Garmin Marq smartwatches launched for those into sailing, racing, flying, exploring and sports

Image credit: Garmin

Garmin has just announced five new smartwatches dubbed the Marq Collection, with each model focused on a specific activity.

There's the Marq Aviator, which lets you view three different time zones, and comes pre-loaded with maps and airport details, as well as Garmin cockpit integration, the Nexrad Weather Radar and other pilot-focused features. That’s as well as a titanium and ceramic build, and an aviation-inspired multi-link bracelet strap.

The Marq Driver meanwhile has over 250 race tracks pre-loaded, plus software that allows for the likes of auto lap splits, a track timer and automated time keeping of a driver’s lap performance. This model is done up in red and carbon grey.

Then there’s the Marq Captain, which includes sailing features in the software, such as tack assist, time to burn and virtual starting line, while the face shows tide information, wind speed and temperature, and the design includes nautical colors.

The Marq Expedition on the other hand is built for explorers, and includes a 360-degree compass, barometric scales, compatibility with the inReach Mini satellite communicator, and an expedition mode which keeps it running for weeks.

Finally, the Marq Athlete includes VO2 Max and recovery time information, plus advanced running dynamics and a sports-inspired grey and yellow finish.

All of these watches are crafted from titanium, with a sapphire crystal screen, GPS, music storage, activity tracking, smart notifications, a pulse ox2 monitor, and Garmin Pay support. They also have battery life that ranges from 12 days in smartwatch mode to 28 hours in GPS Mode and up to 48 hours in UltraTrac mode.

So they’re feature-packed and sport high-end builds, but they’re also therefore very expensive, coming in at between $1,500 / £1,399 (around AU$2,120) and $2,500 / £2,249 (roughly AU$3,540). If you have that sort of money to spare, they’re available starting today (March 13).

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.