Fossil Group and Google Hit the Accelerator on Fashion-First Smartwatches; Add More Brands in 2018
New, Full-Round Android Wear™ Smartwatches Launch Online and In Stores for Fall and Holiday; Design-focused Approach Doubles Fossil Group Wearables Business, Targets Female Customers
Aug 30, 2017, 02:00 ET
BERLIN, Aug. 30, 2017 /CNW/ -- Fossil Group (NASDAQ: FOSL) announced today, ahead of IFA® 2017, a massive expansion of its wearables business. In 2018, Fossil Group will add new brands to its touchscreen smartwatch lineup powered by Google's Android Wear™. This is in addition to the five current brands – Diesel, Emporio Armani, Fossil, Michael Kors and Misfit – that will offer customers new, full-round touchscreen smartwatches in time for fall and holiday 2017.
In the last 12 months, Fossil Group doubled its points of distribution for its connected devices and more than doubled its sales of wearables. Google continues to be a key strategic partner for the company, supporting the expansion of products powered by Android Wear 2.0. The expansion announcement further cements Fossil Group and Google as leaders in fashion-first smartwatches.
"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."
Earlier this year, Fossil Group introduced its 2017 touchscreen smartwatch line-up, all of which are compatible with both iOS® and Android™ phones. All feature stunning full-round AMOLED displays that preserve the integrity of sophisticated watch design with crystal-clear illumination and crisp resolution. Game-changing improvements in hardware design mean watch form factors are thinner, sleeker, and more comfortable than ever before, and even more appealing to the female customer.
"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."
Powered by Android Wear 2.0, Fossil Group's 2018 touchscreen smartwatches will continue to be compatible with both iOS and Android phones and allow users to customize key information to appear on their watch face, create shortcuts to play music, hail a ride, or monitor activity goals. Additionally, third-party apps can be downloaded through the on-watch Google Play™ Store. Customers will continue to be able to personalize watch faces by choosing from thousands of branded dial designs and custom color combinations to best fit their personal style.
Brands with new Android Wear smartwatches launching in fall or holiday 2017 include:
- Diesel – The first Diesel On Full Guard touchscreen smartwatch will be available for presale August 29, 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.
New hybrid smartwatch styles from Armani Exchange, Chaps, Emporio Armani, Diesel, DKNY, Fossil, kate spade new york, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, MICHELE, Misfit, Relic, Skagen and Tory Burch will also hit stores during the fall and holiday season.
By the end of 2017, Fossil Group will have launched more than 300 connected watch styles across 14 brands. The devices are now also active in 50 countries and 21 languages.
Fossil Group offers more hybrid and touchscreen smartwatch options than any company in the world. The company is featuring new wearables on display at IFA 2017 in Berlin, Germany at booth 216.
About Fossil Group, Inc.
Fossil Group, Inc. is a global design, marketing, distribution and innovation company specializing in lifestyle accessories. Under a diverse portfolio of owned and licensed brands, our offerings include fashion watches, jewelry, handbags, small leather goods and wearables. With our newest owned brand, Misfit, we're bringing style and technology to the high-growth connected space. We're committed to delivering the best in design and innovation across our owned brands, Fossil, MICHELE, Misfit, Relic, Skagen and Zodiac, and licensed brands, Adidas, Armani Exchange, Burberry, Chaps, Diesel, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, kate spade new york, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Tory Burch. We bring each brand story to life through an extensive wholesale distribution network across 150 countries and over 600 retail locations. Certain press release and SEC filing information concerning the Company is also available at www.fossilgroup.com.
SOURCE Fossil Group, Inc.
For further information: Media Inquiries: Ann Jane Draper, FOSSIL GROUP, Inc., ajdraper@fossil.com, (469) 587-2893; Investor Inquiries: Eric M. Cerny, FOSSIL GROUP, Inc., (855) 336-7745; Allison Malkin, ICR, Inc., (203) 682-8225, http://www.fossilgroup.com/
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