Garmin's MARQ line reaches its third generation with six titanium watches, each built around a different pursuit: Adventurer, Athlete, Aviator, Commander, Diver and Golfer. What ties them together is a larger screen and a bundle of connectivity features that now work without a phone.
The cases use Grade-5 titanium with a sapphire lens, and the display is a 1.4-inch borderless AMOLED, the largest yet on a MARQ, Garmin says. The watches are on sale now, with suggested retail prices starting at $2,500. Garmin quotes up to 18 days of battery life in smartwatch mode for every model, a ceiling rather than a typical result.
Communication is the practical change. With LTE, the MARQ can place calls from the wrist, and a new Garmin Locate feature lets family or friends follow a live location in the Garmin Messenger app. Text and voice messages and weather forecasts travel over satellite or LTE, and an SOS request goes to Garmin's staffed response center. The conditions matter, though. Garmin requires an active plan, says LTE coverage is not available everywhere, and warns that satellite and SOS functions are more limited than on its dedicated inReach devices.
On the navigation side, the MARQ now carries preloaded worldwide TopoActive maps with address search. Garmin also added a speaker and microphone for voice commands, an LED flashlight, and an ECG app that checks heart rhythm recordings for signs of atrial fibrillation. Garmin notes that the ECG app is not offered in every region and is meant for adults 22 and older.
The six MARQ models differ mostly in straps, ceramic bezels and software. Adventurer pairs an Italian leather strap with a compass-marked bezel and preloaded ClimbPro climb data. Athlete swaps in silicone and a VO2 max bezel, and adds running economy and enhanced stamina metrics. Aviator gets a calfskin bracelet, a UTC hand and aviation weather reporting.
Commander moves to a camo jacquard band and adds tactical tools such as stealth mode, night vision capabilities and an Applied Ballistics solver. Golfer carries Virtual Caddie, green contour data that requires a Garmin Golf membership, and more than 43,000 preloaded courses. Diver is the newest name in the lineup and the only one with a stated dive depth: Garmin lists scuba, apnea and snorkel use down to 40 meters, plus sailing aids such as autopilot control and tack assist. A buyer eyeing one of the other five for swimming should check its specifications first, since the release gives no depth figure for them.
