Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 returns with fresh fitness smarts and payment support

Diesel has announced a fresh version of its Full Guard smartwatch, complete with heart rate monitoring, contactless payment support and GPS tracking.

Joining the updated ranges from the rest of its Fossil Group brethren, the fashion brand's new Full Guard 2.5 will feature largely the same design from last year's equivalent, though the tech on the inside has been ramped up significantly.

Wareable verdict: Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 review

Not only will it now be more adept at helping users pay from the wrist, but the heart rate and GPS tracking is also bolstered by waterproofing up to 3 ATM, which the company indicates makes it safe to swim with. These fitness features, of course, also time nicely with the revamped Google Fit.

Under the hood, the Android- and iOS-compatible smartwatch is still powered by the same Qualcomm Wear 2100 chip we saw through the initial Diesel Full Guard and through Google's Wear OS platform. According to Diesel itself, the Full Guard 2.5 will also debut improved charging (though the battery itself will only last 1-2 days), music control, watch faces and smartphone notifications.

As shown above, from left to right, there are four styles the smartwatch will be available in: a matte black steel case on a black silicone strap, a gunmetal steel case on a brown leather strap, an all-over gunmetal stainless steel case on a three-link bracelet and and a matte steel case on a black leather strap.

The touchscreen will once again feature, and the micro-apps which debuted through the last generation will now be joined by customisable dials (such as the flickering Diesel On logo), which change colour automatically throughout the day, and an interactive heart rate dial that creates a water effect with the tap of a finger.

However, while we do know what each model will look like on paper, we don't yet have all the details. There's every reason to suggest that this will still feel as hulking as its predecessor (for context, the new Full Guard 2.5 bezel will be 47 x 56mm, with a thickness of 11mm), but stay tuned for our hands-on to get a better idea of how it carries this size, as well as the display specs.

We're yet to track down US pricing for the next generation Diesel watches, but we do know the UK details and that availability begins in October. The matte black steel case on a black silicone strap, gunmetal steel case on a brown leather strap and matte steel case on a black leather strap models will all sit at £319, while the all-over gunmetal steel case will be £329. That's roughly the same price that the original Diesel on Full Guard came in at, and we expect US pricing to be in the same ballpark, too.