more-expensive-than-it-should-be charger. I will want another charger for this as I don't even see another method that could work for charging it. The charger is round and magnetized, so it attaches directly to the back of the watch. It does clip on very easily, and it doesn't seem to matter how it lines up, the magnet 'locks' it into place quickly. In my experience so far the watch charges very fast. I was a little worried about battery life after my first day with it. The watch went from fully charged to dead in less than 12 hours--not ideal. After a few more times charging it does seem to last much longer--24 hours or so. The first time I turned it on it downloaded and installed two updates, as well as all the apps, etc, so I'm sure that had a detrimental effect on battery life. Since then with normal use and wearing all day it has lasted just fine. If you plan on wearing this daily it will have to be charged every night. The apps I was able to install were all google apps--fitness, alarms, a flashlight (that actually works surprisingly well), notifications from both e-mail, messages, calendars, etc. Part of the set up (of course) is to install an app. The Wear OS app helps you complete the watch set up, and walks you through what apps you want on your watch--and it's a very long list. It's compatible with google assistant and can do everything your google assistant can do. You can also silence your phone while wearing your watch--and set it to do this automatically. The watch will notify you when you're getting a call, and in a nice touch it's not an obnoxiously loud vibration, but it's very easy to tell when you're getting a call. The other thing I like, but don't really see as a selling point, is the wide array of fitness apps provided. I use the step count and heart rate monitor a lot, but I just can't see myself working out while wearing this watch--it's too nice, and I'm afraid the metal would get "grimy" with sweat and dirt. It's probably durable enough, but it's just too dressy for a gym session. Still, I do like keeping up with my step count, and the heart rate monitor seems very accurate. One other small drawback--it's not compatible with fitbit (probably more due to fitbit than fossil, but who knows), which is what most of my other work-out wearables are branded, and also what my work insurance has a reimbursement program for. Hopefully I'll figure out a work-around, but I don't like not getting "credit" for steps during the day, and I don't want to have to use two different systems (which is what I'm having to do for now). Hopefully I can talk to our benefits department and get them to accept another tracking system. The watch face itself has a few downloadable designs. I like a few of them pretty well, but my favorite is the one that looks like a standard watch face (see picture). It syncs time with your phone, so it's accurate (or at least as accurate as your phone). It's also motion-activated to save battery. It's also very easy to read, though the text on alerts and messages can be small. Overall this is a great smartwatch--it's very versatile, looks better than every other smartwatch I've seen in that it looks and feels like a real watch....though that's also a slight drawback since it looks far too nice to wear while working out. I just wish they'd found a way to use a standard charger with it. Very much recommended if you're looking for a smartwatch that actually looks good with business clothes.

This is a beautiful watch. The Wear OS gives it high customization and versatility. It has a nice interface, and a responsive screen. The only major issue is the battery life. I turned off NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS, always on display, wrist response and set the screen brightness to 2; I didn't use any apps, log a workout or reply to any notifications - and the watch still used over 60% of its battery in under 7 hours. If someone was only going to use it while they were at work, it'd probably be fine. For someone like me, who only takes off their watch to charge it, this isn't the way to go.

This watch was very easy to set up. Looks great and very user friendly.

I really wanted to like this watch. It is a nice looking watch, which easily pairs with dressy or casual attire. Beyond that, I haven't found much to like about it. My first complaint is that it comes with a HUGE band. I tried removing three links at first, but it was still loose to the point where the watch face was always too far over on my wrist when I tried to look at it, so I constantly had to keep shaking my wrist to get it back to the right spot. I took off a fourth link and now it feels too tight. I guess I'll put a link back on and just deal with it feeling too loose. The whole thing is a big pain though, as I had to buy the tools to remove the pins from the watch band to adjust the size. I'm not sure how it can properly gauge my heart rate with a loose fit though. Another major issue I have is that not only does the watch battery die quickly on the watch, but it makes my phone (less than one year old) battery drain super fast as well. I guess I don't really see the usefulness of a smartwatch that doesn't have at least 3G connectivity. This watch does not have that, and is thus relegated to being nothing more than a remote control for your phone. There is no speaker on this watch, so you can’t use it for phone calls or listening to music without your phone or headphones anyway. You can set it up to see your messages and email and there are a few useful apps on it that don’t need your phone, like calculator and stopwatch, but this watch doesn’t bring anything to the table that you can’t do with your phone alone. My recommendation is to just get yourself a regular watch if you like the look of this one. It’ll do pretty much the same thing.

This is the very first Smarwatch I've ever owned so my experience is pretty limited. I really like the look of this watch. It's quite heavy and bit bulky but it certainly feels like there's a lot of excellent build quality to it. Setting up was a breeze. There was the matter of updating the Wear OS which did take a bit of time but I had it do so when I wasn't going to be using it for a while. During the time from when I started the setup (it was at 86% battery) to when I finally put it on the charger to update it was around 20-30% after only a couple hours. I attribute this to the updates and constant use of the watch for setting up and the tutorial. I did finally spend a day with the watch on and after what I believe was 6-8 hours maybe give or take an extra hour in there it was around 50-60% battery remaining. I didn't use any of the fitness related apps during that time. I think even with say an hour of fitness related activity I can see getting a good day's worth out of a charge. This does pale in comparison to other like products that can last longer. In my honest opinion, much like my Cell Phone I see no real downside to charging my device once a day. For apps and such I didn't have any issues. Navigation is quick and I didn't experience any lag or slowdowns. It was very responsive throughout my testing. I like the Spotify integration where you can change tracks, pause playback and also adjust the volume of the device you're listening on. Replaying to text and Facebook Messenger messages is easy and quick. The voice dictation worked nearly without issue. Sometimes it wouldn't pick up what I was saying, though when it did work, it was almost always perfect. I do wish different bands for the watch weren't so expensive, $40-65 depending on the style. I didn't have any discomfort or issues with the band that came with it. If you're in the market for a nice Smart Watch, I'd definitely give the fossil a look, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Testing this watch out was really my first experience with a true smart watch. To begin, this watch has become my everyday wearable watch and I HIGHLY recommend it. I don’t have many, but I am a person whom will change watches to match, if the mood requires it. The watch has a good well-built feel to it. The band has an easy release locking pin to make swapping bands quick and easy (not sure how this will hold up over time but for now it is very convenient). However, you will have to have the band sized professionally (as applicable for your wrist - it cost me like $20 at a Jewelry store). Set up was simple after a few hours of charging; using the Google Wear OS app (I am on android). The watch does require Bluetooth connection but has good range and will stay Wi-Fi connected even if out of range of your phone but within range of a connected Wi-Fi signal. Most of the apps are simple to use and the native Wear app has different face/dial displays to satisfy your taste for that day. My biggest complaint and the only reason I gave this unit 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the lack of sound. Meaning, there are NO beeps or noises from the watch (all external notifications are from vibration only) and you can only answer to your phone; you can however reply via text and what not. I have a friend and his watch has a sim card which allows him to actually “Dick Tracy” it and talk through his watch. Google will listen when you say, "Hey Google" (if enabled) but that's about the extent of it. Since adapting to it though, I find myself primarily checking my wrist first for incoming emails, calls, and messages (I even twist my wrist when wearing a normal watch to turn on the display like a smart guy :^)

I was drawn to the Fossil Q Explorist over other smart watches because I hate the design of most of the other smart watches out there. I want my watch to look like a watch not like a toy. The Fossil Explorist Gen4 HR delivers on that! This looks like a typical Fossil watch you'd buy from them, and the watch faces you have to choose from hammer that point home. I've been wearing it and until the screen lit up, people sitting right next to me didn't know it was a smart watch! Even though the chipset is a little older, there isn't any lag, or delay. The apps that you run on the watch aren't that taxing. The screen is responsive, and the learning curve isn't that steep. If you go through the tutorial, you learn the gestures and buttons quickly. The only downside is the battery, It really is only a 1 day battery. That doesn't bother me, I have no problems charging it every night, but I know that's a game breaker for some. Overall, great watch, great style, with a bad battery.

I also own the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier (LTE) watch, but I wanted to find a decent Google WearOS watch to alternate in with it. At $200 after discounts, I figured I'd give it a whirl. I also owned the Moto360 second gen a few years back and it finally bricked on me. This watch has a beautiful display and a bunch of apps that make WearOS a viable choice for non-Apple adopters like myself. I like being able to swap out the 22mm band as well. This works like it's supposed to, and everything is fairly accurate. The biggest gripe I have is no speaker or mic. The only other gripe is the battery life, or lack of it. I am pretty sure Fossil will do better with future generations of their wearables, and I enjoy wearing it at home, but I also find myself going back to my Gear S3 Frontier when I am away from home and when I'm sleeping, since there's no sleep tracking on the Fossil. Overall, I recommend this if you want just notifications and can charge it every night. I might pick up a straight-up Android watch soon and compare the true Android system versus WearOS versus Tizen. Right now, Tizen wins the non-Apple watch OS battle, in my gb opinion. Can WearOS fight back? We'll see. 4/5.

Best looking smartwatch I've seen available at Best Buy for men. I used to have an Apple watch but decided I wanted something with a traditional round design and that didn't look like what everybody else was wearing. After seeing this watch, I decided to abandon my old Apple 6s Plus and Apple watch and purchased this with a Blackberry Key 2. Couldn't be happier! I took off 1 star because the watch should have the upgraded Qualcomm processor not a processor from 2 years ago. It limits the performance and battery life of the watch but it still works well enough.

Wonderful Wear OS watch. The screen is fantastic, maybe the best I have seen in all the smartwatches I have owned. Very good durable build, looks classy, can swap out the band and dress it down. Only downside is the battery. I turn off wifi and put in airplane mode at times to get it through the day. That is the only disappointing part. It is still a great smartwatch, and maybe with a software update or a few different settings, it could be a 5 star watch.

This is my first smartwatch and I've been mostly impressed. It looks good, and the watch face options are plenty. The notifications are useful and Google Pay is convenient. I love the fitness tracking and heart rate monitory. The only real issue I've had is there have been two or three days when the battery drained too quickly to go a full day but that's really rare. I just hold the button until it reboots and it seems to resolve it.

This Fossil smart watch is loaded with fun features. Tracking your Fit Workout, alarm, weather tracker, Agenda setting, are just a few of the features it has to offer. There are many digital "faces" to choose from as well. Standard digital format readout, chronograph, compass designs, etc. (you won't be bored here). Other options, such as use of the Spotify music sharing service, make this watch quite versatile. The "gun metal" color stainless steel band and frame makes it a stylish choice as well. However, if you keep the watch on continuously, it will have to be charged every 24-48 hours. This Fossil watch model is sophisticated and has many features to entertain, keep you up to date with emails, time and Fit tracking.

After my husband's watch died we were on the hunt for a nice smart watch that had it all. He spent weeks doing research on different watches and finally settled on this one. We love the way it looks and it does everything you would want a smart watch to do. The only problem we've had with it is the battery life. If he doesn't charge it every single night it tends to die at the worst times. Otherwise, it's a great buy and I absolutely recommend it.

I originally bought a Samsung watch but once I realized how crappy the selection of apps for their Tizen OS was, I sold it and bought this Fossil. Better selection of apps! This watch has a great display, though like most Android watches, you'll need to avoid always on settings to get a days use out of a charge. For my usage, I always have about 20% charge left. Fossil could stand to do away with the charger they currently use and switch to a more modern, un-Apple Watch type. If you need a speaker on your watch, then you need to look elsewhere. For what I wanted ouit of a smart watch, this one is perfect.

Hi I got it as a gift. it functions well and look better that I had imagined. It works perfectly with iPhone but with Google Maps installed on the watch, turn by turn directions is not available on the watch. You can only see your current location. Using a Samsung phone gives all the functions. Battery lasts 1.5 days. Solid quality materials used. installed the clear glass protector. All apps can only be downloaded from Google play.

I read the negativity about the battery life. Yes the battery life could be improved but overall the watch exceeds expectations. The watch looks great. The watch functions are unbeatable. I kayak weekly and the watch is waterproof. I have submerged it and the watch still works. Google wear is easy to use and works seamlessly with my 3 year old LG phone. Fossil allows for customization of the face.

First off this review stems from owning a LG Urbane before this Fossil. I was looking for a new watch because the Urbane came out before Wear OS was a thing. So I was looking to upgrade to something to take advantage of the OS built with smartwatches in mind. The look of this one was more business like so I picked it up. After using it for a couple months I'm mixed. The amount of different faces aren't as plentiful as the LG. I like to match the faces to what I'm wearing which was easy with the LG, not so much here. Another thing is the tilt to view face is hit or miss. Not sure if this has something to do with the faces or not. I know the LG worked no matter what. Last two things that really prompted me to post this I added android pay and it required a pin/pattern be added to the watch for unlocking. This is understandable but now any alert I have to input this before I can read alert etc. Very annoying so my next step is taking android pay off I guess, unless I can find a setting that lets alerts pass through. Lastly when I work out the position of the buttons always activate google assistant especially if your doing something like push-ups. I realy was hoping to get things like sleep tracking for fit but thats not avaible so I guess the new watch is good if you dont have one, but if you do perhaps try the next gen up.