Best hybrid smartwatch: Our pick of analog watches with hidden smart tech

If you're put off by full touchscreens, boxy wrist computers and short battery life, the answer could be to explore the world of hybrid smartwatches.

A hybrid smartwatch hides the tech behind a classic analog watch face, meaning it looks traditional but still offers fitness tracking, health tech and notification features. For some people, it's the best of both worlds.

Over the years, we've tested swathes of hybrid smartwatches from the likes of Fossil, Garmin, and Withings, making us ideally placed to guide you on the key considerations.

Below, you can peruse our rankings and decide which is best for your wrist.

• Explore cheaper options with our pick of budget smartwatches
• Discover all the best smartwatches for Android users
• Try the best smartwatches for women

Top pick: Withings ScanWatch

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Withings ScanWatch: specs and features

• 38mm and 42mm case size options
• Works with Android and iOS
• Connected GPS
• View notifications
• Tracks runs, swims, and cycles
• Up to 30 days of battery life
• Automatic run tracking
• Step and sleep tracking
• ECG sensor for detecting Atrial Fibrillation
• Heart rate and SpO2 monitoring
• Detects breathing disturbances
• 5ATM water resistance

The Withings ScanWatch offers a superb blend of smarts and style - and, in our view, is the best hybrid smartwatch you can buy in 2023.

The ScanWatch is a fine example of a good-looking hybrid that still offers powerful features – with ECG, blood oxygen estimates and advanced sleep monitoring all coming alongside a 30-day battery life.

Available in 38mm and 42mm size options, the ScanWatch is built with premium stainless steel with a small AMOLED display at the top of the watch face to show off your tracking stats notifications, and heart rate data.

The ScanWatch uses a connected GPS to track outdoor activities like running, offers VO2 Max estimations, and automatically recognizes activities, which we found pretty reliable in our testing.

On the health front, you're getting an ECG sensor that can look for arrhythmia - so, low or high heart rates. There's also a SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygen levels and can monitor for breathing disturbances during sleep.

Data is stored and synced to the impressive Withings Health Mate app, too.

If you're looking for a hybrid that looks like a lovely watch and shines with its innovative health features, the ScanWatch should be right up your street.

Wareable verdict: Withings ScanWatch review

Withings ScanWatch Horizon

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Withings ScanWatch Horizon: specs and features

• 38mm and 42mm case size options
• Works with Android and iOS
• Connected GPS
• View notifications
• Tracks running, swimming, and cycling
• Up to 30 days of battery life
• Automatic run tracking
• Step and sleep tracking
• ECG sensor for detecting Atrial Fibrillation
• Heart rate and SpO2 monitoring
• 5ATM water resistance
• Detects breathing disturbances

The Withings ScanWatch Horizon is essentially a version of the ScanWatch with a more formal-friendly look that houses all of the same features as the cheaper version.

You're getting a larger 44mm case with a stainless steel case with the option of a matching link or sporty rubber straps.

You still get that small AMOLED display up top to show off tracking, notification, and heart rate stats with a digital crown that lets you scroll through available menus.

There's an optical heart rate monitor and ECG sensor to help detect signs of arrhythmia, and you're also getting a SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygen levels and monitor breathing during sleep.

It'll track steps, too, and there's a connected GPS to track workouts like runs and rides with basic swim tracking support also on offer.

What you get with the Horizon is a real statement look with a nice mix of fitness, health, and some useful sports tracking features thrown into the mix to make it one worth paying more to strap on.

Wareable verdict: Withings ScanWatch Horizon review

Garmin Vivomove 3

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Garmin Vivomove 3: specs and features

• 44mm case size option
• Works with Android and iOS
• Connected GPS
• View notifications
• Tracks running, swimming, and cycling
• Up to 5 days of battery life
  
• Step and sleep tracking
• Heart rate and SpO2 monitoring
• 5ATM water-resistant rating

Despite launching back in 2020, the Garmin Vivomove 3 series is still one of our top recommendations - though it could soon be usurped by the 2023 Garmin Vivomove Trend, which we're conducting some testing on at present.

The emphasis here is on blending the hidden screen around physical hands, and now there are plenty of options to pick from, with case sizes coming at 39mm, 42mm, and 44mm.

We're fans of all the styles, as they offer largely the same on-screen experience - it's just a case of how much you're willing to spend and what fits your wrist best.

The Vivomove 3 and Vivomove 3S are at the more affordable end, with the hidden screen sitting on the bottom half of the watch face and delivering the likes of notifications, activity data, and more.

With the pricier Vivomove Style and even pricier Vivomove Luxe (the only variation to offer a color screen, as shown above), that hidden screen extends to cover the full face. With a double tap on the screen, you can start swiping to see your health, fitness, and other updates.

New features include a pulse oximeter to offer richer sleep data, Garmin Pay, the ability to track respiration rate (via heart rate), a sports tracking profile for cycling, and connected GPS to piggyback off your phone to map outdoor activities. You still get the best of Garmin's fitness tracking and notification support for both Android and iPhones.

Wareable verdict: Garmin Vivomove 3 series review

Garmin Vivomove Sport

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Garmin Vivomove Sport: specs and features

• 40mm case size options
• Works with Android and iOS
• Connected GPS
• View notifications
• Tracks runs, swims, and cycles
• Up to 5 days of battery life
• Step and sleep tracking
• Heart rate and SpO2 monitoring
• Stress and respiration tracking
• 5ATM water-resistance

The Garmin Vivomove Sport is the cheapest option in Garmin's hybrid family, and, while it might miss out on the AMOLED screen you get on the Style and Luxe, it's still a great feature-packed option to strap on.

It's got the look of a Swatch Pop and comes in three different looks, including the mint version above. The OLED display shows off smarts, which include the ability to view notifications, reject phone calls or respond with a text (Android only).

The Sport registers steps, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and stress, with Garmin's Body Battery energy monitor here, as well. It can also be used to track runs, swims, cycling, and even strength training, though it only offers connected GPS and goes light on training and analysis insights.

Battery life is around five days, which is similar to what you can expect from other Vivomove watches.

If you want a cheaper route to using Garmin's hybrid smarts and can live without the higher-quality display, there's plenty to like here.

Wareable verdict: Garmin Vivomove Sport review

Withings Steel HR

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Withings Steel HR: specs and features

• 36mm/40mm case size options
• Works with Android and iOS
• Connected GPS
• VO2 Max estimates
• View notifications
• Up to 25 days of battery life
• Automatic run tracking
• Step and sleep tracking
• Heart rate monitoring
• 5ATM water resistance rating

The Steel HR adds connected GPS and VO2 Max data on top of standard activity information such as steps, sleep monitoring, heart rate readings, and other basics.

Unlike some other Withings devices, though, customization is limited. The Steel HR Sport only comes in one 40mm size with a matte black metal case, the only option being a white or black watch face and your choice of band.

In terms of its hybrid leanings, the small digital screen on the face allows you to view data, including activity tracking and smartphone notifications.

As we say, there's also a heart rate monitor on board to continuously keep a tab on your heart rate throughout the day, as well as during your workouts.

You can expect 25 days of battery life with normal use, and another 20 in power reserve mode.

Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid

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Fossil Hybrid Gen 6: specs and features

• 41mm and 45mm case size options
• Works with Android and iOS
• 1.1-inch E Ink screen with mechanical hands
• Heart rate sensor
• Up to 2 weeks battery life
• View notifications, messages, and emails
• Heart rate and blood oxygen tracking
• Activity and sleep tracking
• Connected GPS
• Amazon Alexa built-in
• 3ATM water resistance rating

The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid is the latest version of the fashion watch brand's Gen 6 hybrid series, offering stylish options for both men and women.

Instead of a hidden screen or smart dial, the Gen 6 Hybrid instead brings the smarts in an E Ink display that works around the physical watch hands.

This is still far away from the functionality you'll find in a touchscreen watch, but it does impress by taking the hybrid concept and pushing it into a place we haven't seen before.

There's a range of looks to pick from - including the Wellness Edition we tested, seen above - with an E Ink display that sits beneath the screen to show off notifications and weather updates, as well as activity metrics, such as heart rate, steps, and calories.

There's also the ability to track heart rate and SpO2, and you can even receive non-verbal responses from Amazon's Alexa thanks to the onboard mic.

We weren't overly impressed by the accuracy of data in our testing, but we do still think there's value here for those who truly just want basic smarts - namely, notifications in a very stylish-looking watch.

Each model will also last around two weeks on a single charge, too, so it'll go longer than most 'proper' smartwatches.

Wareable verdict: Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition

Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR

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Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR: specs and features

• 38mm and 42mm case size options
• Works with Android and iOS
• 1.1-inch E Ink screen with mechanical hands
• Heart rate sensor
• Up to 2 weeks battery life
• View notifications, messages, and emails
• Heart rate and blood oxygen tracking
• Activity and sleep tracking
• Connected GPS
• 3ATM water resistance rating

If you like the idea of Fossil's Hybrid HR but are not in love with the styling, you can get the same hybrid tech packaged up in a Skagen watch instead.

The concept is the same matching an E Ink screen and traditional watch hands and casing to show off notifications, weather forecasts, fitness stats, and music controls.

It works with Android and iOS devices with the Skagen companion app letting you assign shortcut features to the pushers that sit above and below the crown. They can also be used to scroll through messages.

There's a heart rate monitor that can continuously keep tabs on your ticker day and night and during exercise. There's connected GPS letting you piggyback off your phone's GPS signal to track outdoor activities and it can automatically monitor your sleep too.

It promises up to two weeks of battery life and there's fast charging support to get you back close to 100% from less than an hour sitting on the charger.

If you want an attractive hybrid that's better built for basic interactions and fitness tracking, then the Jorn Hybrid HR will appeal.

Wareable verdict: Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR review

Frederique Constant Smartwatch Vitality

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Price: $1,000/£750

Frederique Constant Smartwatch Vitality: specs and features

• 42mm case
• Works with Android and iOS
• Up to 11 days of battery life
• Heart rate sensor
• View notifications, messages, and emails
• Heart rate tracking
• Activity and sleep tracking
• Inactivity alerts
• Weather forecasts
• Guided breathing exercises
• 5ATM water-resistance rating

Frederique Constant is one luxury Swiss watchmaker that hasn't been afraid to embrace the smartwatch age. It offered discreet smarts on its Hybrid Manufacture and Horological hybrids and with its Gents Vitality range, it's made room for more connected features.

The watchmaker has added four new looks to its gent's collection with the Vitality taking a similar approach to Garmin and Withings watches mentioned above, adding a digital screen inside of the analog watch face.

It's equipped with a heart rate monitor to track heart rate continuously and that joins features like sleep monitoring, breathing exercises, and the ability to view notifications.

There's support for connected GPS to track outdoor workouts, inactivity alerts to keep you moving during the day, and access to coaching features as well to bring more structure to your training. It's also one that works with Android and iOS devices.

All models are water resistant to up to 50 meters and promise a battery life of up to 11 days. Unsurprisingly, this hybrid does not come cheap with prices knocking around the $1,000/£750 mark.

Kronaby Connected

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Kronaby Connected: specs and features

• Available in 38mm, 41mm, and 43mm sizes
• Works with Android and iOS
• Up to 2 years of battery life
• Notification alerts (doesn't display messages)
• Step tracking
• Walk your home safety feature
• Music controls
• Camera remote
• Waterproof up to 100 meters

The Swedish hybrid startup was saved in 2019 after it was bought out of bankruptcy by Spanish watch brand Festina Lotus SA, and we are glad to see its stylish connected watches are still up for grabs.

Born out of a team where the core worked on Sony's smartwatches, the Kronaby Connected comes in a range of different collections for both men and women with sizes ranging from 38mm to 43mm.

You pay a lot, but in return, you're getting on-trend looks, sapphire crystal protecting the watch face, and Italian leather straps. All models are water resistant for up to 100 meters, though you're more likely to jump in the shower with them than go for a swim.

When it comes to smarts, there's a surprising amount you can do here. From the sub-dial, you can view daily step-tracking progress. You can be buzzed for notifications letting you select different strength vibrations for different contacts. Assign features to the crown and pushers above and below it to control music playback or prop up your smartphone and take pictures from afar.

There are also safety features that let you let favored contacts see that you've made it home while remembering this spot mode will make sure you can make it back home if you plan to go exploring.

It's a hybrid that doesn't look very smart features-wise but does a surprising amount. Plus, it's a great looker too.

Wareable verdict: Kronaby Connected review

Bellabeat Time

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Bellabeat Time: specs and features

• Available in silver color only
• Works with Android and iOS
• Up to 6 month6-month battery life
• Monitors activity and sleep
• Optimized for women's health tracking
• 3-axis accelerometer
• 3ATM splash-resistant rating/suitable for showering

A lot of hybrid watches care about tracking your activity throughout the day, but the Bellabeat Time is more focused on your wellness.

It does still offer basic tracking, such as steps, but where it emphasizes the companion app isn't in fitness metrics. It's here where you can get meditation exercises, stress tracking, and period logging, and it uses all of these to help you keep track of your well-being.

Those meditation exercises, by the way, are held to a high standard. During our testing, we found them to be just as good as some dedicated meditation apps.

They're divided into your mood, which is neat, so they can help you whether you're hungry or hurting from menstrual cramps.

It can also link up with Bellabeat's other products, like its connected water bottle, to track your hydration levels. All of this is topped by a very neat, classic design.

The Time is one of the few options on this list that are primarily aimed at women, which allows it to concentrate on features other smartwatches might not have even thought about.

In that way, it's one of the most refreshing hybrids currently available.

Wareable verdict: Bellabeat Time