My Fossil VT2657 no longer works. I can see no physical damage, but it hasn't been used in years. I'm not even 100% sure how to wind it, but after quite a bit of winding in both directions it still doesn't function. Suggestions?

I have no idea what type, ...but having just replaced a battery for that exact watch, you have 2 options:
1.) Mail it into Fossil (cost is $18.50) you can download & print repair form here:
http://www.fossil.com/attachments/en_US/watch_repair_form.pdf

2) Physically take it into any Fossil store in US or CANADA where they can do it there on site, for $10.00 even.

Hope that helps! ;)

If you do not wind the watch, and if it is electronic it obviously has a battery. Very possible even with a new watch the battery has run out. This is especially if the watch was sitting for about a year in their inventory before you bought it.

I am not sure if your watch has a kinetic type movement where it charges the watch, or it is purely an electro-mechanical type movement. I did read it has a quartz referenced movement for the mechanical balance wheel. This would certainly involved a battery. If changing the battery is not the fix you would have to send the watch for service.

try the link below for your watch strap
http://www.fossil.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchResultsView?storeId=12052&catalogId=25005&langId=-1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=0&Ntk=FossilSearchEn&Ntt=watch+straps

If you have a Fossil FS4337 Chronograph, shaking the watch shouldn't be doing anything other than exercising your muscles; the movement is a battery-driven quartz movement whose movement is controlled only by whether the stem has been pulled out (stopping the movement and saving power) or whether the battery still has enough power to activate the stepping motors that move the watch hands. Based on the symptoms that you've described, I would suggest that it's probably time to change your watch battery.

Often, when a watch battery is running low but isn't completely dead, pulling the stem into time-setting mode will stop the movement and permit the battery to "rest," giving it (briefly) a bit more reserve amperage to put out when you push the stem back in. That's how you can sometimes get a quartz watch to run for a few minutes after the battery appears to be dead. That may also be why your watch has started running again after you've set the time and date.

Fossil analog quartz watches tend to use silver oxide (usually #377 or #379) batteries instead of longer-lasting lithium batteries. In ordinary use, I would expect a silver oxide battery to provide between 1 and 2 years of service before it needs to be replaced. I can't remember if Fossil chronographs (which also use quartz movements) use a silver oxide or lithium battery. Lithium batteries often provide an additional year or two of service in analog watches, compared to silver oxide cells; digital watches using them supposedly may last as long as 10 years with a lithium battery, assuming you don't use the backlight or audible alarm functions. Note, however, that these batteries are different sizes and different voltages, so you can't substitute one for the other.

Finally, none of this advice applies if you have a Fossil watch with a true mechanical movement in it. In that case, gently shaking the watch may spin the winding rotor enough to start the watch back up again. However, an even faster way of winding those watches is to use the winding / time set crown to wind the mainspring directly instead of relying on the geared-down action of the winding rotor. Automatic watches can bind up if they are not used for a period of time; the lubricating oil used in some of the pivots can harden--or at least provide enough resistance that the movement may require more initial force to start running than to continue running. That behavior usually indicates that it's time to have the mechanical movement cleaned and re-lubricated.

Before you take any action which may invalidate your warranty, have a word with Fossil costumer service (go to http://www.fossil.com/en_US/shop/customer_care/static/fossil-customercare.html).

All the watches that I have owned ran for more than a year and Fossil may sort it out for you.

replace the battery? otherwise send it to fossil. regardless of where you bought it it should have a limited 11-year warranty as as i can tell.
http://www.fossil.com/en_US/shop/customer_care/static/fossil-warrantyRepairs.html

This sound like a job for the professionals.

I advise you to take it to a watch repairer.

Looking at the Fossil site, I couldn't find "Arkitekt blue" as a description.

I noted that they have a blue one which is automatic (i.e. self winding) and therefore does not need winding - but it does need to be worn to keep the spring wound up.

The Fossil site has a complete list of their models and selecting one gives you all the details of the watch, including manuals.

I suggest you try a search on the web site.

I have found that some of these "automatic" Fossils also contain a battery. That is how that provide an automatic watch at such a cheap price. I recommend taking it to a jeweler to have them check this. If it needs repair it will likely cost near the watche's replacement value.

It has a silver cell button battery, type 371 or equivalent.