Garmin watches Marq
Andrew Williams
Garmin introduced the Marq series in 2019 and has now announced a new generation of the family.
The Marq series is home to Garmin’s luxury watches, or the “modern tool watch” style as Garmin likes to categorize them.
I had the opportunity to see and wear them first hand. Below you will find a bunch of photos of each family member.
There are five such members, the Airman, the Adventurer, the Athlete, the Golfer and the Captain. Five bold styles, five equally bold names. And five notably different prices, even though they all have very similar internal hardware.
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The Garmin Marq Athlete is the most affordable, with only 1950 euros. US pricing TBA. The Garmin Marq Adventurer, perhaps the smoothest of the quintet to see, costs 2250 euros.
Athlete Garmin Marq
Andrew Williams
The Golfer and the Captain cost 2350 euros, while the Aviator tops the range at 2550 euros.
By smartwatch standards, they’re all incredibly expensive. But as watch aficionados will know, those prices aren’t that high for the classic “tool watch.”
Captain Garmin Marq
Captain Garmin Marq
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The big question is whether Marq can really gain acceptance from the kind of people who would collect watches, or at least consider buying one where cost and function are at least partially disconnected.
If you’re familiar with the Garmin Marq series, you’ll have noticed that these new models are quite similar to the originals. Several names return, and the Driver model has fallen off the runway. Just like the Commander, a military themed watch.
There are two very clear technical changes in this new series. Garmin’s classic transflective display, seen on most of its high-end watches, has been replaced by an OLED. This screen is already seen in the Epix 2, one of Garmin’s most expensive models without any pretense of “luxury”.
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The new Garmin Marq watches also use a magnetic charging cable, not the rather basic but practical 4-pin connector affair of almost all other recent Garmins.
Garmin Mark Golfer
Andrew Williams
But what separates the athlete from the aviator, and why is there a price difference of 600 euros between them? Part of the price difference is due to the complexity of manufacturing the case, according to Garmin.
However, the more expensive models also adopt features from Garmin’s professional lines, which receive relatively little mainstream attention compared to the Fenix and Forerunner series.
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The athlete and adventurer are effectively luxury alternatives to a Fenix, Forerunner, Enduro or Epix. These are all fairly conventional series, perfectly suited for forms of exercise that don’t involve any hideously expensive equipment, beyond maybe a bicycle.
Garmin Marq Adventurer
Andrew Williams
The Golfer is an extension of Garmin’s Approach series. It has the bold golf green look to match. And while Garmin’s non-specialized high-end watches have great golf features, dedicated ones like the Marq Golfer have some extras like Virtual Caddie. This suggests the club you should use for each shot, and you can see hole maps on the watch itself to help you plan your shot.
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Garmin Mark Golfer
Andrew Williams
The Captain is a silent member of the Garmin Quatix family of watches made for use with boats. That wouldn’t mean much if Garmin didn’t also make marine gear on board. You can apparently control a boat directly from the Garmin Marq Captain, as it can interface with Garmin’s autopilot feature.
Captain Garmin Marq
Andrew Williams
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Finally, the Garmin Marq Aviator can perform similar feats of interaction with professional equipment, but in a plane instead of a boat. You’ll find comparable features to the Garmin D2 Delta watches, and the price of this model is also likely to increase with the strap. It is a titanium link strap, usually more expensive than a leather or cloth one.
Garmin Mark Aviator
Andrew Williams
While the Marq watches share functionality with existing models, given a more 2022 sheen thanks to the bold OLED touchscreen, you have to look a little closer at the watches to appreciate how different they are.
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Most of Garmin’s top-tier watches typically use steel or titanium face and back plates that incorporate a “fiber-reinforced polymer” that makes up the bulk of the watch’s body. Marq watches use grade 5 titanium throughout, which helps keep the weight manageably low for a metal watch. Stainless steel would make these watches heavier, making it harder for the optical heart rate reader on the back to get good readings.
Captain Garmin Marq
Andrew Williams
Athlete Garmin Marq
Andrew Williams
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Garmin Mark Aviator
Andrew Williams
Garmin Mark Golfer
Andrew Williams
If you’re reading this as a Garmin fan, curious about what the company has created, you’ll probably never seriously consider buying a Marq watch. However, there’s a nice symmetry to the type of person each of the Marq flavors are aimed at and the features Garmin’s Specialized series has already perfected, and those are exactly some of the people who might consider a luxury watch If you own a boat for leisure, it’s unlikely you’ll be short on cash too much.
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The Garmin Marq series of watches will be available from early November.