Fossil DF-5000 Series - A Luxury as Fine as This I’ve Never Known
Fossil Defender. It has been a minute since we’ve posted about anything related to a fan favorite, the Fossil Defender. I was cleaning out some inventory recently and came across a Defender that I completely forgot I had, a DF-5003 from the second run of Defenders.
Fossil Defender. It has been a minute since we’ve posted about anything related to a fan favorite, the Fossil Defender. I was cleaning out some inventory recently and came across a Defender that I completely forgot I had, a DF-5003 from the second run of Defenders.
I bought this a few years ago from eBay and the seller had listed it as brand new. It was not brand new when I received it, but very close with slight signs of use. The case shape and 34mm size is not a combination I would wear in the late 90’s or today and as such will be selling this piece very soon on eBay to make room for new Fossil watches.
A quick post on the beauty of this watch is warranted and let’s document it here before sending it off to the next owner.
The DF-5003 came from a family of 24 DF series watches launched in 1999. The 5 styles of the DF series took a different vibe than the DE series and came in priced very high and marketed as such. The 5000 styles of these watches were nautical in theme and aptly named Starboard.
Three items I wanted to highlight here.
The original price was $350
Tonneau case shape is a strange one for Fossil. Not many watches look like this from them in the past.
The movement is a Time Module Inc (TMI) VX36, which is a subsidiary company of Seiko. Lately it’s been good to see Fossil moving a lot of their new watches over to the more reliable Japanese quartz movements and the Defender DF-5003 was a trendsetter!
A New Line of Fossil Breaker Just in Time for Those Summer Waves
Summer 2024 is upon us and Fossil recently launched a new line of the Fossil Breaker. My summer watch has arrived! Long time Fossil fans will remember the Breaker craze from 2013 where we saw some of the most distinctive and highest reviewed dive watches to ever come out
Summer 2024 is upon us and Fossil recently launched a new line of the Fossil Breaker. My summer watch has arrived! Long time Fossil fans will remember the Breaker craze from 2013 where we saw some of the most distinctive and highest reviewed dive watches to ever come out from Fossil including the very limited 45mm Breaker Automatic, which I posted about here and for those of you with a keen eye — it can be seen as a header image on every page of the Blog.
The new Fossil Breaker line looks suspiciously similar to the previous lineup, BUT this time around they are all coming in smaller at 42mm with a 22mm strap width and by the looks of it a lot less chunky. The new line of Breaker features 4 colorways just in time for Father’s Day….wink wink nudge nudge.
The blue and green colorways paired with the wave dial texture details is what first caught my eye when searching new releases on Fossil.com. Fossil describes the dials as being out on the open water and I agree.
Model numbers are as follows - FS6062 for the black dial with the silicone strap, FS6063 for the white dial, FS6044 for the blue dial and FS6066 green dial. Pictured below with links to the Fossil site to read more.
All cases sizes for this initial launch are 42mm with a 22mm strap/bracelet. Prices in USD range $210-$230. Similar to the Sport Tourer launch of earlier this year it says a Japanese movement.
As a collector I’m happy to see these previous lines of Fossil watches be re-introduced with a modern interpretation and honestly cleaned up a little bit from their predecessors — they’ll make a great addition to the many Fossil Breaker released in the previous generation. Now let’s get a limited edition automatic breaker model released!
Please and Thank You.
A Fossil Clipboard......all aboard for the Time of your life
A Fossil branded clipboard? What an oddity from the late 80’s when Fossil started placing their logo on all sorts of a things, a clipboard has survived into the 21st century.
Remember the days when we used to wield clipboards like medieval knights, ready to joust with paperwork in our padded shoulder work clothes? If you are a certain age, you’re probably saying NO! For the rest of us we’ve traded our trusty clipboards for sleek tablets, and our battle cries have evolved from “For the realm!” to “Did you save that in the cloud?” or in my case “Did you save that in Sharepoint for everyone to view?”
A Fossil branded clipboard? What an oddity from the late 80’s when Fossil started placing their logo on all sorts of a things, a clipboard has survived into the 21st century. I actually forgot I had this because it’s a bit larger than most of my Fossil merch in my collection. The clipboard measures 12.5” x 9.5”
For your enjoyment see the pictures of this rare Fossil merch from a long time ago.
See the Club Fossil post here for other oddball merchandise from this timeframe. What unique Fossil items do you own?
Fossil Blue Cardboard Countertop Stand Up Advertisement
Fossil advertising from the nineties is why I became interested in Fossil watches. There, I said it.
Fossil advertising from the nineties is why I became interested in Fossil watches. There, I said it.
With that statement now floating on the internet, I do occasionally collect advertising pieces. Today I’d like to highlight my recent acquisition because it represents something new for me, but not new for some of our members who have collected quite a few store displays.
I remember these cardboard countertop advertisements in Fossil stores in the nineties and again in the early 2000s. Over the years I’ve seen automobile themed displays usually with a gas pump or a 1957 Chevy and Fossil eyewear had some great ones too. Honestly the more I think about these pieces the more I’m regretting not buying them all…..maybe a new 2024 challenge.
Fossil Blue has a place in all of our hearts and that being said here is a sweet Fossil Blue cardboard countertop stand up advertisement. Item measures about 9 inches tall and had a boat with 2 Blue watches coming out of the display — I love the simplicity of the build and the vibe this is giving. Last picture is a special treat featuring a close up of the boat “captain” that is sure to give you nightmares. Gives me those mannequin vibes from the Twilight Zone "The After Hours" episode.
Fossil Sport Tourer -- a new collection of fine chronographs
Launching today is a new series that we’re excited about from Fossil – the Sport Tourer. We are thrilled to see Fossil back with some racing inspired chronographs and with a Japanese quartz movement. The name of the new series makes sense given Fossil can no longer use the Speedway name.
Launching officially today is a new series that we’re excited about from Fossil – the Sport Tourer. We are thrilled to see Fossil back with some racing inspired chronographs and with a Japanese quartz movement. The name of the new series makes sense given Fossil can no longer use the Speedway name.
Let’s talk about new pieces before we go into some collector nerdiness.
The Sport Tourer collection launches officially on February 15 with 5 colorways that feature either a stainless-steel bracelet, leather straps or silicone strap.
All cases sizes for this initial launch are 42mm with a 22mm strap/bracelet. Prices in USD range $195-$220. Searching for movement information and came up empty handed, but Fossil does say it’s a Japanese center second chronograph movement and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a Miyota movement as used before by Fossil and many, many others.
Model numbers are as follows - FS6043 for the cream dial with the perforated strap, FS6044 for the yellow dial, FS6045 for the black dial with the white sub-dials. FS6047 blue dial and the FS6046 for the green dial. Pictured below with links to the Fossil site to read more.
At first glance we’re leaning towards a FS6044 for our first Sport Tourer purchase – because let’s be honest some of the yellow dial Speedways from the late 90’s/early 2000’s are amongst our favorites. Coming in at a close second and our Facebook group confirms this – the cream dial with the leather strap is not far behind – love that drive theme!
You may be thinking; these pieces look familiar. There are lots of chronographs out there and lately the trend is racing/driving themes, which is great for collectors like me, who happened to love cars too. Some of the most memorable chronographs of Fossil past are the Fossil Speedway and Fossil Defenders and while not an exact copy of the Sport Tourer series, these older models including the Compass series of watches from the 2010’s all seem to welcome Sport Tourer to the family. The nods to heritage of previous designs is one of the things we like about Fossil. Keep it up!!!
Fossil DF Defenders
A few from the Fossil Compass Series of 2013-14
Fossil Speedways with an arkitekt cousin
one could argue that the recent retro series looks similar too sans date window
Fossil Swiss Made Watches – Pictures & Specifications
The one and currently only line of Fossil Swiss Made watches released in 2013. Check out the beautiful artwork and specifications on the entire FSW line.
At this point it should be no secret we’re big fans of the short-lived Fossil Swiss series. Launched in 2013 at an incredibly high price point, the series came and went. In 2015 I saw this catalog at the Fossil headquarters and finally found one on eBay.
Proud to present scans from the Fossil Swiss Made catalog. The scans are also now permanently placed under Galleries in the top navigation.
What's New for 2024
Regarding this site in 2024 I have a few things in the planning stage right now. In no particular order are…..
A few weeks into 2024, let’s talk about what we’re doing this year.
First of all, in 2024 we celebrate 14 years of blogging about Fossil watches. Ironic that some watches from our 2010 launch date are now collectible and/or just as old as the mid-90’s watches that we started to talk about in 2010. More on this in future posts.
This year also represents Fossil’s 40th birthday – what could Fossil have up their sleeves? I have no clue, but we know from previous anniversaries they’ll be something. The 30th anniversary watches were aplenty and while not super collectible yet, they certainly were cool.
Regarding this site in 2024 I have a few things in the planning stage right now. In no particular order:
Finish off the Fossil Times EU edition series of posts.
Create a Fossil Speedway gallery similar to the Fossil Defender gallery. I have a lot of pictures and model numbers ready to promote.
Post more current collaboration pieces. Swallowing my pride here and we’ll be doing more content of the current limited-edition collaborations & watches as they come out most likely without a physical product in hand to review.
A few site enhancements including fixing the search function on the site! Lots of great content doesn’t seem to get surfaced
If I feel brave I want to refresh the design of this site and that maybe required if I want all 14 years of content to appear.
Facebook enhancements including the buy/sell module. I’ll never enhance this site to offer things for sale, but Facebook seems to have a nice platform where yours truly won’t get taxed if sales are made.
Speaking of social media, the Underground Fossil Collectors Club is only represented on Facebook with our collectors’ group of 1000+ collectors. There are a few sellers on Poshmark that link back to this site, but I have zero affiliation with them and their exorbitant prices for Fossil watches. Anything you’ve seen on Poshmark, Instagram, Twitter (X) is not me or part of the official “club”. Facebook only for now because I’m a typical Gen X who can’t be bothered.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/328540913956
Lastly 2024 is going to be a great year — I’m excited about the potential 40th anniversary watches and the branding campaign that we all love and pair that with the recent announcement by Fossil that they are out of the smartwatch business it’s a great time to be a traditional watch fan!
The Highs and Low of 2023 in My Fossil Watch Collecting Adventures
As we start another year and begin the planning process for new content and some much-needed updates to the site, I would like to highlight a few of my highs and a low from 2023.
As we start another year and begin the planning process for new content and some much-needed updates to the site, I would like to highlight a few of my highs and a low from 2023.
Early in 2023 we broke the news about 6 Solar Defenders that seemingly launched out of nowhere. I swallowed my pride and did a review based on specs and photos from Fossil’s website and God forbid even other watch blogs because I didn’t have a physical watch in my hands. Happy to report that as of today I’ve got 2 of the 6 in my possession, the FS5974 and the FS5977. Members of the unofficial Fossil Collectors Club posted on FB that they found other models at the few remaining Fossil Outlet shops around the country, all with rave reviews for quality at the price point.
The FS5977 paired with the green olive band is just about perfect in my opinion. It feels like the graduated version of the old Defenders that I fell in love with years ago. The 46mm case is not normally a size most would go to, but I have to say it seems smaller and very lightweight compared to other larger watches in my collection. However, I will be upgrading the strap in the coming months because these show wear quickly and I already I have some threads hanging from it. So far no issues with the solar movement and I have been happy with the accuracy and the overall look of this piece. Pictured below is the new Defender alongside his DE cousin from 1995.
Sadly, my FS5974 stopped working in October after only 4 months of service. I had assumed it needed a charge since I’m in Ohio where the sun graces us occasionally, but after a few days in the window sill nothing was happening. I sent the watch to Metro (Fossil’s official repair) and I was told it need a movement. Combine that with labor and shipping, Metro sent me a repair request for $61.56! A four-month-old watch and already needed a repair and since it was a gift Fossil wouldn’t honor the warranty. First time in many years I was left disappointed in this brand. I obviously declined the repair, left an honest comment that we shouldn’t have to have this conversation about a 4-month-old watch and paying for a repair. This was my big loss in 2023.
The Heritage series is another launch that I was happy to review last year and in March I did a review of the ME3224 and compared it to some of my Swiss pieces. When the original Swiss Made line launched I had always wanted the FSW1001, the black automatic with the stainless bracelet. Soon after the Heritage series launched I had my eyes on the ME3223, which can we all admit is the same watch sans the swiss made movement. I made the purchase over the holidays and I can’t say enough about the look and feel of this piece. Since I already had the ME3224 with the painful (to me) butterfly clasp, I swapped out the bracelet immediately for a sport strap from one of my Fossil Bullhead pieces. This watch now gives me all the 60’s vibes as I race around town in my Honda Pilot.
Last pieces I wanted to cover were the new Fossil Blue GMT watches. The FS5991 was my summer watch of choice at the beach and now when I wear it or see it, I think summer. I was able to score the Oasis Silicone colorway, model FS5992 before it disappeared into obscurity from Fossil’s sites (including watchstation.com). I still haven’t worn it yet because the bezel doesn’t exactly line up at 12:00 and it drives me CRAZY! Regardless maybe this is my beach watch for summer 2024. I was glad Fossil started making more GMT pieces and promoting them along with other dive watches. As of this post on January 14, 2024 – the US Fossil homepage proudly features the FS6036, the black colorway with a black silicone strap. I’ll be watching the many, many Fossil sales to see when/if this one gets discounted because it will be added to my collection in 2024.
Since this is a collector’s site, I'd be remiss to mention some of the limited-edition collaboration pieces that launched in 2023. We all love the collaborations from the 90’s and I frequently post about them and collectors on Facebook still talk about them all these years later. Disney and Star Wars come to mind – both 2023 collaborations that were also done way back in the 90’s. Same with Barbie, what’s old is new again and we’re here for it.
Thanks to some feedback from fellow collectors, I’ll be posting more content around collaborations in 2024. I miss the relationship I had with Fossil where I could review these watches in my hands along with specs sheets and marketing materials and then give reviews based on a collector’s point of view at the time of launch. Going forward I’ll have a standard template for reviews of these watches as they launch – it’ll be a great record of information for collectors 30 years from now.
Fossil does a great job at highlighting their collaborations & limited editions here: https://www.fossil.com/en-us/collectors-club/
2024 here we go!
Additional Fossil GMT Watches Discovered - Collect Them All!
Highlighted in a previous article were 4 known GMT watches and since then I’ve discovered a few more and coincidentally Fossil has released more. GMT for the win! One of the newly discovered watches could be categorized as World Time and not GMT, but I am including in this exclusive catalog.
While we’re posting this a little late, there is something about Father’s Day and watches that go together like coffee and donuts. As a purveyor of fine Fossil pieces, I always plan on purging a few from my collection for a much better price in June than almost any other month except the holiday season (which is quickly approaching). The profit from a few watches allows me to purchase new Fossil pieces including a new GMT and I have to say I’m in love. Also, oddly enough the search engine traffic leading to our little collectors site exploded in June with terms such as Fossil GMT and GMT watches…..interesting, very interesting.
Before we dig into the watches, I do want to highlight that this article is an addition to an older post on Fossil GMT watches from September 2020 - https://www.undergroundfossilcollectors.club/blog/fossil-gmt-watches
Highlighted in the previous article were 4 known watches and since then I’ve discovered a few more and coincidentally Fossil has released more. GMT for the win! One of the newly discovered watches could be categorized as World Time and not GMT, but I am including in this exclusive catalog. One watch I am not including came out in 2006, it was called LED Dual Time BQ-9279. Since it has a digital element, it’s cheating and not a proper movement. We have to draw a line somewhere.
Listing from newest to oldest, lets dig in with some photos and some review notes on the ones I own.
Just launched in September 2023 and honestly sparked a reminder that I had this post in draft is a black silicone FB model FS6036. It is a sharp new colorway from a full line of FB GMT models pictured below that came out earlier in the summer of 2023. All of the new releases are 46mm and while that might too large for some, I really cannot tell — Fossil did a phenomenal job in making a larger timepiece not seem as large.
My summer watch of 2023 has been the blue dial cousin of the FS6036, pictured below is the very durable and gorgeous FS5991. I cannot say enough good things about this watch — it has been on 3 beaches, many theme parks and even a few camping trips this summer. I will fondly look at this watch and think summer for years to come, it’s very sharp and just the right weight. I really think Fossil hit a home run with this new series and looking forward to yes you guessed it, collecting them all.
Launched alongside the blue FS5991 were 2 other GMT models. One is a gold tone stainless model and the other is a very summery silicone strap model. Pictured below are the 2 models. The Gold-Tone is FS5990 and the Oasis Silicone Watch is FS5992.
Continuing our journey backwards is a Limited Edition Fossil Blue GMT Stainless Steel Watch LE1156 which was released in 2022. In life I have many regrets and not purchasing this watch on an epic Fossil sale is one of those — sadly I do not own the granddaddy of the Fossil Blue GMT Series (yet), but a full review will be available once I do! Coming in at 42mm it is a little smaller than the new pieces, but I’ve been assured by a fellow collector that the sizing feels proper and just right. The case seems to be similar to other quartz versions in the FB series, but I can’t be certain until I get one of the 1056 pieces produced in my hands!
If you are keeping track we now have 9 total GMT watches that have been discovered. Now comes the fun part of showing for the first time in years 1 additional piece from yesteryear making the grand total to 10.
In 2011 Fossil launched the CH2741 and called it the Multi-Time Black Dial Sport Watch. Whatever you call it, it has World Time on the dial and features a GMT movement.
Having an original 2011 catalog that featured this watch it was interesting to see the original price at $145 and here is the marketing description of the watch:
We created this sporty watch with the traveller in mind. Keep track of your local time while simultaneously tracking a secondary destination in military time. A rotating internal dial ring showing world cities can be used to determine the time anywhere in the world. Features include easily readable dial indicators, a matte stainless steel case, and a comfortable black silicone strap.
Obviously this is a very unique watch, I’ve never seen another one like it with the case back actually holding the movement in as well the strap! Watch is also huge at 52mm. Unlike the new GMT models this 52mm feels very large and it’s quite distracting on my wrist.
BONUS - If you are reading this you deserve a bonus picture of the BQ-9279 from 2006. It’s from the Blue Series and could be a considered a very distant relative of the new Fossil Blue GMT Series with a digital element to the movement.
Fossil Trench Watch LE1040 - Another Limited Edition You May Have Missed
The Fossil Trench LE1040 watch is our next submission in the ongoing series of limited editions you may have missed. With a run of 1054 pieces and a retail price at $225 this piece most certainly blew past many collector’s radar when launched in 2015. Over the years Fossil has released several trench style watches, but this is the only “official” piece and let’s discuss.
The Fossil Trench LE1040 watch is our next submission in the ongoing series of limited editions you may have missed. With a run of 1054 pieces and a retail price at $225 this piece most certainly blew past many collector’s radar when launched in 2015. Over the years Fossil has released several trench style watches, but this is the only “official” piece and let’s discuss.
Trench watch history is fascinating and with just a quick search online you can find photos and clubs dedicated to these earliest of watches. Trench watches are easy to spot with their steel guard cases covering the dial to protect from scratches and/or cracking. Fossil has done numerous trench style watches over the years, but this is the only one called a trench watch on the watch itself and also in the materials related to the watch – all other similar watches that Fossil has produced they’ve identified as Paratrooper starting in 1987.
See below for a quick history lesson spanning 1987 - 2009.
FUN FACT: PT nomenclature in Model number for Paratrooper in ALL Fossil early pieces.
1988 Pop-Top Paratrooper pieces PT-20 (gold case) and PT-21(silver case).
March 1991 is the last of the Paratrooper pieces – PT7420 and PT7421
More recently we saw the Paratrooper style watch brought back in 2009 with the FS4474 and FS4473. These were re-releases of previous Paratrooper watches of the 1980’s brought back in a series called REISSUES as part of Fossil’s 25th anniversary. I have both of these in my collection for the time being – both feature a 45mm case and an odd crown location for those odd lefties.
Now onto the Trench watch from 2015. Lots of great limited pieces during this age and the Trench watch certainly is an acquired taste that got a lot of mixed reviews when I posted it on Facebook a few weeks ago. I bought this in 2015 at an outlet store for much less than retail which always tells me that these weren’t popular and instead of sitting on the shelf they hit the outlet stores (remember those!)
The case comes in at 43mm, which is large, but not dinner plate large. The movement is a simple quartz movement with a large plastic spacer inside — certainly the watch looks quality and durable, but the insides not so much. I have had to send it back to Fossil twice for repairs over the years, but with something this unique and cool I don’t mind it.
What I like most about this limited edition and several other similar offerings back in the mid 2010’s is the versatility of the limited editions. Don’t like the stainless steel grill on the face? Take it off. Don’t like the leather strap, swap it out with a nylon fabric strap. The packaging of this piece has ALWAYS been on display in my Fossil cabinet because it is very elegant as compared to the fabric/canvas boxes from earlier limited editions. As far as durability, the stainless grill is worn during war times at the office and I like to joke at work that special days at work require the Trench Watch to survive corporate life and all the urgent emails and expectations.
