For 2022, Garmin has updated their premium smartwatch MARQ collection to a “Gen 2” product, which builds on the original (see our aBlogtoWatch Garmin MARQ review here) while still maintaining the same personality and product positioning. Garmin originally released the MARQ in 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, showing off some of the different activities the watch was intended for. While Garmin continues to develop and produce a ton of smartwatches (of all types), the MARQ sits at the top as Garmin’s flagship collection, manufactured with the finest materials. That’s not to say that other premium smartwatches don’t come close to the standard of the MARQ. In fact, it can sometimes be hard to tell what Garmin watches can do, and many of the premium materials, such as titanium and sapphire crystal, are also used in other premium Garmin watches.
The best thing about the MARQ collection is that it offers a smartwatch experience that in many ways feels like wearing a traditional luxury watch. The goal of MARQ is to be a smartwatch that can be worn for sports and adventure, as well as business and social occasions. This is reflected in Garmin applying its best design philosophies and enhanced premium materials to the various MARQ family of watches, and in this particular model, the MARQ Aviator Generation 2.
Garmin currently makes five versions of the MARQ Gen 2: MARQ Adventurer, MARQ Athlete, MARQ Golfer, MARQ Captain and MARQ Aviator. Each model is slightly different in design and comes with different software. In theory, all watches should be able to do all the tasks that other MARQ watches can, but it’s unclear whether the necessary software can be easily downloaded to all devices.
Users must explore and experiment with Garmin devices’ capabilities to get to know them better. This means that the learning curve can be steep, but the product experience is still rewarding. Garmin gives the impression that they are not just making consumer smartwatches, but very serious professional devices that anyone can use. In other words, while the Apple Watch is a very simple out-of-the-box experience with very few customization options, the Garmin MARQ offers a rich world of customization and enhancements that require you to invest time in the product and dig deep into the software experience.
What the MARQ Gen 2 watch can do is very impressive if you really dig into the system and interface (including the software you can download that doesn’t necessarily come pre-installed). This includes controlling the in-flight Garmin avionics (on the plane), Garmin marine instruments (on the ship), and a variety of special features for sports, golf, adventure, and training. The watch does everything from stress tracking to sleep and a lot of things in between (like if you’re drinking enough water). What’s a bit lacking, in my opinion, are the tools and features for everyday stuff. If you’re a pilot or a professional athlete, Garmin has you covered with more powerful smartwatch tools than any of its competitors. However, if you’re just going about your daily business, commute, and routine, Garmin is cutting back on the novelty that’s not easily available from its competitors. In my opinion, right out of the box, Apple and Google tend to offer better “smartwatch guidance” when it comes to “everyday normal stuff,” but I’m sure Garmin gets there too.
This discussion pertains to the MARQ family because I think that over time, part of the value proposition will be the software experience as much as the hardware experience. There is very little Garmin could do to make this watch feel more premium while still being a fully functional smartwatch. The titanium case construction, fast hardware, and overall excellent construction show how good the company is at making devices. The software is great, but Garmin could work on making the features more usable and intuitive. I feel this will be the determining factor for many of the best premium smartwatches of tomorrow.
One thing I noticed is a huge improvement in the quality and variety of optional watch faces that come preloaded on the MARQ Gen 2. Sure, Garmin has an app store where you can download a variety of watch faces, but it’s the array of preloaded options that most people will experience, so I think it’s important to focus on that. While there’s still room for improvement, Garmin’s designers are starting to come up with some really fun watch faces that make good use of both analog and digital display styles. The system offers robust customization, allowing users to tweak small details like accent colors and the information displayed in certain boxes and windows. While some may find the customization and dial options too overwhelming, it was fun sorting through the options and seeing how much Garmin’s visual interface designers have improved the look of the smartwatch faces.
So what has changed between the MARQ Gen 1 and Gen 2? The biggest change is the screen. With the MARQ Gen 2, Garmin has gone with an AMOLED touchscreen. The previous MARQ didn’t have a touchscreen, but now it does. This is probably a good thing. By default, the touchscreen is turned off for the various exercise and activity features. However, like most things in the Garmin world, you can customize the experience to suit exactly how you want it.
Garmin continues to offer the MARQ with five case pushers that can do almost everything the touchscreen can do. We love the multiple ways to interact with the watch. Not only does it give you more flexibility in how you interface with the product, but from a software standpoint, this level of input options gives programmers more choice and freedom to create useful applications. The new MARQ Gen 2 watches also get some internal updates, including 32GB of onboard storage memory.
Battery life is still very good, with Garmin boasting six days of normal use with the always-on screen enabled, several times longer than most competitors. If you don’t use the always-on screen in “smartwatch” mode (presumably using Bluetooth instead of GPS), the MARG Gen 2 can get up to 16 days of use. With “all satellite systems” turned on along with other connections, battery life drops to about nine hours. In fact, if you wear the MARQ Gen 2 for daily exercise/fitness tracking and smartwatch functions, you can easily get close to six days of use before needing to recharge.
Where Garmin really excels is in GPS navigation and advanced fitness/activity tracking. Garmin is a GPS specialist, so it’s no surprise that their best watches perform well in this area. This naturally leads to mapping and navigation, which are also areas where Garmin smartwatches excel (once you learn how to use the various features). I like the preloaded mapping software and the watch’s highly accurate ability to track your movement during various fitness activities. Of course, the case also has a highly accurate heart rate monitor and built-in accelerometer. With all this onboard data about your movement and physical activity, Garmin’s software can create a variety of interesting body metrics, including “body battery” and stress tracking.
The Garmin MARQ Gen 2 case is packed with features and sensors, but doesn’t offer much new when compared to the first generation product. The case is roughly the same size as the original, but there are some updates and tweaks to the design. At first glance, the product looks the same, but there are small changes here and there that make the MARQ Gen 2 feel like a fresh product. For example, one small change between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Aviator is the markers between the digits on the black ceramic bezel insert with the GMT 24-hour display. On the MARQ Gen 1 Aviator, the markers between the digits are bars, while on the Gen 2 they are small rectangles.
All Garmin MARQ Gen 2 watches are made of titanium with a width of 46mm (color finish and bezel vary by model). The case is 15mm thick and measures approximately 51mm lug-to-lug. The watch feels a little large when worn on a bracelet, but the included silicone strap (or other straps) can make it wear a little snugly on thinner wrists. Garmin has a convenient quick-release system that makes it easy to change straps/bracelets on the MARQ watch family. One small issue I noticed with the titanium bracelet is that the fit between the bracelet end links and the lugs is not very precise. This issue actually has to do with the bracelet being manufactured from parts that have a lower tolerance for deviations. The MARQ Gen 2 watch case is water resistant to 100 meters and has a flat sapphire crystal above the screen.
Another small change in this second generation MARQ device is the charging cable. In addition to being a USB-C connector, the part of the charger that connects to the smartwatch itself has also been improved. It is now a magnetic attachment that fits pretty snugly, and is probably the best Garmin smartwatch charging cable I have seen to date. Overall, the Garmin MARQ Gen 2 is a facelift on the original model, with enough features to make many Gen 1 model owners upgrade. It also brings Garmin’s top-end smartwatch on par with the features of its competitors. The price is still quite steep, but there is a lot of great engineering and technology that Garmin has to offer. Pricing for the Garmin MARQ Gen 2 starts at $1,900 for the MARQ Athlete Gen 2. The Garmin MARQ Aviator Gen 2 with ceramic bezel insert and matching titanium bracelet reviewed here retails for $2,300. For more information, check out the Garmin Watches website.
