How to grab a Fossil smartwatch Black Friday deal

If last year's Black Friday is anything to go by, it's probably safe to assume that we'll see a few deals crop up for cut-price Fossil smartwatch and hybrids for this year's sales bonanza.

That's largely down to the fact that Fossil Group has a whole load of smartwatches to discount. Especially when it's just launched its new fourth generation smartwatches running on Google's Wear OS.

Essential reading: Best hybrid smartwatches to buy

With those fourth-gen watches packing big features like built-in GPS, Google Pay support, heart rate monitoring and waterproof designs, there's likely to be a big stock of third-gen watches that get in on some of the deals love.

But we shouldn't forget about the Fossil hybrids, either. Ideal if you don't want a connected timepiece that you have to charge everyday or you desperately need to check your heart rate 24/7. There's also a lot of brands that fall under the Fossil Group umbrella. Along with Fossil's own watches, you've got the likes of Skagen, Michael Kors, Armani and Diesel.

Black Friday 2018 doesn't kick off until 23 November, but we've taken a closer look at the likely candidates to be on sale when that day of deals comes around.

Fossil Sport

Fossil Sport - $178.50 (30% off) - Fossil

The colorful and customizable Fossil Sport may have just arrived, but the company is wasting no time in making it as appealing as possible. You can nab one for 30% off in Fossil's pre-Black Friday deal by using code "BLKFRIDAY" at check out on its site. The Sport, like other new Fossil watches, comes with the new Snapdragon 3100. It's also got NFC for Google Pay, 5ATM water tracking, GPS, a heart-rate monitor, and 41- and 43mm sizes.

Fossil Q Explorist and Venture

Fossil Q Venture - $165 (save $110) - Target (Early Black Friday deals for REDcard holders)

This smartwatch duo are strong candidates to be part of this year's Black Friday deals. The third generation smartwatches both run on the latest version of Wear OS, so you can access the new-look UI and revamped Google Fit. The Explorist is designed for men and features a bigger watch case than the female-focused Venture. But you cannot separate them in the features department. You can access those staple Wear features and there's programmable pushers (above and below the crown) that can quick launch your favourite features. There's a bunch of different looks and strap combos to pick from as well. There's no Google Pay or a swim-proof design, but they do deliver the same battery life as their newer fourth-gen successors.

Michael Kors Access Sofie

Michael Kors Access Sofie - £249 (save £110) - Very

With the new Michael Kors Access Runway on the scene, the chances of the Michael Kors Access Sofie being on sale is high. Despite lacking features now included in the Runway (GPS, heart rate, waterproofing, Google Pay), it's still one of the best looking smartwatches out there. It does run on the latest version of Google's Wear OS giving you a solid basic smartwatch experience. Yes, it keeps things simple, but it's still a fine choice for the fashion conscious watch wearers out there.

Fossil Q Neely

The Q Neely is one of the Fossil Group's best looking hybrids. And it's one designed for small wrists. Along with packing discreet smarts into a small watch casing, the 36mm Q Neely uses 16mm interchangeable straps to mix up those styles. Features-wise, it handles smartphone alerts for texts, email, calendar events and social media apps. It also features programmable buttons to control music playing from your smartphone or take a photo from your camera app. There's also basic fitness tracking (including sleep tracking) and six month's worth of battery life.

Skagen Connected

If you like your hybrid watches with a minimalist look, Danish watch brand Skagen pretty much fits the bill. We reviewed (and loved) its first two Connected watches and this year it introduced Holst, its next generation hybrid. We saw this watch beaut up close earlier this year and along with a super light titanium cases, you can expect more of the same smarts. So fitness tracking, programmable buttons to control more smartphone features and a battery that can go for months before it needs replacing.