This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi film, so to celebrate, Fossil debuted a Star Wars line on May 4th — also known as Star Wars Day. The collaboration collection includes accessories, jewelry, and of course, watches. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Star Wars branded watches; a number of companies including Citizen, Oris, Garmin, and Invicta have them, too. Yet, this is the first Fossil and Star Wars collaboration, and the brand came out swinging. The first batch of May the 4th Be With You watches paid tribute to the Rebellion, whereas the second, officially launched on May 26th, recognizes the Empire. While there were plenty of Star Wars x Fossil watches to choose from, we picked the Stormtrooper-themed watch (part of the second launch) for a hands-on review. Keep reading for all the details on the limited-edition Fossil Star Wars Stormtrooper Automatic watch, which features crisp white armor, cool artwork, an intriguing time display, and an automatic movement.
With a case diameter of 43mm, the Fossil Star Wars Stormtrooper is not a small watch, yet its full-white tone keeps things visually light. The case and integrated bracelet are constructed from stainless steel, which is then coated in white resin to achieve a look that’s similar to a stormtrooper’s armor. Since this is a stormtrooper-themed watch, it has to, of course, be made in white. However, options for making affordable white watches are quite limited — the use of ceramic would have been too costly and plastic would cheapen the timepiece. So Fossil opted to coat the steel watch with white resin, which may be prone to chipping. This isn’t a tough tool timepiece, by any means but rather a fun watch to wear if you’re into the Star Wars franchise. While the watch is water resistant to 50 meters, it’s probably best not to submerge it into chlorine-treated or salty waters, as that may or may not affect the coating.
On the wrist, as seen here on Ariel, it’s a comfortable watch despite its generous proportions. The silhouette of the bracelet tapers nicely and it secures around the wrist via a black-coated single-pusher fold-over clasp. Protruding from the right side of the case is a black crown, which ties in well with the other black details on the dial.
Fossil is no stranger to making fun pop-culture products; a quick look at its current catalog reveals Barbie, Harry Potter, The Flash, and other famous character-based goods. And as with any pop-culture branded product, this Star Wars Fossil watch leans heavily into thematic details. First up is the applied stormtrooper helmet and visor that takes up most of the space on the dial. Tucked within that helmet are three separate displays: hours and day/night indication on the left and seconds on the right, all indicated on disks visible through separate windows and clearly labeled in blue. There’s also a minute hand, fashioned to look like a blaster bolt — the preferred weapon of a stormtrooper. When the lights dim down, the hour, minute, and seconds indications come to life thanks to a coating of luminescence. Another touch that will likely delight Star Wars fans is the use of Aurebesh numerals on the white concave minute track around the dial periphery, complete with the Fossil name written in that fictional script.
Powering the watch is an automatic movement that, according to Fossil, is Japanese-made. To be clear, this isn’t a watch you’d buy for the movement; it’s a run-of-the-mill automatic movement. However, as the vast majority of Fossil watches are quartz, the addition of a self-winding caliber is a step up. The watch keeps the movement hidden under a caseback that’s decorated with a comic-book-style stormtrooper at the center, framed by a black ring that’s engraved with the watch’s individual number out of the entire 1,483-piece production run. That same caseback artwork is also found inside the box that the watch is nestled in, which includes a few fun features. Not only are there the exterior engraved plate and a replica 1983 movie ticket pin, but the box also has an on-demand sound effect. “Freeze! Don’t Move!” is what you’ll hear the Fossil Star Wars Stormtrooper watch box shoutout.
This watch was clearly made for die-hard Star Wars fans, of which there are plenty. Side note: My 11-year-old daughter bought a pricey full stormtrooper outfit with her own money at Disneyland this year, and she wears that thing any chance she gets. She’d probably want this watch if it weren’t so big! Themes aside, the Fossil Stormtrooper is a good-looking and fun watch that’s powered by a self-winding movement. The white with touches of black colorway is a solid look for summer, and the integrated bracelet design has been on-trend for years now. The Fossil Star Wars Stormtrooper Automatic watch is limited to 1,483 pieces and is priced at $370 USD, which is on the premium end for Fossil watches. However, Star Wars buffs are generally used to paying a premium for merch — just ask my daughter. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
