Fossil has announced a new limited edition solar watch that can keep ticking for up to three months after just eight hours in the sun. The Fossil LE Solar World Timer is being released to celebrate Earth Day, and will go on sale on April 22 direct from Fossil.
The watch, which has a digital/analog hybrid design, will be affordable too, costing $155 / £149 (about AU$200) at launch.
The watch has a 42mm case made from castor oil, which (although not perfect) is a more sustainable alternative to traditional petrochemicals. The watch's strap is made from recycled plastic bottles rather than virgin plastic.
The Fossil LE Solar World Timer is a conventional watch rather than a smartwatch, but has a feature set that will still appeal to walkers and travellers, including a compass, stopwatch, alarm, timer, and world time function covering 49 cities worldwide.
Here comes the sun
If you're looking for a watch for tracking steps and timing runs, you're better off with a device like the Garmin Instinct Solar.
This works on a slightly different principle – after you give it an initial charge using its supplied power adapter, it can theoretically run forever provided it gets enough daylight to keep its battery topped up, and you keep its various power-saving functions switched on.
In real life, with regular use of the on-board GPS and other workout tracking tools, you'll need to plug it back in eventually, but its battery life is still measured in days and weeks rather than hours.
- Check out our complete guide to the best running watches
