The latest Garmin leak suggests it's stealing Apple Watch's most iconic hardware feature

• A new leak points to a design change for Garmin watches
• Some future models may come with a digital crown attached
• The new crown mechanism would be built for durability

Some of the best Garmin watches may soon come with a key design change taken straight from the Apple Watch playbook, according to a new leak: a rotating digital crown that would act as an extra input mechanism.

This comes from information sourced by Gadgets & Wearables (via Notebookcheck), and we also have a mock-up of how it might look. The crown would be placed on the right-hand side of the watch, with protective guards on either side, a bit like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra's Quick button.

According to the leak, the crown wouldn't actually have any physical connections to the electronics inside of the watch: instead, it would use magnetic sensing to detect touch and movement, which would help with waterproofing and durability.

One of the main selling points for many watches in the Garmin range is ruggedness – an ability to withstand sweat, rain, snow, and knocks – and implementing a digital crown in this way wouldn't interfere too much with Garmin's appeal to outdoor adventurers.

Coming soon

There are no indications about when we might see this digital crown implemented on a Garmin watch, but the leak does mention a potential debut in a "high-end model" or a "design-focused line" such as the Venu and Vivoactive watches.

We have of course seen these crowns on models from other manufacturers, including on the best Apple Watches. A crown adds another easy, intuitive control method that can often be quicker to operate than a touchscreen or a standard button.

Of course with new Garmin models always on the horizon, discounts on existing models are likely, especially at this time of year: we're already tracking early Black Friday deals and those are likely to include offers on smartwatches. Garmin is always a popular choice to receive discounts over the deals period.

It's been a busy 2025 for Garmin, with multiple launches including the Garmin Instinct 3, the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, and the Garmin Venu 4. Several new models will most likely follow in 2026 – perhaps with a digital crown attached.

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