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Just got to spend some time with the new SPOT family from Fossil and I can unequivocally say that they’ve finally gotten SPOT right. The watches are attractive, have a better battery, and are 3mm thinner than previous SPOT offerings and they look like something the average watch buyer would be proud to wear. These things will start at $179 and come with leather and metal straps. These photos, taken with my camera phone, give you a general idea what these new models will look like but we’ll be doing a formal review in the next few days.

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While previous incarnations of the SPOT line, and the Abacus in particular, suffered from a geekiness that was overwhelming, these watches are just geeky enough. They are powered via the USB port or a separate power supply and they have a nice bezel and case combo that makes it more of a luxury piece rather than a piece of technology.

Look for our hands-on review this week, but until then rest assured that SPOT isn’t quite dead yet.

Last Update: May 23, 2006