The days of watches simply telling the time are long gone.
Now these unassuming pieces of wrist candy can do it all, from announcing texts to checking the weather, playing music and, that most modern of British preoccupations, tracking our daily step count.
Some may say having all this information on your wrist is, in fact, a step too far, but we reckon it’s better to know. How can you possibly expect to rectify it otherwise?
The thing is, these timepieces are considerably more expensive than their analogue predecessors. Typically costing in the top end of three figures, all these bells and whistles come at a price. Apart from one magical weekend in late November when the shopping rulebook goes straight out of the window. That’s right, we’re talking Black Friday.
The big day is within striking distance, taking place on November 29 this year. That said, there are plenty of early deals on now, meaning you can spread the cost of sales shopping over a few weeks.
Top Black Friday smartwatch deals
Why you can trust ES Best’s Black Friday coverage
With Christmas on the way and many of us still feeling the cost-of-living pinch, we know it’s never been more essential to get the most for your money.
Here at ES Best, we have been shouting ourselves hoarse about the best Black Friday deals for years, not only penning curated lists to make shopping deals even simpler but also running a Live Blog over the whole weekend so you won’t miss a single second of juicy discount news. We’re selective in our deal choices and will only bring you news on products that are truly worth your hard-earned money.
Read more about how to win the Black Friday sales here.
What smartwatch deals are there this year?
If you’re not rubbing your hands with glee yet, you should be. Smartwatches are some of the tech that see the biggest discounts with big names tripping over themselves to get a piece of the action. We’re talking Apple, Samsung, Google, Garmin, Fitbit and more taking out their discount scissors and making incredible cuts.
Some watches are simple trackers, recording daily activity, while others can answer calls and texts, make payments and even keep an eye on your cardiovascular health, meaning a smartwatch is a brilliant addition to your suite of personal tech.
With Black Friday scheduled in such close proximity to Christmas, smartwatches are an excellent gift idea for any member of the family.
Need a smartwatch right this second? Find the best deals available now below
Google Pixel Watch 2
The perfect smart accessory for work, rest and play, Google's second iteration of its Pixel watch is in the sale. Offered in a lovely blue, porcelain and hazel colours, the domed display is personalisable and is big enough to read social media notifications, email, texts and more. There's a suite of personal safety features too, from fall detection, Emergency SOS, Medical ID, Emergency Sharing and Safety Check. All this, plus the usual fitness and movement metrics. It's a no-brainer.
Was: £349
Buy now £239.00, Very
Sekonda Active Black Silicone Strap Smart Watch
Having to constantly remember to recharge your smartwatch's battery can be off-putting to many would-be users.
Sekonda's design not only pairs traditional design with smart features, but it can run for up to 10 days straight too - not bad for a smartwatch under the £50 mark. You'll get all the usual tracking ability, plus messaging notifications all projected on a 33mm LCD screen.
Comes with a two-year manufacturer's guarantee.
Was: £79.99
Buy now £49.99, Argos
FITBIT Ace 3 Kid's Fitness Tracker
Healthy habits start from childhood. Foster good ones in your kids with Fitbit's tracker, designed for children. It has an extra-long battery like (eight days!), can track steps and sleep and is water resistant to 5ATM too, so no worries if they wear it in a paddling pool. It encourages activity by awarding virtual trophies and badges, and the strap is adjustable so it can grow with your little one.
Was: £49
Buy now £44.99, Currys
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen, 2023)
The Apple Watch does so much more than keep you plugged in; Crash Detection means it can alert emergency services and loved ones should the worst happen. It's a feature you hope you'll never need but so grateful if you do.
The timepiece offers up to 18 hours of battery life and can track everything from sleep and steps to calories, ensuring fitness goals stay on track.
Was £219
Buy now £208.00, Amazon
Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch
Training for a marathon? You need Garmin's smartwatch, designed to enhance running workouts. The GPS timepiece can track regular activity as well as training sessions, logging time, distance, speed and a whole lot more. The more you use it, the more it can suggest workouts based on your metrics.
Was: £159.99
Buy now £121.93, Amazon
Garmin fenix 7 - Silver & Graphite, 47 mm
Measuring the expected activity levels plus water resistancy (up to 10ATM) and even blood oxygen and stress metrics, Garmin's fenix 7 is designed for active users who want to get the most out of every workout. Best of all? Battery life can run to 18 days.
Was: £519
Buy now £429.00, Currys
Smart Watch for Men Women
A smart watch for a small price, if you're not bothered about brand names, this tracker can pay off in more ways than one. The watch does it all, from counting your daily steps to monitoring your heart rate and keeping tabs on your fitness metrics. You can even answer calls with this baby or wear it for a swim as it's IP68 rated. It also comes in a range of colours, but black goes with everything.
Was: £99.99
Buy now £23.99, Amazon
Vtech Kiddizoom Smartwatch DX2
Do you find your four year old constantly messing around with your smartwatch? Well, the clever people at VTech have designed one just for children. There are so many amazing features on this device including a dual camera, voice recorder, motion sensor and an augmented reality game!
Our tester was immediately enthralled and found the device intuitive and easy to use (they were almost instantly taking snaps and recording funny voices). We loved that it also teaches how to tell the time by reading it out to them and showing the clock, and there are lots more apps available from The Vtech Learning Lodge which you can download for it too.
Was: £54.99
Buy now £39.73, Amazon
Fitbit Charge 6 Health and Fitness Tracker
Innovators in the field, Fitbit first introduced their health-focused tracker watches back in 2017 and have only been improving them since.
The Charge 6 is a product of the company’s evolution, and its recent acquisition by Googe has only made these accessories that much more useful. Now, not only can you easily track your step count and heart rate, but the built-in Google Maps and Wallet features mean with this around your wrist you’re good to go, leaving your hands free for your activity of choice.
Whether you opt for a cross-country run, or the increasingly popular padel, Fitbit's forty unique exercise modes can accurately keep track of your performance, helping you reach your fitness goals.
Was: £139
Buy now £99.99, John Lewis
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra with Bixby
While the price is at the higher end, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is supercharged with features that make it well worth the price tag.
Designed to withstand extreme conditions, this watch is perfect for adventurous owners. The titanium casing makes this a super durable option, and, should you need it, the watch is fitted with an emergency siren that can be heard from over 180 metres. If that's not enough, the AI-powered Energy Score is bound to impress, offering personalised fitness advice based on hyper-accurate data compiled while you wear.
Was: £599
Buy now £499.00, Currys
Garmin fenix 8 - 47 mm, AMOLED, Slate Grey with Black Silicone Band
The latest and eighth iteration in the Garmin fenix is all about boosting your multidiscipline approach to sport. For athletes and thrill seekers, you can see all your stats clearly displayed on the vibrant 1.4-inch AMOLED display with feedback provided like suggestions on when to take rest days based on your strain.
Was: £869
Buy now £811.00, Very
Garmin Lily 2 Smart Fitness Watch
For all the many benefits of fitness watches, there is one thing stopping folks from making the switch is aesthetics. They aren’t always the nicest to look at.
Luckily, Garmin has solved that issue with their super-chic Lily 2. Not just a pretty (watch)face, the Lily has all the features you’d expect to find in any other top-range smartwatch, with accurate tracking features for your step count, sleeping patterns, heart rate and more.
Was: £249
Buy now £219.00, John Lewis
When is Black Friday 2024?
The biggest, flashiest sale of the year is always held on the last weekend of November. This year, that is November 29.
When does Black Friday end?
The deals confetti cannon keeps firing all weekend, rounding up on Cyber Monday, the day to pounce on all things tech - think headphones, laptops, TVs, cameras, smartwatches and more.
This year, Cyber Monday falls on December 2.
Why is it called Black Friday?
The American import came to be from the middle of the last century, when retailers threw massive sales after Thanksgiving, hoping to draw in families with heavily discounted wares. The idea caught on across the Atlantic - because who doesn’t adore a bargain? - and Black Friday is a shopping event that British bargain hunters now look forward to with relish.
