9. Fossil Caller ID Wristwatch

by Ed Tittel

This old-fashioned-looking but decidedly new-tech timepiece is a gadget lover's dream. Though the dial is analog with real hour and minute hands, the blue neon LCD display just above six o'clock is ready to deliver all kinds of interesting information. Its most useful capability is that it can be synched up with your cell phone, so you can see who's calling when the phone rings. You can even direct calls you don't feel like answering straight into voicemail with the stroke of a single key.

The photo shows the LCD panel at the bottom of the watch face, lit up in bright blue.

What the photo can't convey is how heavy this watch is. After picking it up, we simply had to put it on the scale. It weighed in at a whopping 6.4 oz (183 g). The watch works are pretty chunky, but the band is pretty heavy as well: we're guessing that some serious steel lurks under the attractive glossy black enamel finish.

Set-up and configuration are pretty easy. The watch must first be charged up, after which you must turn on its Bluetooth function and pair the watch up with your cell phone. Fossil thoughtfully provides both a USB adapter and a standard two-prong AC-to-DC 200 mA converter, with removable prongs for 110/120 AC and 220/240 AC. Once powered up, you can not only see who's calling through the caller ID display, you can also show text messages, check voicemail and text message status and even direct incoming calls straight into voicemail if you decide not to pick up.

Overall, this is a pretty snazzy set of features, but given the heft of this watch, you'd better plan to give it to somebody big - or take the watch and your recipient to a jeweler to get some links in the bracelet removed to fit smaller wrists. It has a decidedly masculine look, so we're guessing that any grads who might receive this as a gift will probably be guys.

Lots of different cellphone outlets offer this watch for sale, at prices from $150 to $235 - you'll pay $250 on the Fossil Web site - so if you yearn to bestow it upon someone, please shop around.