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Fossil Townsman Automatic Brown Leather Skeleton Dial Mens Watch
Ref. ME3270
Sits in Fossil’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Fossil watches we list, which start at £89.
Price range £89 to £399 across 106 Fossil watches in stock.The Townsman's pitch is straightforward: put the movement on show and build a case around it that a broadly accessible automatic can justify. The result is a silver-toned dial that has been opened up extensively, with gold Roman numerals and matching hands framing the exposed gear train beneath. At 44mm wide and 12.7mm thick it wears with some presence on the wrist, though the proportions sit in line with what skeleton watches of this type typically need to let the mechanism read clearly. The movement winds from wrist motion and requires no battery — at the Townsman's level that is a practical convenience as much as a mechanical statement. An exhibition caseback means the same view continues from both sides, and the 22mm lugs with quick-release spring bars make strap changes straightforward if the brown leather is not to every occasion.
- Reference
- ME3270
- Brand
- Fossil
- Case size
- 44mm
- Case thickness
- 12.7mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
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 (3,082), Automatic Watches (1,403), Leather Strap Watches (986), Watches 44mm and Over (967), Silver Dial Watches (679) and Automatic Watches Under £500 (322).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Fossil's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 44mm sits at the larger end
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | ME3270 | 47569/LB | 1791642 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £239 | £250 | £229 |
| Case size | 44mm | 43.8mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | 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?
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 automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. 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.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £239. There is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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