Diesel On Fadelite smartwatch launches with cyberpunk-styled Mad Dog Jones edition

Diesel On Fadelite
(Image credit: Diesel / Fossil)

While most Diesel watches are big, bulky designs, the Diesel On Fadelite smartwatch is a stylish and lightweight wearable with a notably transparent strap. After a quiet release earlier in 2020, Diesel is now publicly re-launching the wearable with a new cyberpunk-styled edition designed by Canadian artist Mad Dog Jones. 

The new edition has straps and matching watch faces with neon pastels and digital designs that evoke the aesthetics of Ghost in the Shell, Akira, and other 80s visions of techno-dystopias. Plus, the straps and the case are transparent, evoking the ‘clear craze’ days of the late 80s and early 90s.

Here's a quick view from Mad Dog Jones' own instagram:

Looks aside, the MDJ edition works just the same as the standard Diesel On Fadlite – a Wear OS watch powered by the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset and 4GB of onboard storage.

Diesel on Fadelite

(Image credit: Diesel / Fossil)

From CES to September

The Diesel On Fadelite debuted at CES 2020 as a Wear OS-running alternative to modern smartwatches, which tend to look either bulbous (Apple Watch 5, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2) or hefty (Samsung Galaxy Watch 3). 

We liked the Fadelite for offering a lighter-weight experience than most other smartwatches thanks to its nylon case and watch bands, while still providing expected wearable features. 

We hadn't heard about the watch since January, and while the Fadelite was quietly released in the months since, this is essentially its proper launch. 

David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.