This week, Garmin released a whole new slate of watches to their top line of wearables. No, we are not talking about a new Fenix watch but a lineup that is even higher than that. Meet the new Garmin MARQ watches – the most expensive version for specific activities.
Garmin’s New MARQ Watches – The Best Garmins Money Can Buy
If you thought that the new Garmin Enduro 2 at $1,099 was expensive or that the new Garmin D2 Mach 1 for pilots was expensive at $1,299, get ready because here are the more expensive models!
Now, this isn’t the first time Garmin has released watches like this. They first did it a few years ago as a kind of Garmin meets luxury sort of thing. And it worked with many people. But, the lineup was due for an upgrade so here we go!
The new Garmin MARQ watches run from $1,900 to $2,400. All of them are based on the Epix 2 in the sense that they all have AMOLED displays and a similar software feature-set to the Epix 2 and Fenix 7 lineup of watches.
So, if you already have one of those, you already have the best that Garmin makes in the software-feature department. The MARQ lineup is more about marrying those already stellar features with even better hardware. The kind of hardware that may take more of a beating and that also looks good with any outfit – whether you are in the mountains or at a fancy dinner.
The Garmin MARQ Watches
All of the new Garmin MARQ watches fit specific kinds of activities and have different software features added to each to make that more defined. There are also slight hardware tweaks that make each more suitable for the named activity.
One great new feature on the Garmim MARQ watches is a faster charger and new design. Garmin finally has brought a USB C end charger to their watches and it has a magnetic attachment which does charge quicker than the Epix 2.
Each watch also has more premium materials used in their design. While the Epix 2 already sports a sapphire crystal and titanium casing, the MARQ watches up that to titanium grade 5 (while the Epix 2 has titanium grade 2). In addition, they are using a domed sapphire crystal to give it a slightly more bulbous look. And, they are also using a bit of ceramic in the bezels.
Garmin also made the 5 buttons more pronounced and refined so they actually do look more like a traditional and classy watch.
Two more differences that I think are most notable from the Garmin Epix 2 watch is that they shrunk the display from a 1.3″ to a 1.2″ display. On such a small display already, that .1″ can be significant for some. They likely did this to make the bezel more of a classy and specific look.
Another difference is the new band setup. For the Athlete, it looks like it actually could wear a bit different on some wrists as a result of the setup.
Garmin MARQ Athlete
The new Garmin MARQ Athlete
This is the “cheapest” of this realm of Garmin watches, coming in at $1,900. DC Rainmaker has his usual great in-depth review of it so head over there to see everything detailed.
What makes this a bit different from the other MARQ watches is that the bezel has markings for little marks on watch face to point out your VO2max and recovery time. Honestly, it is a cool way to make the bezel something more athlete-specific and similar to the first MARQ athlete.
Garmin MARQ Adventurer
The Garmin MARQ Adventurer is the next model up the chain at a cost of $2,100. This one comes with a special leather band to give it a good look while also being functional for its target market, which is the adventurer. This would likely be anyone that isn’t focused solely on the athletic side of things, so expeditions, hikes, hunts, you name it.
The specific feature of this bezel is compass markings and they actually look really good! The bezel’s titanium color is subdued and I think it looks great.
Garmin MARQ Captain
Marq2 Captain Renders
Going up another step is the MARQ Captain. This one is focused at water sports and is $2,200. This comes with a blue-striped jacquard weaved nylon strap and has features built for boating. The bezel is marked with hour markings for their regatta timer.
Garmin MARQ Golfer
Next up is the Garmin MARQ Golfer. This one is priced at $2,300 and has one of their premium jacquard weave bands in green to match the bezel and the golf-specificity that the watch is aimed at. It also has the golf specific software that comes from the Garmin Approach golf watches. The bezel in this is marked for 18 holes with a hole indicator marking on the watch face.
Garmin MARQ Aviator
At the top of the MARQ lineup (currently) is the MARQ Aviator that is built for – aviators! This one costs $2,400 and is the only one with a titanium bracelet. This has the software feature set from their D2 lineup of watches, which means it has a boatload of features for pilots – everything from weather patterns, to emergency situations, airport maps, flight computer – you name it.
The bezel on this is set with the GMT hour markings.
Now, they used to have the MARQ Driver for race car drivers that was their most expensive model but they are either not continuing that or just have not brought that model out yet.
Also, another area that they have not covered specifically in the MARQ lineup is the diver. They do have their Descent Mk2 that is fully fitted as a dive computer, complete with tank integration options. Now since Apple has positioned the Apple Watch Ultra in the diving area as well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Garmin released an upscale MARQ Diver option at some point.
One More Thing…
Now, there is one more feature that is coming to the MARQ watches and will not be on any other watches immediately – but it will come. That is Jet Lag Advisor. I think this is super cool, especially as someone who travels internationally in the middle of training and for races. I will link above to the post that is coming out later today about that as I want to take a deeper dive into that.
Bottom Line
The Garmin MARQ watches will not sell a ton – and it is probable that Garmin is perfectly ok with that. Garmin wanted to show that they can create a stylish timepiece that also integrates their different fully-featured watch packages as well. These will not age well in the same sense that a classic timepiece will but it is not supposed to.
Instead, this is for someone who doesn’t care about the price and wants a really good looking Garmin. I would argue that my Garmin Epix 2 already looks really good but also admit that the MARQ watches take that look up a notch!
