Garmin isn’t trying to be Apple. Dave Dunn, senior director of marine and RV sales, is clear about that: “We’re trying to be the watch that you can beat up and use every day. Our customers are adventurous.”

Still, the Garmin team kept hearing customers talk about how much easier they found it to look at an Apple Watch. “Historically, our watches had a display that was not crisp, not bright,” Dunn says. “Our customers said they liked the Apple Watch display better.”

Hence the upgraded display on the recently unveiled Garmin quatix 7 Pro. Its 1.3-inch AMOLED display is brighter and crisper than the displays on previous models, with a scratch-resistant sapphire lens so boaters don’t have to worry about banging it up.

Also new is a flashlight that was on a prior quatix model, which is now standard on most models.

“Any of our users will tell you it’s our No. 1 feature,” Dunn says. “It sounds ridiculous until you see how bright it is. If you’re walking the dog at night or going to the restroom while you’re sleeping, it comes in handy. It’s a hands-free light.”

Two new apps are also loaded into this version of the quatix. The first is Trolling Motor Remote, which lets anglers control a compatible trolling motor. The second is Fish Forecast, which is intended to save anglers the effort of searching online for general information that can indicate better days to wet a line.

“Think about an almanac; it has moon phases, time of year, all of that. It gives you a prediction about the best times to fish,” Dunn says. “All of it is right there. You’re never guaranteed to catch fish, but it tells you when the better times might be.”

Garmin also updated apps that let the smartwatch act as a remote control for chart plotters, autopilots and Fusion stereos; notify boaters about anchor drag; and show integrated tide data.

“This is designed by boaters, for boaters,” Dunn says, adding that he personally enjoys controlling a boat’s stereo from his wrist. “If you’re on a sandbar at a party and you want to change the volume or the song, you can do that from your watch. I love that feature.”  

Boater-Friendly

The Garmin quatix 7 Pro is built to let users control their whole boating ecosystem from their wrist. This smartwatch can connect to compatible chart plotters, autopilots, Fusion stereos and trolling motors, all while it simultaneously tracks personal health information and serves as a hands-free flashlight. It also receives text messages and smart notifications.

Purchase your own here: Amazon, Garmin

The post Garmin Quatix Upgrade appeared first on Yachting.

Garmin Quatix7

The Garmin Quatix7 Marine GPS Smartwatch lets dad manage his day on the water with connectivity to Garmin chartplotters, easy autopilot boat control, a variety of GPS mapping features and more. This GPS Smartwatch comes in three versions: Standard Edition, Pro with a crisp AMOLED display and a Solar Edition featuring solar charging for those long summer days in the sun.

Garmin inREach Mini 2 Marine Bundle

The Garmin inREach Mini 2 Marine Bundle helps keep you in touch with pop while he’s off the grid on a boating adventure. The compact satellite communicator maintains signal on the water where cell phones won’t, includes an emergency SOS messaging system to Garmin’s coordination center and boasts a battery life of up to 14 days in 10-minute tracking mode. It also offers location sharing with loved-ones at home.

Helly Hansen Men’s HP Foil HT Sailing Shorts

If he’s got the need for speed, the Helly Hansen Men’s HP Foil HT Sailing Shorts are for him. These waterproof sailing shorts are designed for inshore racing in extremely wet conditions. They include a reinforced seat and are mesh-lined for comfort. These shorts are available in sporty navy, gray fog and black styles.

Helly Hansen Men’s Crew Hooded Midlayer Jacket 2.0

For fathers with a sailor’s soul, there’s the Helly Hansen Men’s Crew Hooded Midlayer Jacket 2.0. Originally developed as a waterproof insulation layer for sailors, this jacket is waterproof, windproof and breathable. The zipper withstands corrosion and is saltwater-resistant. The jacket is available in sleek white, gray fog, cobalt 20, red, black and navy colors.

Costa Saltbreak Sunglasses

You just can’t go wrong with a cool pair of polarized shades as a gift for dad, and these Costa Saltbreak Sunglasses are no exception. These sporty shades are available in silver, tortoise, matte black and wetlands frames, each with customizable polarized glass or polarized polycarbonate lenses.

Costa Tuna Alley Sunglasses

Named after the deep-blue Bahamian waters where the Bluefin tuna migrate north, Costa’s Tuna Alley Sunglasses combine practicality and style with plenty of customization options. These shades can be personalized to match dad’s style while he’s out on the water, from solid- white frames with blue polarized lenses to blackout frames with gray polarized lenses.

Rolex Submariner

What could be a better gift than the king of watches for a king in your life? The Rolex Submariner Date is an 18 kt. white-gold statement of deep confidence. The rotatable bezel is designed for a diver to accurately and safely monitor diving time and decompression stops.The dial’s luminescent Chromalight display allows for visibility in dark environments.

Rolex Deepsea

For gift buyers wanting to go the extra nautical mile, the Rolex Deepsea is 18 karats of bright, flashy and practical yellow gold with a Cerachrom bezel insert in blue ceramic and an oyster bracelet. This is the legendary divers’ watch, filled with luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow for excellent legibility in dark conditions.

Penn Squall Lever Drag Conventional Rod & Reel Combo

The Penn Squall Lever Drag Rod & Reel is lightweight, ergonomic and corrosion-resistant. With stainless- steel gears and a high-speed gear ratio, this lever-drag is outstanding for nearshore trolling for kings and dolphins. This rod comes in medium and heavy power levels, 6- and 7-foot rod lengths as well as 15- to 30-pound and 30- to 80-pound line ratings.

YETI Tundra® 65 Marine Cooler

Help him keep his drinks cold on the water with the YETI Tundra 65 Marine Cooler. This spacious cooler can easily handle a day’s provisions for a family of four. It fits up to 77 cans or 58 pounds of ice, and the YETI Fatwall design provides 2’ of seamless insulation on the walls and bottom with 3’ of insulation on the lid.

YETI 30 oz. Rambler® Travel Mug

The YETI 30 oz Rambler Travel Mug will keep his adventure going longer. This is YETI’s biggest travel mug, providing a trip-proof grip thanks to its elevated handle. In the case of bumpy waves, its leak-resistant Stronghold lid includes dual-slider magnet technology to prevent spills.

Mustang Survival HIT Automatic Inflatable Life Jackets with Harness

The Mustang Survival HIT Automatic Inflatable Life Jacket with Harness is a boating essential and an excellent gift. This life jacket is designed for serious sailors to use in severe weather with exclusive technology that enhances safety and minimizes maintenance. Reliable automatic inflation even in severe conditions adds peace of mind to this life-saving device.

Noco Boost Pro GB150 Ultrasafe Lithium Jump Starter, 3000 Amp, 12V

The Noco Boost Pro GB150 Ultrasafe Lithium Jump Starter delivers 3,000 amps for jump starting a dead battery in seconds. It’s a powerful battery booster that doubles as a portable power source for charging USB devices or powering 12-volt devices. Perfect for dad’s car, boat, RV or truck! On top of that, the jump starter includes an ultra-bright 500 lumen LED flashlight with seven light modes, including SOS and an emergency strobe.

Fusion Marine MS-RA210 Stereo and XS Classic Speaker Kit

The Fusion Marine MS-RA210 Stereo and XS Classic Speaker Kit is a gift that will keep dad jamming while washing down the boat. Remember the Garmin Quatix7 from earlier? Advanced connectivity options give you the freedom to control this stereo from a compatible Garmin MFD, smart device or watch, making this a great gift to pair with!

Amberjack – The Loafer

It just wouldn’t be a complete father’s day gift list without mentioning some slick kicks. The Loafers by Amberjack are made with A-grade full-grain leather and sheepskin lining, and they come in a variety of colors and sizes. They are comfortable, stylish and they feature an athletic outsole with a heat-activated insole. And, after a day of cruising, they just look great when heading ashore to your favorite waterfront eatery.

The post Best Father’s Day Gifts For Boaters 2024 appeared first on Yachting.

About a year ago, in celebration of the company’s 30th anniversary, Garmin introduced its Marq series of watches. Marketed as “luxury modern tools,” each watch is made of titanium with built-in smart features for different activities. The Marq Captain, for instance, is for boaters, with a regatta-timer bezel, coastal charts, tack assist, port conditions, and current wind speed, temperature and tide information. It also has a unique Jacquard weave strap from the south of France for use in saltwater environments. The other four Marq models—Driver, Aviator, Adventurer and Athlete—are similarly equipped for racing, flying, exploring and sports performance.

Now, Garmin has put all five of the Marq watches together into the Signature Set. Only 100 of the numbered sets are available, each priced at $10,000. (Individually, each watch is priced at $1,500 to $2,500.)

The Adventurer

The Athlete

The Driver

The Aviator

The Captain

“Those who wear Marq wear the exploits of countless pilots, sailors, adventurers and athletes who have trusted our products with their lives in the most challenging places on Earth,” Garmin president and CEO Cliff Pemble states in a letter of authenticity that comes with each set. “Simply stated, Marq is an indelible stamp of credibility.”

The Signature Set, which became available this past December, comes in a handmade solid-walnut box. Each watch has a sapphire-crystal lens for durability; an always-on, sunlight-readable display with GPS; and built-in music storage, Garmin Pay, wrist-based heart rate sensor and pulse oximeter, and more. Each of the watches is also compatible with Garmin’s QuickFit solution for swapping out straps, should any boater grow tired of the Jacquard weave with the Marq Captain.

The post Garmin’s Marq Signature Set appeared first on Yachting.

Ulysse Nardin has been named the official timekeeper of the 59th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, which is scheduled to take place October 31 through November 4.

The company, which has crafted timepieces for 173 years, is planning to display one of its largest assortments of haute horlogerie ever shown in the United States. It will be presented at the Windward VIP Club in the Hall of Fame Marina.

Boat show attendees will have a chance to see collector’s items including the Tellurium Johannes Kepler from “Trilogy of Time,” and limited edition Minute Repeaters along with Marine Tourbillons and the new design called Freak.

A new Diver Chronometer, which was presented at the Monaco Yacht Show in September, will make its U.S. debut in Fort Lauderdale, including a limited edition Great White version.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show,” François-Xavier Hotier, president of Ulysse Nardin Americas, stated in a press release. “Ulysse Nardin has longstanding ties to the sea, dating back to our origins as the main supplier of marine chronometers to navies around the world. This continues to be an important part of our story, along with a drive for innovation, precision, and reliability — values that are shared by the yachting community.”

Who can answer questions about Ulysse Nardin watches? Watchmakers will be on hand at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show to discuss all the intricacies.

The post Ulysse Nardin Named Official Timekeeper of Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show appeared first on Yachting.

Rolex Deepsea D-Blue Dial

Rolex collaborated with professional scuba divers to create the Deepsea, which is waterproof to a depth of 12,800 feet. The case is made of Oystersteel, which is a part of the super-alloy 904L stainless-steel family used in the aerospace industry. The dial on this version of the Deepsea fades from blue to black, which is the color gradiation that film director James Cameron saw during his dive to the ocean’s deepest spot, the Mariana Trench. Rolex designed this version of the Deepsea to commemorate Cameron’s experience. He made it 35,787 feet below the surface.

Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision

The Freak Vision is an evolution of the InnoVision 2 Concept Watch that Ulysse Nardin unveiled in 2017. The shape of a boat hull inspired the flying carousel, whose motion tells time in a unique way and is the inspiration for the timepiece’s name.

Breitling Exospace B55 Yachting

An electronic tachymeter, a countdown timer for regatta starts, and other sailing-inspired features are built into the Exospace B55 Yachting. Pressing the crown or tilting your wrist activates two backlit LCD screens with smartphone-style features.

Sophisticated watches can also be paired with these unusual creations from Portugal-based Boca Do Lobo.

The Dali

The Cloud

The post Three Cool Nautical Timepieces appeared first on Yachting.

Why spend hours fishing for the lowest prices by poring over the Internet for bargains. Get the top gear you need here at great prices, and save your valuable time for spending on the water.

These special prices won’t last, so get on the boat for the best deals of the year.

Related:

The Watch List

A few of our favorite timepieces to help you make sure you get back to port right on time.

11 Sunglasses Just in Time for Summertime Cruising

Ray-Ban, Costa and even Porsche made our sunglasses list.

The post Amazon Prime Day Is The Perfect Time To Stock Up On Gear appeared first on Yachting.

Ideal for sailing, this watch features a bidirectional rotatable bezel made of platinum or gold to track elapsed sailing time; large hour markers and hands ensure legibility.

An automatic movement tracks the phases on the moon on the face of this watch, with a black, blue, or silver dial.

Evoking the feeling of a fine Cuban cigar, this limited edition of 99 watches is dedicated to the true cigar lover. (Not available until mid-June 2015.)

A vintage design, this watch features an internal rotating bezel with a Milanese mesh metal strap, a metallic blue retro dial, and 100m of water resistance.

With 24 karat gold and Grade-5 titanium, this watch is as high end as you can get and also features an alligator strap layered over stainless steel mesh and titanium carbide.

Limited to 100 pieces, this watch celebrates the 55th anniversary of the very first automatic winding movement Grand Seiko; the new model comes in white, yellow, or pink gold with coordinating Crocodile straps.

In honor of the yachtsmen of Emirates Team New Zealand, this watch comes in a limited edition of 2,013 pieces and features a regatta start countdown indicator, a matte black ceramic bezel, and a black rubber strap with red detailing throughout.

This watch features a minimalist dial and case design in rose gold with stenciled Arabic numerals and a mother of pearl moonphase indicator at 3 o’clock.

Touch-activated functions like meteorological forecasting abilities, a tide-calculator, and regatta countdown, among others, make this watch stand out from the rest, and it features a bi-material bracelet with a safety clip and extensions.

With neither dial nor hands, this watch is constructed so that it moves about its own axis; it also features UlyChoc shock absorbers and two silicium impulse wheels to maintain balance and minimize friction.

The post Incredible Yachting Watches appeared first on Yachting.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m GMT GoodPlanet

The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m GMT GoodPlanet ($8,100) is a watch you can feel good about buying, with a portion of proceeds going to the GoodPlanet Foundation, which protects our marine ecosystems.

David Yurman Classic 46 mm Chronograph

Rolex DeepSea

The face of the Rolex DeepSea ($13,000) fades from bright blue to dark black, mirroring the ocean itself.

Clerc Hydroscaph

Garmin’s Quatix

Garmin’s Quatix ($449) has the ability to control your vessel’s autopilot and send waypoints to an iPad. It’s also glare-proof and water-resistant to 164 feet.

Oracle Edition Aquaracer Sailing Watch

Carl F. Bucherer Patravi Scubatec

TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5

Super Swimmer
TAG Heuers are popular with actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, but its Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5 ($3,850) was designed by scuba divers. This watch functions to depths of 1,640 feet and sports luminescent hands. TAG Heuer, 866-260-0460; tagheuer.com

Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer

Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta

A Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta ($19,700) is a tough timepiece with a brushed titanium crown.

Nautical Rolex Oyster Watch

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona ($28,800) line was introduced in 1963, and has stood the test of time.

The post Watches for Yachtsmen appeared first on Yachting.

Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 48 Deep Dive

Ulysse Nardin Black Sea

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II

TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5

Oris Maldives Limited Edition

Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback

IWC Aquatimer Chrono-Automatic

The post Yachting Watches appeared first on Yachting.

Suunto Elementum Ventus

When I made a trip round Cape Horn this spring, I brought all kinds of gear and gadgetry along. But my favorite piece of equipment was strapped to my wrist. You see, as a mariner, I found it a constant frustration that a lot of the really cool, high tech sailing watches are, well, less than good looking — and they often require an advanced degree in engineering to operate. Then I met the Suunto Elementum Ventus ($899 and up, depending on the watch strap). Suunto has been making great watches with outdoor and technical applications for years, but the Ventus was the first one that really tempted me. It sports the usual time, date, and alarm functions, but it also packs a strong backlight, an advanced 3D compass for navigation and a sailing timer. My favorite features of the Ventus, by far, are its 12-hour barometric pressure trend graph and the 24-hour barometric pressure trend log. Water resistant to 100 meters, the stainless steel outer case and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass are made to weather harsh ocean conditions. The large watch face holds a lot of information available at a glance and with the simple push of a button a function can be changed.

In short, the Ventus packed just what I needed and not more and made the information I wanted readily accessible. All that in a watch that was sporty yet elegant: perfect for trips that involve transitions from foul weather gear aboard to fine dining ashore.

Suunto has two other watches available in its luxury line: the Aqua, a dive watch, and the Terra, a field watch. www.suunto.com

The post It’s About Time appeared first on Yachting.