review

Diesel On Full Guard 2.5

A hands-in review of the new On Full Guard 2.5 Gen Next smartwatch by Diesel.

This year seems to be pretty big for the watch industry. A lot of anniversaries to celebrate, a lot of independents taking the industry to a new level, and a lot of new introductions in the smartwatches segment. To top it off, Apple seems to have clinched the first place as a smartwatch brand. Keeping all this in mind, one of the major Swiss watch groups in the industry, the Fossil Group, recently introduced their latest line of smart wearables.

With major fashion brands like Fossil, Skagen, Michael Kors, Diesel, Armani and Armani Exchange under their belt, the new GenNext set of watches by the Fossil Group were unveiled keeping in mind the demand by the public for smart technology. We got the chance to wear and test the new Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 Gen Next for ten days and here's what we found.

When you think Diesel, your mind immediately goes to the rugged, industrial identity which the brand has been maintaining since its inception. They managed to bring the same look and feel to their latest launch, the Gen Next On Full Guard 2.5 smartwatch. With an option to experiment with a number of watch dials, the new smartwatch by the Group runs on Google Wear OS technology. That means, you have easy one-click access to all your Google data, fitness tracks and techniques, and more.

Sitting comfortably on a silicone strap, the 47mm piece might appear slightly big if you have a slender wrist. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 – unlike the latest 3100 version – the model comes with a choice of basic features required in a smartwatch. These include an in-built GPS, contactless payments, heart rate monitor and a customised Diesel T-on-I App for your daily dose of pun, step counts and weather. Perfect for basic fitness tracking, the waterproof watch can be used for your daily active routine, albeit the battery may not last as long. Although it features a 300mAh battery capacity, the features do tend to drain the watch out within the same day.

The charging wire is a magnetic attachment which easily connects to the caseback and doesn't get disturbed as easily. However, you should try to keep it on flat surface. That being said, the inventive dial faces keep the watch very true to being a Diesel brand. There was something to experiment with throughout the wear. Also, unlike other timepieces, you have the choice of three push buttons (including the crown) on the side which allow easier navigation than just working the crown. This did help, to be honest, but it didn't stop the smartwatch from becoming a little slow and laggy at certain places – especially if you work the multiple features simultaneously.

The Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 is a very different and good looking smartwatch, and if you're just starting out in the horology domain, you might want to consider this one. It works well with casuals as well as for formal occasions, especially with the option of interchangeable straps. The smartwatch is priced at a range between Rs. 24,995 to Rs. 25,995.

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