The watch has two versions: the 45mm Machine and the 41mm Stella. Previously, Fossil made a strong case for paying a premium for a stylish hybrid analog. That means you’re paying extra for style, so it had better look the part. Let’s put it this way: the Gen 6 Hybrid with a silicone strap costs the same as the Fitbit Versa 3 but doesn’t have a touchscreen or nearly as many features. Style can make or break a hybrid analog smartwatch, especially compared to other wearables. New SpO2 and Alexa features don’t add much.Oh and, uh, Fossil has gone in a slightly new direction with the design. Fossil’s companion app has also been refreshed - but barely. It adds the ability to measure blood oxygen, a new heart rate sensor, Amazon Alexa, and a redesigned dashboard. Its analog hands still cleverly move out of the way when you’re navigating the dashboard or reading notifications.
The Gen 6 Hybrid keeps the E Ink screen, customizable watch faces, and basic fitness tracking. Three years later, I’ve got the $229 Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid ($249 as tested), and while it’s kept the same DNA as the original, I can’t help but feel that Fossil’s gotten ahead of itself. A hybrid smartwatch with an E Ink display? That was a rare sight after Pebble’s untimely end, and I was intrigued to see what it could do. But when a spokesperson showed me the Fossil Hybrid HR, I perked up. Most of those watches were basically different flavors of the same smartwatch. I’d just seen a small army of smartwatches from Fossil - and every other designer brand under its umbrella. The first time I saw Fossil’s hybrid analog smartwatches was in a backroom at IFA 2019.