Garmin's latest watch is ludicrously expensive, but I still want it

Thought the best Garmin watches were too expensive already? You haven’t seen anything yet.

Garmin’s ultra-premium line of smartwatches, the Marq range, is Garmin’s foray into style as well as substance. Instead of going for chunky G-Shock style adventure watches like the Instinct range, or going for a more conventional smartwatch aesthetic like the Venu or Garmin Vivoactive 5, the Garmin Marq line shares a design ethos with premium analog watches, with each model representing a certain theme.

The Garmin Marq Aviator, for example, boasts weather reports for specific airports (ideal for pilots), while the Marq Captain model looks like a classic dive watch and features a regatta timer on the bezel.

The Marq Adventurer is a premium smartwatch with a 360-degree rotating compass bezel, as well as all the rest of Garmin’s premium adventuring features including topographical maps support, all-day blood oxygen sensing for altitude acclimation, and advanced GPS capabilities. Ordinarily, the Marq Adventurer Gen 2’s case and bezel is comprised of Grade 5 Titanium, but a recent drop by Garmin has the Marq Adventurer’s case and rotating bezel comprised of Damascus steel.

Damascus steel is well-known for its incredible durability and distinctive wavy design. Described as “forged from the finest materials on Earth”, the Garmin Marq Adventurer (Gen 2) Damascus Steel Edition, to give it its full title, looks absolutely sublime.

It comes with a leather / FKM rubber hybrid watch strap to pair with the ultra-premium body, which features Garmin’s classic five-button design. This will all set you back an eye-watering $3,100 / £2,799 / AU$5,500.

This has to be one of the best-looking smartwatches, with that Damascus steel undulating pattern made using its forging, that I’ve ever seen. Forget the price: I still want one. Long-time readers might know that I love it when analog and digital design languages meet to create something unique: it’s why I’m one of the only people I know who really loved the smart Casio G-Shock aesthetic of the Garmin Instinct Crossover. But the Marq Adventurer (Gen 2) Damascus Steel Edition is another level, and for three grand I should hope so.

There doesn’t appear to be a huge difference in functionality between Garmin’s other premium offerings, such as the Garmin Fenix 8, but Garmin already knows its internals are quality: you’re paying for a smartwatch that looks like it could belong on the wrist of Indiana Jones, only with current-generation smarts. It might look timeless, but this watch certainly doesn’t belong in a museum.

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