The Q Wander and Q Marshal, announced on Tuesday, are just the tip of an iceberg that should consist of more than 100 new smartwatches and bands, all of which Fossil plans to release this year.
The Fossil Group intends to dump a deluge of smartwatches and fitness trackers, more than 100 of them, this year alone. To show it means business, Fossil debuted a pair of Android Wear watches this week.
The Q Marshal and Q Wander, which start off at $275 each, join a stable of Fossil smartwatches that include the Q Founder, Q54 Pilot and Q Grant.
The new, round-faced watches will be available in sizes of 44mm and 46mm. They'll leverage their Android Wear software foundation to facilitate the ability to field phone calls, reply to text messages, track fitness metrics and launch apps.
Both the Q Wander and the Q Marshal include touch screens and support for wireless charging.
Along with the pair of smartwatches, Fossil also unveiled a new fitness tracker it is calling Motion. Along with tracking activities, the $95 Motion will use LED lights and haptic vibrations to alert wearers of notifications.
All of this is part of Fossil's effort to deliver more than 100 different pieces of wearable tech, including devices with and without displays. The company hopes to launch the wearables in 40 countries and in more than 20 languages by the time the holidays hit this year.
Fossil is relying on several of its brands to pump out wearable products. Those brands include Skagen, Emporio Armani, Chaps, Fossil, Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors, Diesel and Misfit. The company acquired Misfit and the startup's line of wearables last November.
Fossil's Greg McKelvey, chief strategy and digital officer, pointed to the product cycle of fashion companies as an advantage of manufacturers of consumer electronics. Fossil and other fashion companies bring products to market quickly to meet the retail mark's seasonal deadlines, according to McKelvey.
"The industry has been slow to adapt to growing consumer desires for new styles and options for wearables," McKelvey said. "With the diversity of major fashion brands we offer, customers will be delighted with the sheer volume of styles and options available when shopping for a wearable that fits their personal style."
