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Fossil Carlie Three-Hand Gold-Tone Stainless Steel Ladies Watch
Ref. ES5329
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Stepping up in Fossil's range
The Carlie Mini takes its proportions and its T-bar lug architecture from nineties jewellery watches, where the case met the bracelet through a crossbar rather than conventional lugs. At 28mm across and 7mm deep it sits accordingly — close to the wrist, unobtrusive under a cuff, readable without commanding the wrist the way a larger dial would. The curb chain-link bracelet continues the period reference without feeling costumed, and the silver sunray dial catches light at an angle in a way a flat silver dial would not. The Adjust-O-Matic clasp is the detail worth knowing before you buy. The links are self-removable without tools, so fitting the bracelet at home is straightforward rather than a trip to a jeweller — practical on a watch this size, where the difference between comfortable and too loose is usually a single link.
- Reference
- ES5329
- Brand
- Fossil
- Case size
- 28mm
- Case thickness
- 7mm
- Lug width
- 12mm
- Case material
- Gold PVD
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Manual
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Gold
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Learn more about Fossil
Tom Kartsotis founded Fossil in Texas in 1984 after noticing that fashion watches manufactured in Hong Kong could be produced far more cheaply than the market assumed. The name came from his brother's nickname.
The company's insight was presentation. Fossil watches were designed with a deliberately retro American aesthetic and sold in collectable tin boxes, which made an inexpensive quartz watch feel like an object worth keeping. It worked at scale, and Fossil became one of the largest watch companies in the world by unit volume.
The business then grew primarily by acquisition and licensing. Fossil owns Zodiac, Misfit, and the leather goods brand Skagen, and manufactures watches under licence for a long list of fashion houses — Michael Kors, Armani Exchange, Diesel, Kate Spade, and others. For much of the 2010s Fossil produced a substantial share of all branded fashion watches sold globally.
It was also an early and significant player in smartwatches, launching Android Wear devices from 2015 and becoming the largest maker of Google-powered watches, before that market consolidated around Apple, Samsung, and Google itself.
Fossil remains a public company headquartered in Richardson, Texas, and continues to produce its own mechanical and automatic lines alongside the quartz and connected ranges.
- 1984
- Tom Kartsotis founds Fossil in Texas.
- 1990
- The tin-box packaging becomes a signature.
- 2001
- Acquires Zodiac.
- 2015
- Launches its first Android Wear smartwatches.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 28mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification |  ES5329 |  MK3874 |  RY4624 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £149 | £159 | £115 |
| Case size | 28mm | 26mm | 26mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Will the glass scratch?
It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
What size strap does it take?
12mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both F.Hinds and Goldsmiths list it at £149, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
Who are F.Hinds?
F.Hinds has been run by the same family since 1856 and is now in its fifth generation, with more than 115 shops across England and Wales. They are a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and an Authorised Diamond Dealer.
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