Fossil
Richardson, USA · Est. 1984
Founded by Tom Kartsotis
Fossil is an American fashion watch brand founded in 1984 by Tom Kartsotis in Richardson, Texas, known for vintage-inspired designs across a wide range of fashion brands. Through its licensing operation, Fossil Group produces watches for brands including Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, and Kate Spade, alongside its own collections.
- Founded
- 1984
- Headquarters
- Richardson, USA
- Group
- Other
- Price Segment
- Entry
- Status
- Active
Key Collections
- Grant — Vintage-inspired chronograph with Roman numeral markers, one of Fossil's best-selling dress watch lines.
- Neutra — Minimalist collection with clean dials and slim profiles, embodying modern simplicity.
- Gen 6 — Smartwatch line powered by Wear OS, featuring health tracking, NFC payments and customisable watch faces.
Timeline
- 1984 — Tom Kartsotis founds Fossil in Richardson, Texas, inspired by his father's vintage watch collection.
- 1993 — Fossil goes public on NASDAQ, fuelling rapid expansion into global markets.
- 2001 — Acquires licence to produce Emporio Armani watches, beginning a major licensed brands strategy.
- 2015 — Acquires Misfit Wearables, entering the smartwatch and connected-device market.
- 2019 — Sells smartwatch intellectual property to Google for $40 million, though continues producing Wear OS devices.
- 2025 — Full-year revenue fell 12% to $1.004 billion as the company reported narrowing losses but remained unprofitable. Reported Q4 and FY2025 results in March 2026.
- 2025 — Fully exited smartwatch market. Net sales fell 12.3 percent to USD 1 billion. Secured USD 150M credit facility for turnaround.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fossil
- Is Fossil a luxury brand?
- Fossil positions itself as an affordable fashion watch brand with vintage-inspired design. It's not luxury, but offers strong design at accessible price points.
- What other watch brands does Fossil Group own?
- Fossil Group produces watches for Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, Diesel, DKNY, Kate Spade and Skagen, among others.