Welcome to the addictive world of watches. Just a quick FYI, I tend to type "[search inquiry] watchuseek" into google as a first round of info gathering to see what's been discussed. For example:
https://www.watchuseek.com/f71/fossil-watches-342468.html
https://www.watchuseek.com/f71/fossil-quality-314238.html
https://www.watchuseek.com/f2/can-we-talk-fossil-moment-948797.html
https://www.watchuseek.com/f386/advice-buying-fossil-diverting-different-brand-682606.html
https://www.watchuseek.com/f71/fossil-watches-who-makes-them-what-movements-etc-644453.html

Anywho,yes, Fossil watches amount to "Fashion watches." Fossil also happens to be responsible for many other fashion brands including Burberry, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, Columbia Sportswear, Diesel, Frank Gehry, Karl Lagerfeld, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Callaway Golf, Davis Cup, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Skagen Designs, Michele and Adidas.

For about the same price, you can get a forum-vetted Sea-Gull Skeleton watch. It is a Chinese watch company but it is a Chinese watch company that isn't pretending to be Swiss and is actually producing quality pieces.

not my pic

 

For about the same price, you can get a forum-vetted Sea-Gull Skeleton watch. It is a Chinese watch company but it is a Chinese watch company that isn't pretending to be Swiss and is actually producing quality pieces.

not my pic

Excellent suggesion! This movement can also be found in many other watch brands, some of which (especially Armitron) have very good QC. It's a reliable and accurate movement, from my experience.

 

+1 on the Seagull----beautiful watch.

 

Fossil are very good watches. They are a fashion brand but also a real watch manufacturer which, as stated in a previous post, manufactures for many of the large well known fashion brands.
If you like the Fossil, it will be a good reliable watch. In fact, Fossil offers an 11 years warranty on their watches in the US.

having said that, between the two watches above, I would myself go for the Sea-gull which I think looks much nicer.

 

Thank you all for the quick replies!
The Sea-gull does look pretty good in fact... I'll make my decision between these two i think.
Thanks for the help and have a nice day!

 

Unfortunately, the sea-gull seems to not be available in europe, so i'll probably go with the Fossil.

 

The whole Fossil thing aside, I'm turned off by all that dead space around the movement. If it's a skeleton I want to see the beautiful movement not a window to my wrist skin.


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I think the old Fossil watch tins are more collectable than the watches.

 

I would go for the Seagull instead too, though I'm not a big fan of skeleton watches.

 

There are much better options in that price range. Seiko, Orient, and Sea-Gull would be great shouts. If you must have a skeleton watch, you would be better off with this: Sea-Gull M182SK skeleton watch, the best combination of price, fashion design, quality in terms of reliability and accuracy

Instead of a mystery Chinese movement of unknown source, grade, or accuracy, you will be getting a Sea-Gull movement directly from the manufacturer, which has a reputation for placing very accurate movements in their own branded watches. It's also cheaper.

 

Used to wear fossils in college, which was when it was either that or Swatch, if you wanted something "fashionable" and cheap. Nothing wrong with them. They survived some serious abuse and I would wear them until the battery would die and then buy a new one (never bothered getting a new battery for some reason). And I bought their first automatic watch which had a Miyota movt in it.

However, these days, there are so many other options to consider especially when Fossil goes for 150, 200 bucks. When I wore them, they were like 40 bucks. But in the end, if you like the look I think it's a totally okay buy. Fossil is a so-called "fashion watch" brand, but that doesn't mean anything in terms of its reliability.

 

U know, i'd rather go with Swatch system 51 kind of watch than the skeleton fossil I've shown.

sent from moto x

 

I'd get a sea gull m182. I bought my sister one for her birthday a year ago, she's wasn't into watches but this watch stirred her interest into watches.

The watch looks great. It runs +8s/day after 1 year. I do think that there's a difference in quality between Fossil and Sea-gull. If you plan on using the watch for a year or so, and don't care about if it breaks, get the Fossil. If you think you want to keep it for a slightly longer time and be sure you get a quality timepiece for that money, get the sea-gull. There are a lot of topics about their quality, so you will not be disappointed!

If you think it's not available in europe, you're right and wrong. You're right about the fact that there is no sea-gull store in europe. But Sea-gull does send the watches with DHL worldwide express to europe. I had to pay about 50 euro's in import duties (Netherlands). No idea what it will be for you in Switzerland.

Hope to see a pic of the M182SK soon! Good luck!

 

I'd get a sea gull m182. I bought my sister one for her birthday a year ago, she's wasn't into watches but this watch stirred her interest into watches.

The watch looks great. It runs +8s/day after 1 year. I do think that there's a difference in quality between Fossil and Sea-gull. If you plan on using the watch for a year or so, and don't care about if it breaks, get the Fossil. If you think you want to keep it for a slightly longer time and be sure you get a quality timepiece for that money, get the sea-gull. There are a lot of topics about their quality, so you will not be disappointed!

If you think it's not available in europe, you're right and wrong. You're right about the fact that there is no sea-gull store in europe. But Sea-gull does send the watches with DHL worldwide express to europe. I had to pay about 50 euro's in import duties (Netherlands). No idea what it will be for you in Switzerland.

Hope to see a pic of the M182SK soon! Good luck!

You're right, i didn't see there was an official online store of sea-gull. At first i only found some untrustworthy sites wich i didn't want to buy from. Anyway, after some thinking, i'll probably go with the Sea-Gull M182GK (the golden version of the M182SK, i much prefer that one). If the import fees were 50 bucks for you, i don't think it will be much different for me. Thank you all for your good suggestions! This is a nice forum

 

I would think those complete skeletons are hard to see the time.

 

I'd vote Sea-Gull or Swatch Body and Soul. You can find the Sea-Gull via the internet.

Though, in Fossil's defense, they have purchased/revived Zodiac and even post links to refurbished vintage Zodiacs on their website, so they are trying to be a little more serious about their watches.

 

Fossil has owned Zodiac for 15 years, and they are just now getting around to treating it like a watch company label. But better late than never, and I'm glad to see them recreating some of the great Zodiac watches of old, and at a reasonable price. They have competent manufacture movements (which Zodiacs never had) and I think they are fairly priced. I've been tempted by a couple of the remakes.

Fossil is an American company that makes watches all over the world, including in Switzerland, so asking about Fossil is a bit like asking about Swatch. They are also similar to Swatch in that their budget line is their namesake. They hit all the lower price points, and their cheapest watches look that way while their better watches compare favorably with the competition. None of their watches are really junk, and none of them are overpriced by a factor of ten so that they can be sold at a huge discount. If I compare a Michele ladies watch against, say, a heavily discounted Ebel that sells at the same price, the difference in retail price point really glows in the dark. But that doesn't mean the Michelle is bad, or even overpriced.

Yes, Fossil makes a lot of label watches, not all of which are terrible. Movado does the same thing. It must be an American thing, but Movado or Fossil can sell reasonably well-made Asian watches with Hugo Boss or Emporio Armani on them for really not very much money, and they'll work for as long as their owners are interested in owning them. And both Fossil and Movado make much of their money on those brands. Both are profitable and maintain a reasonable turnover, and both are real watch companies, so one shouldn't be too hard on them. Lots of very good Swiss companies have in their history made house-label watches for big jewelry stores. Even Sears had their Tradition label, which was made by various Swiss contractor, and pretty well-made at that.

One could do a lot worse than Fossil. But one could also do as well and have more from which to choose.

Fossil has outlet stores in the U.S. where they sell their cheaper models, by the way. Call around to them if there's one you have in mind, before paying retail for it.

Rick "who does not own a Fossil" Denney

 

This site is trustworthy, I've bought from it before:

Sea-Gull M182SK skeleton watch, the best combination of price, fashion design, quality in terms of reliability and accuracy

As for Fossil, they are a brand to watch (pun intended) in the future. I like what they have done with the Zodiac brand. I think the possible threat from smart watches has caused them to look towards watch enthusiasts as a more reliable source of income.

I don't partiularly care for skeleton watches though.

 

If you really want a skeleton watch (don't like them myself), then get the Seagull.

I have owned Fossil watches before I got really into watches, and they are not good quality, even for the price. In that price range, just about every Seiko or Orient is better than any Fossil.

If you'd be satisfied with a semi-skeleton, Orient makes some good ones in your price range. I can almost guarantee you that the quality will be superior to that Fossil.


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Agreed.... Although I've seen some Fossils whose style I liked from a distance, the moment you hold them you realize its not a serious piece.

If you really want a skeleton watch (don't like them myself), then get the Seagull.

I have owned Fossil watches before I got really into watches, and they are not good quality, even for the price. In that price range, just about every Seiko or Orient is better than any Fossil.

If you'd be satisfied with a semi-skeleton, Orient makes some good ones in your price range. I can almost guarantee you that the quality will be superior to that Fossil.

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that movement is a Hangzhou 2189 movement, which has that distinct 'finger' over the stem. It's a rock solid movement, hand winding, non-hacking, 21600 bph, skeletonized, so somewhat like having a power reserve because you can see the mainspring. In this price range, you can actually find tons of skeletons using this same exact movement, as hangzhou tends to produce this movement expressly in its skeleton form.

 

Interesting! Are you talking about the Sea Gull or the Fossil?

 

the fossil

 

Here is the skeleton I use to own that had that same movement. Rotary Vintage Skeleton, really eye catching.

 

Here is the skeleton I use to own that had that same movement. Rotary Vintage Skeleton, really eye catching.

View attachment 5538818

Wow man, thank you a lot!
Thanks to you, i have been looking around the collection of Rotary, and they actually have some pieces that 1. Better fit my style 2. Seem to be robust and 3. Can be ordered on sites like watchshop or Amazon, wich i feel more comfortable to buy from. I'm currently looking at the Rotary GS02519/09, wich seems to be the exact same model as yours, except in gold and brown. I'll let you know what i'll finaly choose, but either way thank you for the excellent suggestion!

 

^^^ I usually don't like the look of skeleton watches -- it's often too difficult to see the hands. But that Sea-Gull is nice. The blued hands and hour markers work well.

 

Strangely enough I was actually looking to buy the same Fossil Townsman in the first post about a week ago. But I ended up buying this ME3047 discounted to half price $92.50CDN at a Fossil Outlet. It scratches the same itch as owning a skeleton and much easier to read.

 

To many people put down skeletons. Remember, not everyone is into watches for the same reason. Some people get into watches for the timeless design of clean and classy mechanical watches. Other people are using them more as tools, and need something easy to read. Skeletons are hard to read, and clutter to them. However, other people get into mechanical watches because in a day and age where everything is a boring circuit board it is very cool to actually see old school mechanical parts spinning away. It's almost hypnotic. The people I know who like skeletons appreciate the beauty of the engineering running it, without seeing that it might as well be a quartz. I know a lot of car guys who prefer open heart because it reminds them they are wearing a high precision engine on their wrist as it quickly moves around. And a million other reasons. Buy a watch that speaks to you, and reflects what you like about mechanical watches. The only wrong choice is the one where you compromised what you like for someone else's opinion.

 

I've held Fossils and find them of good quality when compared with other cheap fashion watches. But personally I'll choose a Seiko over Fossil. Hope this helps