Hands On With Fossil's New Q Smartwatch Lineup

Fossil's six new Q smartwatches are designed to appeal to analog and digital fans alike.

BERLIN—Fossil is adding six new additions its growing smartwatch lineup: The Q Marshal, Q Wander, Q Crewmaster, Q Nate, Q Gazer, and Q Tailor. The first two are basically the next generation of the Q Founder, with faster Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processors and slimmer cases. The latter four look like standard analog watches, but come equipped with some basic fitness tracking functionality and the ability to connect to your smartphone to deliver push notifications and act as a remote to take photos or control music. We got a chance to check them all out at Fossil's booth at IFA.

Q Marshal and Q Wander

Let's talk about the Q Marshal (and Q Wander) first. The watch face measures 1.77 inches around, which is slightly smaller than the original Q Founder, at 1.81 inches. As far as thickness goes, it feels about the same, about 0.5-inch. A single button sits on the right side of the case, just like the Q Founder. The case itself is painted black with tiny "teeth" surrounding it, like the Samsung Gear S3. The leather strap felt quite rigid around my wrist, but any standard 22mm band will fit in the lugs.

Q Marshall 1

Like the Q Founder, the Q Marshal's 1.5-inch, 229-pixel-per-inch display is cut off at the very bottom in a straight line, in order to accommodate an ambient light sensor that adjusts screen brightness automatically.

Rated IP68 for water resistance, the Q Marshal can survive splashes, but don't take in the pool or shower.

Software-wise, you're looking at Android Wear, so you get push notifications, lots of third-party apps, voice control via a built-in microphone, basic fitness tracking (calories, steps, distance), and lots of swiping through vertical lists.

The Q Wander is basically the exact same watch, but with slight style changes meant to appeal to women—the watch I saw had a rose gold case and a softer, more comfortable, light brown leather band. Silver and rose gold stainless steel bands, as well as black silicone bands, are also available.

Q Marshal thick

What's most notable about the Q Marshal and Q Wander is that they're among the first wearables (another being the Asus ZenWatch 3) to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip. This new processor is supposed to consume less battery and provide more power for always-on displays, among other improvements.

The Q Marshal and Q Wander are available now and cost $295 and $315, respectively.

The Analog Qs

The analog-looking Q Crewmaster, Q Nate, Q Gazer, and Q Tailor are all the same as far as features go: You get an alarm, basic fitness tracking (calories, distance, steps), activity goals (like 10,000 steps), automatic and second time zone settings, push notifications, and sleep monitoring. You can also use a button on the watch to find your phone, as well as to take a photo or control music—similar to the Misfit Flash Link. A coin cell battery keeps it running up to six months, and you can pair with fitness apps including Apple Health, Google Fit, UA Record, and UP by Jawbone.

Fossil thick

The differences between each watch are mainly cosmetic. The Q Nate (pictured above) is the largest and most rugged of the group, with a stainless steel case and a massive band that hung on my arm like a bangle. The Q Gazer, with a rose gold case covered in jewels, is aimed at women. The Q Crewmaster is sporty and colorful, while the Q Tailor is the most elegant of the group, with a minimalist watch face.

The four hybrid watches start at $175, but specific pricing will be revealed next month. You can pre-order starting September 14 in anticipation of a September 26 release date. Check back for full reviews of each new watch soon.