Garmin's new smart watches look pretty good

"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
03/13/2019 at 08:39 • Filed to: watchlopnik

These are some decent looking smart watches that I’d actually wear...I hate the “tiny tv screen on my wrist” look of most smart watches. “The Driver” one has some neat features but is of course the most expensive.

The most expensive of the collection is the $2,500 MARQ Driver made from titanium and treated with a special carbon coating for extra durability. It comes pre-loaded with course data for over 250 popular race tracks around the world, and timers for calculating a vehicle’s average speed over a run.

Not that I’d ever pay that much for a watch to begin with but it’s fun to dream.

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DISCUSSION (14)

TheRealBicycleBuck > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/13/2019 at 08:51

It looks a lot like my Samsung S3.

Kinja'd!!!

nerd_racing > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/13/2019 at 08:57

I have a Garmin V ivoactive 3 and it really sucks. The Bluetooth is spotty connection wise, and since it is constantly connecting and searching for Bluetooth the battery life is awful. I really am quite disappointed with Garmin as of late. Also I had to return two watches before I got one that worked at all. I previously had a Garmin Vivoactive HR and it was a great watch, stellar battery life, and durable. Unfortunately the screen cracked and killed half of the touch options, rendering it useless. Garmin won’t sell replacement parts and it kills the waterproof rating if you replace it. As much as I liked the functionality and accuracy of the watches, they are pretty awful to live with.

E90M3 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/13/2019 at 09:09

I wear a watch everyday, yet I have no interest in a smart watch. I feel like I spend too much time on my phone as it is and I feel this would just be an extension of my phone.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > nerd_racing
03/13/2019 at 09:18

Hmmm...that’s unfortunate. I’ve been eyeing the vivomove HR as I like it’s simplicity. Any idea if those use the same underlying hardware/software?

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > E90M3
03/13/2019 at 09:21

I’d like a smart watch due to using my phone regularly while skiing/snowboarding. It’s a pain to try and dig your phone out of your jacket just to see who’s calling or texting. I almost think it might limit how much I use my phone though too since I could check calls or texts without looking at my phone because I tend to start browsing afterwards when on my phone.

E90M3 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/13/2019 at 09:22

That’s fair enough. At times, I check my phone almost compulsively, so I’m trying to limit that.

Ash78, voting early and often > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/13/2019 at 09:41

I used to be a Garmin fan, but their “family tree” of products kept hitting dead ends. The constant cancellation/obsolescence really chapped my hide. Sometimes they’d stop supporting a whole product line after just a year or two. So I ended up going right back to Apple, the least of all evils IMHO.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is sub-$200 regularly now (and you don’t really need the 4 unless you just love the quasi-EKG function). Add a $10 heavy duty sports band and you’re good to go. I’ve been pretty happy with the GPS...except if you’re tracking, the battery life might drop to a half day. Normal usage, I get 2 days before a recharge.

Funktheduck > Ash78, voting early and often
03/13/2019 at 10:09

I have a series 3. When I run I leave my phone behind and I use it to track. Sometimes it’s spot on and other times it’s wildly off but I’m not sure if that’s the watch’s fault or the app (Strava). I ran a half marathon a few weeks ago and all my friends I ran with using Garmin watches were getting 13.17-13.18 at the end of the race. I got 12.7. Similar on the group runs I do. Either I match the Garmin folk or I wind up .1-.3 miles behind in measurements

nerd_racing > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
03/13/2019 at 10:28

It could be something to do with bluetooth on android. I would say try it for yourself, but don’t hesitate to return it if you aren’t happy.

Ash78, voting early and often > Funktheduck
03/13/2019 at 10:32

Don’t get me started on Strava. I start a run, then Strava randomly decides when to start tracking me. Sometimes it’s a couple minutes later and then I see my first mile split as 6:00 and I’m like “WTF? I’m not that fast...”

Like you, I’m not sure if it’s the watch or if Strava’s app is just wonky.

I’ve been meaning to start a run on my watch and my phone to see how they compare. In theory, the difference should be the GPS sensors’ accuracy.

Funktheduck > Ash78, voting early and often
03/13/2019 at 11:17

Yeah, I was bummed after the race. My pace was off too. The route was super straight. My chip time was 2:54:30 which breaks down to an average of 8:44 mile. Strava had me doing 12.7 miles, as mentioned, at about a 9:09 pace. BUT WAIT! During the race the distance was off but the pace was 8:45 on my watch. The pace/total time changed after I uploaded the data

Ash78, voting early and often > Funktheduck
03/13/2019 at 11:21

Impressive...one day I hope to do a half marathon at a semi-consistent 8:30-9:00 pace. For now I’m more of a trail runner, or a 5k guy trying to break 22:00 (which is my training PR for flat ground. Most races are very hilly here, so 23:00-25:00 is more typical)

Funktheduck > Ash78, voting early and often
03/13/2019 at 11:31

That was my first half and second official race I’ve ever done. I heard it’s a good beginner half. Hills are in the beginning and then the rest is basically flat. Before that the farthest I’d run before was 6 miles. I did a 5k in college in 22:30. Very hilly. Don’t think I’m back to that speed though.

Funktheduck > Ash78, voting early and often
03/13/2019 at 11:32

Oh, the half I ran: the winners were separated by .02 seconds and averaged 5 minute miles. I think they’re finishing times were 1:05