BERLIN—Fossil has quite the showing of smartwatches at IFA this year. Aside from its namesake lineup of new Q watches, it's bringing sub-brand Skagen into the fold with the Hagen Connected, a rather attractive new option that looks like a traditional analog model. It allows you to track fitness goals on a sub-dial, vibrates to let you know you have a phone notification, and acts as a trigger button for smartphone functions like camera and music. I got to try it on at the show.
As you can see, the Hagen Connected looks a lot like the Withings Activite Steel, but with the sub-dial on the left rather than the right. It's also a bit thicker. The watch comes with a soft leather band, which can be swapped out with silicone or steel mesh options. I tried on the default leather band and found it to be pretty comfortable. Compared with the gargantuan Fossil Q Nate (pictured at left below), it was like wearing nothing at all.
Despite the lack of a digital display, the Hagen Connected can relay information through vibrations—it buzzes when you receive a call, text, or email. With a companion app you can customize the notifications so that the hour and minute hands point at specific numbers on the watch face to indicate who is calling you. For example, when your partner calls, you can set the hands to point to 11 o'clock when the vibration comes through.
As far as fitness tracking goes, the sub-dial counts your daily step progress, and the watch tracks basic activities like walking and running, and stats like distance.
The watch updates the time and date automatically, and supports multiple time zones. Using the buttons on the side, you can find your phone, control music on it, and snap photos. A standard coin cell battery eliminates the need to place it on a charger, although there's no word yet on battery life.
The Hagen Connected will arrive later this month for $195. Check back soon for a full review.
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