Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Solar Watch work?
The outer ring of the watch case acts as a solar panel: It captures light and converts it to energy using a solar cell beneath the dial, then it stores the energy in a rechargeable battery that powers the movement of the watch.

How will I know when to recharge it?
When the energy storage is reduced to an extremely low level, the second hand will start moving at two-second intervals instead of its normal one-second intervals. At that point, you have about one day of reserve power left, so recharge your watch as soon as possible by exposing it to light.

Does it only use sunlight as an energy source?
Actually, no! The Solar Watch can convert other forms of light into energy, such as light from a fluorescent lamp.

Is it vegan?
Yes! We’re proud to say that no animal byproducts were used in the making of this timepiece.

How long does it take to fully charge the battery?
In full sunlight, the Solar Watch will be fully charged after about five hours of light exposure.

How long will it run?
Once fully charged, the Solar Watch is expected to run for around four months before you’ll need to charge it again.

Is it 100% sustainable?
Unfortunately, no — but it’s a step in the right direction. Our goal is to make 100% of our products meet our pro-planet criteria by 2025, and we’re making strides to accomplish that goal efficiently and effectively. The Solar Watch may not be a perfectly sustainable product, but it puts into practice simple, pro-planet solutions that we hope to implement across our product assortment in the very near future.

Anything else noteworthy about the Solar Watch?
In addition to opting for a more sustainable, solar-powered movement, the Solar Watch comes equipped with five pull-through straps, each made with yarn spun from plastic bottles. We also used castor oil, an environmentally-friendly material, to develop a partially bio-based plastic for the Solar Watch’s case. Last but not least, we developed the packaging entirely from paper, so it is 100% recyclable in many recycling programs.

I read that the Solar Watch was designed to meet Fossil’s “pro-planet” criteria. What are those criteria?
Great question! We currently have two main criteria in place:

• The product must include at least one sustainability-approved material. For details on our criteria for sustainability-approved materials, click the link below.
• The product’s primary packaging (i.e. the packaging you take home when you get a Fossil product) must be recyclable and/or reusable.

Our goal is to design and produce 100% of our products to meet these pro-planet criteria by 2025. To find out more about our sustainability targets and programs, visit fossilgroup.com/sustainability.