CallerID Bluetooth Watch by Fossil

There's a fine line you have to manage when trying to figure out who's calling your silently-buzzing phone during a meeting. Is it rude to take a look while your boss is yelling at you to include covers on your TPS reports? Well, probably. If you own a Sony-Ericsson phone, though, Fossil has the solution. With the Bluetooth Fossil CallerID watch, you can see who's calling your pocketed Bluetooth phone by simply looking at the watch face, thanks to the Bluetooth synchronization between the Fossil and your cell phone.

But you get more than just that. The Fossil CallerID Bluetooth Watch has an OLED display that informs you of the date, battery levels, Bluetooth status, range and text message alerts. Of course you can also see the time, both in digital format as well as using hour and minute arms. Surprisingly, the watch isn't as geeky as you'd think; it looks just like any other professional metal watch.

The maximum operating range between your phone and watch varies depending on the environment you're in. We found the watch capable of holding a connection to our phone up to 75 feet, which is pretty impressive, and more than enough considering that phones typically remain in our pockets anyway. If you lose the signal, the phone warns you, and once you are back within range, the watch will re-sync with your phone.

The battery lasts anywhere from 5 to 7 days, and when it is running low, the Bluetooth feature simply shuts off to save power; the watch will still display the time for an additional 5-7 days. To recharge the watch, simply use the USB adaptor, or hook it up to the power supply that comes with it.

So, if you're a snowboarder or skier who hates stopping on the slopes just to see that Aunt Thelma is calling, or a biker cruising into the sunset with no free hands to check your phone, put the Fossil CallerID Bluetooth watch on your gift list this Holiday season. Fossil recommends that you use this watch with Sony Ericsson models K60, K610im, K618, K790, K800, W710, W850, Z610, Z710. We were also able to use our W810i, however, so there seem to be some compatible phones that didn't make the list.

Note that Sony Ericsson seems to be offering a similar product, but at a much higher price. The Fossil CallerID retails at around $ 250.