A Doubly Rare Fossil Collectors Club Collaboration
Many years ago we had posed a question about the rarest “official” limited edition piece from Fossil. Over the years there has many comments and even a few emails about it, but today we have a winner in the watch category with a run of…..
Many years ago we had posed a question about the rarest “official” limited edition piece from Fossil.
https://www.undergroundfossilcollectors.club/blog/2010/2/15/whats-the-rarest-fossil-collectable.html
Over the years there has many comments and even a few emails about it, but today we have a winner in the watch category with a run of 75 pieces - Space Jam Tune Squad Limited Edition Box Set
LE1128SET
At $500USD it is a little too rich for my suburban dad blood, but it looks like the 75 pieces sold out in days and it is nice to see a Fossil Collectors Club collaboration again! Here’s to many more.
And if you are curious, the previous contender for the most rare Fossil watch belongs to the Grant Sapphire which was limited to 254 pieces. More can be found here:
Colorful & Mysterious Fossil Speedways from 2003
Long time Fossil fans will remember the Speedway line of Fossil watches. We’ve posted about our love for Speedways for many years now and some of the similarities to some of our favorite Defender DF watches. Today we present to you a Speedway mystery set from 2003.
Long time Fossil fans will remember the Speedway line of Fossil watches. We’ve posted about our love for Speedways for many years now and some of the similarities to some of our favorite Defender DF watches. Today we present to you a Speedway mystery set from 2003.
Why is this set of pieces a mystery? Glad you asked – you’re always so inquisitive! Thank you.
Plain and simple: We can’t find any record of these anywhere.
Like anything else it is quite the juggle to work full-time at a J-O-B and yet manage the premier Fossil collectors’ site all from the same small office. Catalogs, newsletters, promotional materials and other mediums litter the office and over the years copious amounts of Speedway materials have been revealed and yet these 3 watches below are nowhere to be found. Not only is there no information on these watches, they are gorgeous works of art.
3 known colorways exist:
Black Speedway: FS-2973
Red Speedway: FS-2974
Blue Speedway: FS-2975
Could there be others?????
Enter now the collector thrill of the hunt. 2 of the 3 have been obtained and it wasn’t easy or quick.
The Red FS-2974 came from Germany on a classified site.
The Blue FS-2975 recently was listed on eBay and made its way from Italy to Cleveland.
The black colorway is a picture grabbed from Google Images many, many years ago from a watch forum in Germany. Given that the 3 watches are confirmed from Europe – it could be as simple as a European only release. We do have some European catalogs from that time period, keyword is some.
Both the FS-2974 & FS-2975 came with the stainless steel bracelet despite the Blue FS-2975 sporting a very well-worn leather Michael Kors strap. There are various pictures of the FS-2973 on Google Images and all photos picture the watch with a black leather 22mm strap.
A Miyota 0S10 quartz movement lives in each watch.
There you have it! A Speedway mystery that has stumped the experts for many years now.
1996 Fossil Times: European Special Supplement "THE EUROPEAN SPECIAL"
In the process of publishing all the Fossil Times newsletters over the years we were informed by our friend Heino that they had special European issues of the Fossil Times. I bet most didn’t know this! We certainly did not!
In the process of publishing all the Fossil Times newsletters over the years (all of them) we were informed by our friend Heino that they had special European supplemental issues of the Fossil Times. Bet most didn’t know this! We certainly did not!
We’ll call this series The European Special and good news for us since we do not speak German, these issues were bilingual! Thank you Fossil.
Now on to some witty commentary.
Fossil’s new 45 Classic Line – we have no earthly idea what this is! No catalogs in our collection have anything related to this Line. Oh, life’s mysteries.
Fossil Blue Line announcement. Apparently by this point it was already announced and they will be very sporty. We know in the US Blue Line launched in August 1996 in the USA, but not until 1997 in Europe.
Fossil Watch Exchange? Something you could do in the 90’s apparently, but not anymore. Unless anyone has a Fossil Compass Limited-Edition LE1027? That is our wish.
More limited editions are covered in this newsletter and what is nice to see is it’s in addition to the international newsletter and references are made assuming you’ve already read the official newsletter before this supplement.
The highlight is the announcement of the Fossil Collectors Club Meeting in Bochum on October 26-27, 1996. It reads:
“Time will stand still at the first international FOSSIL Collectors Clube Meeting and this is for real: European time switches from summer to winter time and we invite you to party the whole day long until this “timeless-hour” together with FOSSIL Collectors”
We could on, but please read it all because there is some poor translations there and many surprises we cannot tell you about now. Do not miss it!
Find the pictures and PDF below – Important to note that this supplement says Volume 2 Issue 2, it really references Volume 3 Issue 3 because of the Betty Boop launch along with Fossil Blue. Another example of the Fossil collector’s lament — volumes and issues were never consistent, until now.
Fossil Limited Editions You May Have Missed – The Explorer LE1002
Next up in our path of highlighting some of the lesser known limited-edition pieces that Fossil released is another gem from 2010 – The Explorer. Fossil fans will remember that our last visit we covered the LE1001 and keeping collectors happy we’re moving to the next in line (in order!) the LE1002.
Next up in our journey of highlighting some of the lesser known limited-edition pieces that Fossil released is another gem from 2010 – The Explorer. Fossil fans will remember that our last visit we covered the LE1001 and keeping collectors happy we’re moving to the next in line (in order!) the LE1002. All of these so far are part of the Vintage Expedition series, which was more of a marketing campaign vs. anything you’ll see written on the item or packaging.
The packaging is the same as other pieces in this era including the canvas box and the information card. A little less detail about the watch is included this time around vs. other limited-editions of the era.
Initial impressions of this watch are always the interchangeable toprings which includes a vintage compass design with cardinal points, brushed smooth metal and my favorite – the paratrooper crystal grid. Certainly not something unique these days, but for 2010 this was and is the first thing I recall when seeing this limited-edition piece (which I bought new!)
The watch itself is huge at 47MM and matched with one of the interchangeable toprings and the canteen crown tends to attract a lot of attention because this is a lot of watch on a wrist. The price of looking good does hurt however due to the crown enjoying to dig into my hand when typing on a keyboard or really doing anything else when bending the left wrist.
One other detail is the beefiness of the strap. I really miss this era of straps, quality thick leather that felt durable and secure
look at that beefy strap!
A few additional things of note for this piece.
The watch features a Miyota 2115 Japanese quartz movement.
The LE1002 was limited to 5000 pieces
The bezels can spin, but not always secure
Features a Super Lume, but not nearly as big & bright as Enduro.
Fossil Limited Editions You May Have Missed – The Enduro LE1006
In the first of a new series we are going to begin highlighting some of the limited-edition pieces that Fossil put out that aren’t as popular, maybe rarer and certainly not the limited editions we typically highlight here. Oddly enough today’s entry comes from 2010 which is the year we started the Underground Fossil Collectors Club.
In the first of a new series we are going to begin highlighting some of the limited-edition pieces that Fossil put out that aren’t as popular, maybe rarer and certainly not the limited editions we typically highlight here. Oddly enough today’s entry comes from 2010 which is the year we started the Underground Fossil Collectors Club.
In 2010 Fossil released 2 limited edition Enduro pieces – the LE1001 and the LE1006. Why the model numbers aren’t sequential will infuriate some of our collector friends, but all these years later it is what it is. The LE1001 was the black colorway and the LE1006 is the blue colorway and the topic of our conversation today. Besides the difference in dial colors, the LE1001 was limited to 5000 pieces and the LE1006 was very limited to 1500 pieces.
First let’s cover the packaging. You’ll see in future posts that there were quite a few Fossil limited editions during this era that featured the “canvas box”. Nothing special, but certainly unique and in line with the Fossil expedition theme starting around 2010. One tidbit I never knew was the card actually comes out and it’s double-sided to include some information about the watch. Could also be a good place to hide things….hmmm
The watch is a rare 200m/20 ATM water resistance from Fossil and as such is heavy. Weighing in at 7.5 ounces with the stainless bracelet, this is one of the more heavier Fossils in the collection. The case size is 46MM. Add the size of the case with the date magnifier and this watch will definitely hit the doorframe.
The Enduro LE1006 came complete with a special 22mm silicone strap that was only available in this set. Strap in this set is unused still with tags. What is missing from this set is the tool to change the straps, 2010 was before Fossil had the easy change straps.
A few additional things of note for this piece.
The watch features a Miyota 2315 Japanese quartz movement.
Speaking of 2010 there is absolutely no way on this LE1006 that indicates the year it was made. Every other Fossil watch minus the very early ones has a numbering system that will tell the owner what year their watch was made. If it wasn’t for the internet and some old catalogs we have, it would have been a guessing game.
Yes the bezel spins!
Super Lume. It’s literally in the title of the watch and what review wouldn’t be complete without showing off a very large picture of the super lume!
11 years of the Underground Fossil Collectors Club: another retrospective
Every February 10, I like to take some time to give an update on how things are going here in the home of the Underground Fossil Collectors Club. A time of reflection, updates and maybe even some ideas for the future. Just to preface - 11 years ago I started this website as a shout out to other collectors of Fossil stuff to build a community. Stuff is the official term that encompasses advertising, catalogs, limited editions, men’s watches, ladies watches and packaging all from Fossil. Over the years we’ve uncovered a lot of amazing collections.
Every February 10, I like to take some time to give an update on how things are going here in the home of the Underground Fossil Collectors Club. A time of reflection, updates and maybe even some ideas for the future. Just to preface - 11 years ago I started this website as a shout out to other collectors of Fossil stuff to build a community. Stuff is the official term that encompasses advertising, catalogs, limited editions, men’s watches, ladies watches and packaging all from Fossil. Over the years we’ve uncovered a lot of amazing collections.
First let me give you an update. The past 2 years we had a nice relationship with Fossil to review and promote both ladies and men’s limited-edition watches from the official Fossil Collectors Club. Watch reviews were something new for us to post and it was a wonderful experience to learn the lingo of watch reviewing. I was immensely honored to be part of it and was always surprised to get contacted from readers with questions on models, specs, features, availability, etc. Intertwined in those limited-edition reviews, I sorted through a lot of my old catalogs and Fossil Times to give a good mix of new & old.
Going forward into 2021 I don’t know if I’ll have any new Fossil limited edition pieces to highlight from the official Fossil Collectors Club, but I can give you a sneak peek into my wish list for 2021 content as it sits today. Some of you old time collectors are going to be thrilled!
European Fossil Times. I have them all thanks to our friend Heino
A special Fossil Speedway
Fossil Notebooks
Finish posting the watches from the Around the World Series – only a few years late!
Collectors Club Kits – We’re missing a few in the archives - oops!
Fossil Compass pieces
Oddball scans including FSL, RoadTrip, Swiss and even some Defender brochures
Hybrid HR – if and when Fossil releases one with a color screen, you bet it’ll be posted here.
See the latest FTW7019 Review Here! I love this watch
I’m toying with the idea of another watch guide similar to the Defender Watch Guide. Open to suggestions!
A few older limited-edition reviews from the 2010’s that I did not previously cover.
After 11 years of content on this site it is also getting cluttered and hard to find content. I’ll be doing some tag cleanup and some shortcuts on the homepage to find sections easier.
Analytics are fun
I also like to take time annually and highlight the most viewed pieces of content on the site. Excluding main navigation pages from the report like blog, about, etc…the top pages in order of popularity from 2020 were:
In addition, here are some of the more popular search terms & phrases used to find content on the site in no particular order
Elvis Presley, FS-4473, Men’s Fossil Defender, ftw7008, fossil forrestor (notice the misspelling?), fossil watch collectors, fossil solar watches, fossil crosley, fossil pride watch, old fossil watch, cleveland fossil store, fossil watches from the 90’s, road trip Fossil
I have 100’s more of terms used, but these stuck out. I’m always fascinated in how people find our site and what they do when they are here. 2020 was also a year where a lot of readers finally found the Contact Me page.
How do I know this?
Whelp….in the early days of the pandemic I was getting 7-10 messages a week with people asking me about old Fossil watches. I started to respond to all of them with great thought and care believing they were all collectors. Quickly found out that everyone was cleaning out their closets and selling their stuff on eBay! While you can’t blame them because I did the same thing, the majority of readers never said THANK YOU or even acknowledged my replies! I would sometimes go to eBay and type in terms from their item and on more than one occasion I would find my entire email pasted in the listing description! While it’s nice to be an expert, it’s exhausting being taken advantage of with little to no return. Going forward I will be more cautious in providing values or input on Fossil items for people looking for the quick flip.
It wasn’t all bad though. A lot of messages were people looking for specific pieces, telling me about their collections, Fossil memories and asking for more information about reviews & new watches that I’ve posted. That is why this site exists and I have tremendous pride being part of this for the past 11 years. Of all the watches people are still looking for I would say with 100% certainty the Crosley Fossil watch from 2019 takes the cake with a few messages a month with readers asking for one and offering me big money for mine!
Feel free to Contact Me anytime and looking forward to going into our twelfth year.
Fossil Times, Fossil Breaks New Ground with Dirt
Even the best curator of all things Fossil makes a mistake every once in a while. In prepping the list of posts and ideas for 2021, I found a mysterious Fossil Times edition that I marked as Q4, but in reality it was Q1 1998. Let’s blame 2020 or let’s blame a certain administration with an orange man – either way it is time dig into the LAST USA Fossil Times edition that I have access to. Volume 5 Issue 1. We do not have access to the Volume 5 Issue 4, which I believe has a pair of glasses on the cover.
Even the best curator of all things Fossil makes a mistake every once in a while. In prepping the list of posts and ideas for 2021, I found a mysterious Fossil Times edition that I marked as Q4, but in reality it was Q1 1998. Let’s blame 2020 or let’s blame a certain administration with an orange man – either way it is time dig into the LAST USA Fossil Times edition that I have access to. Volume 5 Issue 1. We do not have access to the Volume 5 Issue 4, which I believe has a pair of glasses on the cover.
Fossil DRT (Dirt Resistant Technology) watches have always been a meh amongst the collector world. I have a few of them and so do most collectors, but none of them have really stuck out as collectible. The cover image here features the DT4016, the cream colorway in a series that featured green, brown, black, blue and white. DRT was a short-lived series that was all gone by the year 2000 and the coolest item in the line IMO was the DT-4025 which was a combo analog/digital face.
One last call to join the 1998 Fossil Collectors Club shows up in Q1. No mention if 1999 was going to be a thing or not, but in Q1 1998 one could still join the Club and get all the goodies that we expected when we signed up in 1997. AOL Keyword – Fossil
The highlight of this issue in our opinion is the 2-page spread to talk about Fossil in cyberspace. At this point Fossil.com was 2 years old and most companies were just now realizing this internet thing wasn’t going away. The comparison between surfing the ocean and surfing the net is quite hysterical – worth a read! We’ve posted before about the old Fossil site on archive.org, but if you haven’t checked it out ever take a look for all your vintage Fossil pictures, watches and information – your friendly moderator here checks on it often for points of reference.
The big spread in Q1 is I LOVE LUCY and it’s a big spread! Really nice work around the show and the history. No pictures of the limited edition watches are shown, but in April of 1998 you could get the #3 watch in the series in standard or gold.
Wrapping up this issue is the recap of the fifth (and final?) Collector’s Club Breakfast in Nashville, TN on November 22, 1997. Mentioned as well is the Fossil Germany Collector’s Club Breakfast on the same day! Very cool and certainly something Fossil should consider going forward are some events for their fans. Later in 1998 there was a mall tour for Collectors and one was in my own backyard and I missed it by about 23 years! On that bad joke, here is the Q1 1998 Fossil Times – enjoy!
Please forgive the oddball sized scans here — this is one copy I didn’t have the actual tangible copy of. The full pages will appear when you click.
Fossil Times, I Was Abducted by Aliens Volume 5, Issue 3
Let’s end this year with one of the largest issues of the Fossil Times. It just so happens to be next on our mission to publish all the Fossil Times online. No need to buy one on eBay for $40, read away and enjoy the witty commentary on what could be the largest edition (in size): Volume 5, Issue 3 otherwise known as the Pink Panther edition.
Greetings Fossil Fans! Let’s end this year with one of the largest issues of the Fossil Times. It just so happens to be next on our journey to publish all the Fossil Times online. No need to buy one on eBay for $40! Read away and enjoy the witty commentary on what could be the largest edition (in size): Volume 5, Issue 3 otherwise known as the Pink Panther edition.
The cover image is most striking and contrary to popular belief the image and story have nothing to do with a certain limited edition watch and everything to do with the Advance-o-Matic ordering program that was introduced in Q2. In fact, if this issue had a theme it’s Advance-o-Matic which let’s be honest is a letdown considering how good the cover image is. It’s a funny story nonetheless.
We revisit a few watches mentioned last quarter including the LI-2003 Big Date limited edition and a new Snoopy limited-edition Pocket Watch including a dog dish!
Something we never cover are the Beatles limited edition watches and this issue announces the LI-1651 and LI-1650, which are the third releases of Beatles limited edition watches. What is cool about this set was that the watch and packaging looked just like the famous album cover. I honestly see this set from time to time and think it’s much older than September 1998 – another example of Fossil doing vintage right!
Star Wars! I remember being in a Fossil store and seeing this limited edition set during the holidays in 1998, I distinctly remember seeing R2D2’s head being twisted off and seeing the watch and I thought what a great way to use that droid! Going into 2021 this might be the limited edition set I seek out to buy and display. Like most limited edition sets of the time, there were 2 version gold & silver. Gold was LI-1666 and 500 pieces were available and Silver was LI-1665 and 3000 pieces were available.
I lovingly called this newsletter the Pink Panther edition and that’s because 4 of the 8 pages are dedicated to a Pink Panther poster. Not really a desirable or favored limited edition set amongst collectors, this set includes the standing Pink Panther which I always liked. It is one thing to have a cool watch in a collectible tin, but when you add figurines or display pieces that’s when collectors go nuts. There is something for everyone!
Lastly what is missing from this newsletter is calling out of collectors and their collections! Where is the love for the collectors that littered their homes with Fossil wares? Oh well – one more issue to go in our journey!
A new Hybrid HR FTW7019 and updated review
Love them or hate them, smartwatches are here to stay. I’ve typically shied away from posting about them too much because we all love traditional watches, but these hybrid watches from Fossil really do press all the buttons! I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the Q series from years past and now I’m on my second in the Hybrid HR series – moral of the story they look like traditional watches, but have smart features without looking like a tablet on your wrist!
Love them or hate them, smartwatches are here to stay. I’ve typically shied away from posting about them too much because we all love traditional watches, but these hybrid watches from Fossil really do press all the buttons as of late. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the Q series from years past and now I’m on my second in the Hybrid HR series: moral of the story they look like traditional watches, but have smart features without looking like a tablet on your wrist!
Last year I reviewed a Hybrid HR Collider FTW008 when they first launched. My immediate attraction to the HR series was the battery life plain and simple. Features were lacking at the time as I highlighted in the very thorough review, but I was assured that improvements were coming from our friends at Fossil. Fast forward a year later and Fossil really has kept the updates coming and the few complaints I had with the earlier software has been solved. Even today as I write up this article I noticed a new iOS version has launched with a face gallery and some new updates to the watch in 4.6.0!
https://www.fossil.smartwatchstations.com/releases/4.6.0?locale=en
At the time of my initial review my biggest complaints were not being able to change the face with a custom picture (FIXED), the fitness tracking for cycling (FIXED), not all the apps I use were supported (FIXED). The one complaint I didn’t include in the review was the look of the watch, while it does look like a traditional watch it wasn’t in the style that I normally wear……I don’t have to say it, but I will anyways – I’m a fan of military/aviation style watches!
Let’s introduce Latitude, a new series from Fossil that mysteriously appeared on their website and then disappeared and then reappeared with some traditional & hybrid HR models not that long ago. I saw the FTW7019 and right away thought its time for an upgrade to my Collider. Merry Christmas to me (in November).
Right away you can see the styling differences between the 2. The Collider is 42mm and the Latitude is 50mm! Collider really looks small next to its cousin. You will notice the similarities in the interface however, that hasn’t changed with these new models as both of them were running the same firmware.
Earlier in November amidst all the sales & emails, Fossil unleashed a plethora of new models in the HR line. While the technology and interface changes with every update and it’s the same across the devices, the main point in my review is the upgrade in available styles including some for the ladies. Mrs. Fossil Underground Collectors Club is already eyeing a few of the ladies models for Christmas 2020.
I’m looking forward to exploring the updates more in the coming weeks and really looking forward to sporting the latest HR Hybrid with a design that I really enjoy. I even joined a dedicated Facebook group for HR Hybrid owners and learned a few tips and tricks and have gotten some fun background images.
For now enjoy this picture of my new favorite hybrid watch playing my favorite song of all time!
I always wondered if in Australia they sing “I Bless the Rains UP in Africa”
Fossil FSL Watches - European Catalog
FSL for those of you who don’t know stands for Fossil Sport Line and was marketed as a new generation of sports watches that offered extreme performance with an unusual combination of materials and unconventional looks! Fossil did use the terms unusual & unconventional in their marketing materials and it’s something we won’t see again.
Recently unearthed in the archives is a Fossil Europe catalog specifically highlighting the FSL line of watches. FSL for those of you who don’t know stands for Fossil Sport Line and was marketed as a new generation of sports watches that offered extreme performance with an unusual combination of materials and unconventional looks! Fossil did use the terms unusual & unconventional in their marketing materials and it’s something we won’t see again.
Materials used were a removable shock absorber, silicone coated calf leather, polyurethane and nylon. The unique item about FSL (besides marketing terms) was FSL was a sponsor of many sporting events including Germany Cups supporting in-line skating and skateboarding in 1996, 1997 and 1998, which is about the time this catalog came out!
Enjoy and find this catalog permanently in the Catalog Scans section of our site.
