In addition to notifications, the Q Grant measures how active (or inactive) you are, as well as your sleep. It seems to be reasonably accurate, and the measurements I am getting for sleep and steps are in-line with the results I’ve seen in other activity trackers. It is not waterproof, so you cannot swim or do water sports with it, but I did wear it to the gym and on my weekend run. I was very concerned that the chain-link band would be uncomfortable or interfere, but it didn’t bother me in the least. As an everyday fitness tracker, it’s a lot more stylish than a Fitbit!

In terms of style, the Q Grant is very much a Fossil watch. It feels very solid, but not too heavy, it is extremely well made, and it looks like a nice, middle of the pack watch. It’s equally inoffensive with a business suit as it is with jeans and a t-shirt, and if I hadn’t told people it was a hybrid smartwatch, I doubt anyone would have noticed it. That just adds to the appeal of the notifications if discretion is important to you. The Q Grant came with a stainless steel two-tone link band, and it has quick-release watch pins, so you can swap it for a silicone band while running and the link band while at work, for example.

Basically, the Q Grant is an all-around chameleon in terms of style; it can be dressed up or down, it’s not overly flashy, but it looks good and functions well as a watch. The Q series has a number of styles and prices, starting at $95, so it fits any budget or wardrobe (as reviewed, the Q Grant in smoke/steel is $175). Verizon Wireless is selling the Q Grant for $174.99, so if you’re a Verizon customer be sure to check it out here. [Note: Verizon Wireless kindly provided us with the Q Grant for this review.]

So that’s all the good stuff. I love the watch, and I think Fossil has done a phenomenal job making a smarter watch — it’s not really a smartwatch, but it’s not really a dumb watch, and it straddles both worlds without tipping too far in either direction. All that is great.

The drawback is that Fossil’s app is dreadful. It opens with a landing page that is 1/3 ads for other Fossil products and Fossil social media, and you have to swipe past two sections that show your button presets and clock face notifications to see your daily steps. These should be reversed, so the shifting carousel of screens shows your steps first since this is the main data that’s changing!

The other options along the bottom of the app are fine-they allow you to drill down into the various ways you can customize your notifications and buttons, and the final screen gives you the chance to better analyze your sleep/activity data. Clicking on the graphic of the watch in the upper right gives you a status update on the watch battery, as well as the option to recalibrate it, adjust vibration strength, and set the vibrating alarm. The alarm setting is buried pretty far in here, and in my view, it too should be somewhere on the landing page for easy access.

The part that really perplexes me is that Fossil owns Misfit, and the Misfit app is much nicer, cleaner, and has integration with outside apps like MyFitnessPal, while the Fossil app is cluttered, confusing, and doesn’t play well with any other apps. It seems like a missed opportunity, and the app is a weak link in an otherwise excellent user experience.

Luckily, once you’ve set the watch up the way you like it, you really don’t need to fiddle with the app beyond checking out your sleep and activity stats. Instead, you can spend LESS time on your phone and more time moving, working, socializing and enjoying life, secure in the knowledge that you won’t miss out on anything because your Q Grant will politely buzz you when you’re needed.

Source: Manufacturer provided review sample

What I Liked: Stylish; comfortable to wear during workouts; Can be dressed up or down; Discreet for a smartwatch; Lots of notification and feature customization; Long battery life; Fitness and sleep tracking is effortless; Silent alarm is great for waking up.

What Needs Improvement: App is cluttered and confusing; Constant fossil ads on the landing page of the app