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Fossil ME3081 Automatic Skeleton Dial Men's Watch
Ref. ME3081
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
At 50 mm across and 14 mm thick, this is a substantial watch that makes no attempt to hide its proportions. The stainless steel case has a fixed bezel and a transparent caseback, allowing the automatic movement to be viewed from both sides. The skeleton dial removes much of the chapter ring and bridges to expose the working parts beneath, with luminous silver-tone hands and index hour markers laid over the mechanics. A 24 mm stainless steel bracelet with a push-button deployment clasp completes the build. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres.
- Reference
- ME3081
- Brand
- Fossil
- Case size
- 50mm
- Case thickness
- 14mm
- Lug width
- 24mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- WATCH & WATCH
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.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,157), Automatic Watches (1,753), Watches 44mm and Over (811), Silver Dial Watches (711), Automatic Watches Under £500 (333) and Skeleton Watches (323).
Temporarily out of stock
WATCH & WATCH is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 30 August 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Fossil's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 50mm is a large watch with real presence
- 14mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Fossil ME3081 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification |  ME3081 | PEWJK21951011 | RGS10082/03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £139 | £110 | £199 |
| Case size | 50mm | 48mm | 49.5mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| 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.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
24mm. 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 men's.
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