These watches are included in the test:
Click to go to the individual ratings
High-quality timepieces have always played an important role in seafaring. Wristwatches specially designed for sailors, for example with a wind rose bezel and moon phase display for estimating the tide, can look back on a long tradition. With the advent of digital watches, further functions were added, such as an integrated compass and a barometer. However, compared to what today's high-tech electronics can achieve in the form of wristwatches, this all seems a long way out of date.
All-rounders versus specialists: what sailing watches need to be able to do
Smartwatches without an explicit focus on specific areas of use, such as an Apple Watch or their relatives from the Android group, generally offer the greatest flexibility. These devices score particularly highly thanks to the large number of apps available. Similar to smartphones, one or even several suitable applications can be installed for almost any task, allowing the range of functions to be constantly expanded and customised to suit personal everyday requirements.
However, there are also a few special requirements for a practical sailor's watch. Above all, uncompromising water resistance and, if possible, high impact resistance should be mentioned here. After all, everyday life on board can be rough at times. In addition, the battery life should be as long as possible, especially for use on sailing trips lasting several days.
In terms of functionality, it would be desirable to have continuous position determination and weather data recording (air pressure/temperature) that works independently of mobile phones and network coverage. Last but not least, the watch should also be able to be operated with wet and/or clammy fingers and gloves.
This is where special outdoor sports watches come into focus, providing sophisticated technology in robust packaging. Current products are capable of a wide range of tasks, making them smart companions in everyday life. We have subjected four top models from manufacturers specialising in this market segment to a practical test.
Robust watch cases with lots of technology
The cases of the outdoor watches tested are fully waterproof to a diving depth of 100 metres. They are made from a combination of reinforced plastic and stainless steel or titanium. From a purely aesthetic point of view and given the price level of the test candidates, an all-metal case might seem more appropriate, but this would also shield the sophisticated internal sensor technology and limit the connectivity of the watch. In addition, all have a watch glass made of sapphire crystal, which has proven to be extremely break- and scratch-resistant.
If you prefer filigree watches, you've come to the wrong place
Self-sufficient functionality requires a lot of technology in the case, which in turn demands a certain watch size. Those who prefer more delicate timepieces are clearly out of place in this product category. The Polar Grit X Pro Titan has the smallest and lightest case in the test, but unlike the other candidates, no offline maps can be installed and displayed on it. It therefore has less data storage and a smaller display. This model also does not have a solar charging function, which is usually reflected in a wider display edge.
The Coros Vertix 2 is considerably more bulky, and with its very high case, it is also the heaviest watch in the test. The Garmin Quatix 7X, on the other hand, is the largest of the test candidates. At least it comes with a smart, wide titanium bezel and a solar charging function. The latter is also offered by the Vertical Titanium Solar from Suunto, which is the most unobtrusive of the tested watches with a map function. The very slim bezel and the narrow buttons concentrated on the right-hand side of the case make for a comparatively modest size despite the solar charging function.
Battery-saving display technology
At 1.4 inches, the display of the Suunto watch is nevertheless just as large as the screens of the Coros Vertix 2 and the Quatix 7X from Garmin. All three displays also work with the same resolution (280 x 280 pixels).
Transflective LED screens are common in the display technology of outdoor watches, which utilise the ambient light as backlighting by means of a built-in reflector. This makes them fully suitable for use in daylight and saves the battery, as additional lighting is only required in poor lighting conditions. Another battery-saving feature is MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) technology, which only refreshes the pixels where the content changes.
The self-illuminating Amoled displays popular with smartphones may appear more appealing with their rich colours and high contrast, but they are also more energy-hungry. Only the Quatix 7X is optionally available with such a display - but then without a solar charging function.
The design of the digital dial can be customised on all models. In terms of readability, none of the watches tested gave cause for criticism in practical use. However, the Coros product stands out from the crowd with its remarkably razor-sharp display.
Operation: Coros and Garmin exemplary, Suunto with weaknesses
In addition to a touchscreen, all four watches tested also have side controls for operation. The latter consist of three (Coros, Suunto) or five (Garmin, Polar) buttons, whereby the Coros model also has a rotating crown.
A "back button" has proven to be helpful for intuitive operation
In the practical test, the watches from Coros and Garmin were particularly easy to use despite their considerable range of functions. The user guidance was easy to understand straight away. Operating the Polar watch requires a certain amount of familiarisation, but is then equally intuitive. We only found the Suunto watch a little difficult to use. Only three buttons are a bit small, especially as the touchscreen did not always respond smoothly during testing.
A general "back button", as offered by the Grit X Pro, the Quatix 7X and the Vertix 2, has proven to be particularly helpful for intuitive operation. The same applies to a so-called toolbox selection at the touch of a button, which takes you straight to the most frequently required functions and settings. This function is exemplary in the smartwatches from Coros and Garmin, where it can even be configured as required. Both also offer customised function button assignment.
Autonomous position determination is essential for sailing smartwatches
The impressive case size of the tested watches is also likely to correspond to the built-in battery capacity. This is because the ongoing position determination via a satellite navigation system (GNSS) in particular is a considerable power guzzler. While smartphones, given their primary use in urban areas, prefer to determine their position using the mobile phone network that is already in use, self-sufficient satellite navigation is essential for an outdoor watch.
Here, the accuracy depends primarily on the number and distribution of the satellites used. Accordingly, it is an advantage if the timepiece supports the use of several GNSS (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, Beidou, QZSS and possibly additional systems). The best results can be expected with simultaneous multi-band evaluation of different systems, which, however, puts even more strain on the battery. The watches from Coros and Suunto can use up to five GNSS in parallel, the Quatix 7X has three and the Grit X Pro has two.
With the Quatix 7X from Garmin, the type of satellite analysis can be adapted precisely to the respective requirements in order to find a harmonised compromise between accuracy and battery life. There is also an optional expedition mode in which the frequency of position determination is reduced in favour of battery life. The Vertix 2 also offers a choice between single GPS and the use of several systems, including multi-band acquisition. It also has a very nice satellite status display in its toolbox to check availability and distribution at a glance.
The smartwatches for sailing have these functions
In addition to a GNSS, a built-in electronic compass is also essential for navigation on the wrist - ideally with electronic tilt compensation, as the watch is worn on the arm. In addition to this, all the devices tested also have an accelerometer and some also have a gyroscope (Coros, Garmin, Suunto).
A built-in barometric pressure sensor is also helpful for assessing weather developments independently of mobile phones and the internet. Most also have a built-in thermometer (Coros, Garmin, Suunto).
All of them also include optical heart rate measurement on the wrist as standard. Other fitness values are also recorded - from the pedometer to stress level and sleep analysis (for all candidates) to oxygen saturation using an optical pulse oximeter (Quatix 7X, Vertical, Vertix 2). Here there is a functional overlap with a fitness tracker, which all the watches tested also have.
The Quatix 7X has also been fitted with an LED torch on the edge of the case - an extremely practical feature, especially as it does not dazzle the wearer and can even be dimmed and switched to glare-free red light, which is a good function when travelling at night.
Connectivity with the smartphone
For some everyday functions, close interaction with the smartphone is desirable. These include smart notifications, i.e. notifications when calls, text messages, emails, WhatsApp or social media messages are received. A nice feature is the option to send preconfigured responses via the watch - for example, "I can't talk right now" or "I'll get back to you later" - as provided by the Garmin and Suunto models.
In order to use these smartwatch functions, a corresponding app must be installed on the smartphone and the watch must be paired with the phone via Bluetooth. The app is also used to synchronise data and activities between the devices. Most apps also offer an option to share data, which allows virtual competitions.
In addition to Bluetooth, some watches (Quatix 7X, Vertical, Vertix 2) also support a Wi-Fi connection. This enables faster downloading of large amounts of data, such as music or maps. The Garmin watch also features the ANT+ wireless network standard, which can be used to connect compatible sensors. However, none of the watches we tested have an independent mobile phone connection (SIM card).
Check available apps before purchasing
Notification alarms can be set to sound and/or vibrate. However, a so-called DND mode ("Do not disturb") can also be activated on all timepieces if you want to be left in peace.
There are clear differences in the test field when it comes to selecting the desired notifications. Coros is exemplary in this regard, as the notification function can be switched on and off separately for each individual app installed on the smartphone. With the Garmin watch, certain notification categories can be selected. Another useful smartwatch function is the display of current weather information on the watch, which is obtained via the smartphone. All but the Coros model already have a suitable app on board for this purpose. Whether you also need music playback or media control or mobile payment via the watch is something everyone has to decide for themselves. As a general rule, anyone who values special additional functions should definitely take a look at the apps available for the respective product before making a purchase.
Battery life in the practical test
In practice, the battery life depends on many factors - including how intensively the watch is used, how often the display backlight is switched on (ambient light), how often notifications arrive, which applications are called up and how precisely you want the navigation functions to work. Reproducible tests are therefore difficult, especially as it is not always possible to see which sensors are currently active and to what extent on all watches. And in the models with parallel solar charging, the changing intensity of the sun's rays is an additional variable. At least the test mode allows us to assess how realistic the manufacturer's battery life figures are.
We focussed on two extreme cases close to everyday life: The watches were stored for several days in a shielded test environment without sunlight and then the remaining battery capacity was checked. Without activated GNSS, smartphone connection and permanent heart rate measurement on the wrist, very economical operation should be guaranteed. However, no explicit energy-saving mode was activated. The results are therefore likely to be somewhere between the specifications for energy-saving and everyday mode. The other extreme is continuous position recording with maximum accuracy. The specified minimum runtimes (minimum specifications) in navigation mode therefore form the reference here.
When it comes to battery life, the manufacturer's specifications are realistic - or even understated
All in all, the pleasing conclusion is that all of the manufacturer's specifications for battery life have proven to be quite realistic. Of course, the extrapolated test results can only ever provide orientation values for the expected runtimes for the reasons mentioned. However, although manufacturers like to advertise maximum values, nobody is promising anything that seems unattainable in our experience. On the contrary: the figures from Coros and Polar in particular seem modest in view of the test results. The other test candidates are within the expected range. In navigation mode with maximum accuracy, the test values for all models are largely within the promised range. Incidentally, the solar charging function of some watches does not guarantee continuous operation in any case. Even timepieces equipped with this function have to be plugged in again and again. However, in energy-intensive outdoor applications, they last noticeably longer than when the display is shaded.
Only the Garmin smartwatch comes with nautical charts
Maps that can be used offline are also downloaded to the watch via the smartphone app on the Coros and Suunto devices. Suunto's map selection is pleasingly finely structured, which makes it easier to compile maps to suit your needs. However, downloading takes quite a long time. The map download is considerably faster with the Vertix 2 from Coros, which uses a Wi-Fi connection. Here the map selection is based on a uniform grid. Fortunately, all watches with a map display are supplied with sufficient free memory to store various map sets.
The Quatix 7X from Garmin is the only device that supports electronic nautical charts in addition to land-based cartography. While the land-based charts are free of charge from all providers, Garmin charges €169.95 for a compatible Blue Chart g3 nautical chart set in the "Regular" area size. A chart set already purchased for a Garmin plotter cannot be used in parallel on the watch, but must be purchased again. The charts are integrated using the Garmin Express PC software via USB (also available for Mac).
Despite the small screen, the map view itself proves to be quite useful on all three watches for finding your bearings in unfamiliar terrain. Unfortunately, the Suunto watch only displays the map if it has a fix - so it cannot be used indoors. This is better solved with the Coros and Garmin models.
Which smartwatch is the right one?
Whether the exclusive nautical chart support makes the Garmin watch the winner depends on how important this feature is to you. After all, a wristwatch is also an everyday companion, and only very few people will be lucky enough to be out and about on a boat every day. This raises the question of which activities should be prioritised and which functions should be given the highest priority.
For navigation on land, even the lack of a map display, as with the Grit X Pro from Polar, does not have to be a knock-out criterion if the watch supports popular navigation apps such as Komoot, which is the case with all the products tested. In this case, the route is simply created on the map on the larger screen of the smartphone/tablet and then transferred to the watch, which provides the directions on the way.
As genuine multisport watches, all test candidates support a very wide range of leisure activities"
As genuine multisport watches, all test candidates support a very wide range of leisure activities, such as running, cycling, hiking, endurance training and much more. All of them also list various water sports. However, apart from the Quatix 7X, only the Vertical Titanium has an explicit sailing function.
Ultimately, however, the selectable outdoor sports are often based on similar watch functions, which essentially involve the continuous recording and display of relevant sensor data. Theoretically, you could therefore also use a cycling or hiking function while sailing, as long as you don't mind the different units (e.g. kilometres per hour instead of knots, etc.).
There are dedicated sailing apps for the Garmin Quatix 7x
However, if you prioritise sailing, the Quatix 7X is second to none. This is ensured by various well thought-out boating apps, including sophisticated sailing and regatta functions, which it comes with as standard. A MOB function at the touch of a button, an anchor alarm with programmable Schwoiradius and detailed tide data offer unrivalled practical benefits. Another unique selling point is the option of setting up the watch as a branch of a compatible Garmin navigation system, making it an integral part of the on-board electronics. It is even possible to control the autopilot from the wrist, provided it is a Garmin system. And with the Quatix 7X, you don't have to miss out on anything that the others have to offer. All in all, this makes it the test winner.
However, the good and large overall package also comes at a price: the Garmin watch is by far the most expensive product in the test. Although there is also an entry-level version, which is priced in the same range as the other candidates, you have to be satisfied with a reduced memory and battery capacity as well as a less high-quality design. In contrast, the other test candidates can score points again.
All test candidates in the YACHT rating:
Click to go to the individual ratings
