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Fossil ES5436 Raquel Blue Velvet Strap Watch - W10462
Ref. ES5436
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Stepping up in Fossil's range
The Raquel line is Fossil's answer to the vintage dress watch — rectangular cased, minimal, built to read as jewellery as much as time-keeping. This particular version pairs a silver sunray dial with a navy velvet-over-leather strap, which is an unusual material choice that earns its keep: velvet sits against the wrist differently to leather or nylon, and the texture makes the silver case feel deliberately considered rather than simply chosen. At 18mm the case is genuinely small and at 16.4 grams it will not register on the wrist at all. That is not a compromise — it is precisely what a watch worn with a narrow cuff or alongside fine bracelets should do.
- Reference
- ES5436
- Brand
- Fossil
- Case size
- 50mm
- Case thickness
- 7mm
- Lug width
- 10mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Rectangular
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- Seiko VC00
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- 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
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 7mm is unusually slim for a 50mm case
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 50mm is a large watch with real presence
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | ES5436 |  DZ7257 |  PEWJB21953411 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £139 | £149 | £125 |
| Case size | 50mm | 51mm | 51mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Fabric strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
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?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
10mm. 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
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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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