OB Watches
- Thread starter murps
- Start date
Explorer I
I have the same watch and love it. I don't have any issues w/ the OE band though. I actually like it. What didn't you like about it?
Member III
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Advocate I
Thought I'd try reviving this thread, though I'm mainly curious to know how folks have their Garmin watches set up for adventure activities and what watch faces people have found to be useful. I've been using smart watches for years (Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch3, and now a Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar) and I've felt like I had to decide what features/functions I was willing to compromise on. When I was using an iPhone the Samsung and other Tizen/GearOS watches were really cut down on what was supported and the Garmin offerings were pretty new. When I switched to an Android phone (Galaxy S20+) I couldn't use the Apple Watch anymore so I went watch shopping, again I had to choose the compromises. I think the Garmin Fenix 5 was out and the 6 was on the way, so to have the most cohesive experience between the watch and phone I went with a Galaxy Watch3. I liked it more than the Apple Watch, both in terms of style and functionality, but battery life was always a concern. For day to day stuff it was fine, just charge it at night and be good to go in the morning, but I would end up missing out on sleep tracking. Sometimes I'd put it on the charger and maybe it wasn't centered so it wouldn't charge and then I'd notice around the middle of the next day that my battery was down to 50%. So, it wasn't something that if I forgot or couldn't charge it during the night it would die the next day but I couldn't go more than about 2.5-3 days on a charge and that was after turning the always-on display off in order to preserve battery life. Now, with us trying to be more active and planning on ramping up our overland travels I started watch shopping again (Had my Galaxy Watch3 for almost 2 years now). The choices came down to a Garmin Fenix 7 or the Epix gen 2. While the display on the Epix gen 2 is amazing and battery life was still decent, I don't look at my watch often enough to need or want that eye candy display when the Fenix 7 is more than adequate. Plus, there's no solar with the Epix gen 2. May be more of a gimmick, but it could come in very handy in certain situations. I also really liked the way the Fenix 7 looked with the Mineral Blue case. The Fenix 7 and Epix having touchscreens now is great, especially for swiping around maps or bringing up screens tied to spots on a given watch face, but I do have it give it to Garmin for making general use using buttons a breeze. It also helps that the Up/Down buttons work similarly to the rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch3 and I actually find myself using the buttons more than I thought.
So, I settled on the watch I wanted but looking at the price was killing me. I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger just yet, so I sat on it for a few days, poked around for any sales or deals, and as luck would have it I found an open-box of the exact watch I wanted on Amazon for $230 less than the price of a new one ($670 vs $899) and jumped on it.
I've been wearing and using it for not quite 24 hours so far and I have to say that, for me, it's pretty much the perfect watch for what I want. It integrates very well with my Galaxy phone, using it for HR with Zwift was super easy (I had been using a chest strap previously because I couldn't use my Galaxy Watch3 for HR with Zwift), it's much more self-contained meaning if something happens to my phone I can still use maps, etc. since they're stored on the watch.
For reference, this is the watch face I'm using. It has an unlimited trial (just have to go through a couple of steps) so you don't have to pay for it and I find it has basically all the data I was looking for. GearMin V3
What about fellow Garmin watch users here, how do you have your watch set up for adventuring?
So, I settled on the watch I wanted but looking at the price was killing me. I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger just yet, so I sat on it for a few days, poked around for any sales or deals, and as luck would have it I found an open-box of the exact watch I wanted on Amazon for $230 less than the price of a new one ($670 vs $899) and jumped on it.
I've been wearing and using it for not quite 24 hours so far and I have to say that, for me, it's pretty much the perfect watch for what I want. It integrates very well with my Galaxy phone, using it for HR with Zwift was super easy (I had been using a chest strap previously because I couldn't use my Galaxy Watch3 for HR with Zwift), it's much more self-contained meaning if something happens to my phone I can still use maps, etc. since they're stored on the watch.
For reference, this is the watch face I'm using. It has an unlimited trial (just have to go through a couple of steps) so you don't have to pay for it and I find it has basically all the data I was looking for. GearMin V3
What about fellow Garmin watch users here, how do you have your watch set up for adventuring?
Last edited:
Enthusiast I
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- adam
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- escobar
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I rotate three watches. A regular Bertucci watch, Sangin Merlin and a Garmin Instinct tactical solar. I recommend all three highly. The garmin tactical i get over a week worth of using it. Of course depends in how much you are using and how much sun it gets.
Enthusiast III
Timex Expedition with a Velcro wrap band, about $40 at Walmart. Time, day, date, two time zones, alarm, timer (mostly for cooking) and lights up at night with the push of a button. Simple, durable and never comes off my wrist unless it needs a good scrubbing. I’m a one watch, one purse, one truck kinda chick.
Advocate I
I've been wearing( when I had/have too) A Casio Telememo 30. Mostly needed for work and daily for 25 years. With dual digital and analog face it is quick at being readable. A pig to reset when the time changes though so I eventually bought another and kept 1 on Standard time and the other on Daylight Savings. Charging? Battery lasts 10 years! I've only changed 1 battery in my original watch so far.
For back up camping I have the sunwatch, Just have to know the latitude, set the pinhole on the date, hold it up to the sun.....folds flat. Should be good for the next 10 billion years. ;^)
I've had a g-shock, very cumbersome and the buttons kept catching on stuff, it didn't hold up at work in a cement plant, the Telememo did.
For back up camping I have the sunwatch, Just have to know the latitude, set the pinhole on the date, hold it up to the sun.....folds flat. Should be good for the next 10 billion years. ;^)
I've had a g-shock, very cumbersome and the buttons kept catching on stuff, it didn't hold up at work in a cement plant, the Telememo did.
Member III
I have the same watch as well and didn't like the rubber band (too tight) and replaced it with a fabric band first (that started to smell and then broke), and have a metal band now. I like that it has some weight to it and also has a bit of slack, so that the watch moves a bit.
All the sensors still work as expected.
Traveler III
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Influencer III
Trail Blazer II
I have a Luminox as well that I found sunken in a surfing beach/reef. Cool story and still works. I went to change the band once and the watch salesman asked me if I was in the Navy Seals....
Thinking of getting a Garmin now for health tracking and mapping.
Trail Blazer II
How do you like your Fenix so far, now that you've had it a few months? I'm considering getting a Garmin but on the fence on which model. Looking at everything from the 955 to the Fenix 7 to the Epix.
Advocate I
I still love it and have never found myself wishing I still had an Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch. Excellent battery life, great functionality, etc. The one thing I might change, and it's a simple setting change, is when the backlight is triggered. Right now I have it so the backlight is only triggered after sunset/before sunrise rather than always and sometimes if I'm in an area that's not lit well I can't see the display well enough and have to manually turn on the backlight. I originally did this to help battery life as I do computer work and the position and movement of my hands/wrist would trigger the backlight often.
Having only used the fenix 7 I can't really comment on the other models but as a smartwatch with a lot of activity/outdoors functionality it does great. My wife has been happy with her fenix 6S as well. Just being able to use our watches and not have to worry about battery life or needing to charge nightly is really, really nice. You don't realize how nice until you've made the switch. :)
Trail Blazer II
Thanks. I've never had a smart watch and am really only interested in the health/exercise/mapping features. I don't really want an extension of my phone (I have enough with it, ha!). Also want something I can wear 24/7 without having to worry about charging, etc. Hopefully I can make a decision soon on this....
Trail Blazer III
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I have a Fenix 5x and it is by far the best watch I have ever owned. It spent 3 straight years in Afghanistan with me on deployment and got banged up, beat up and the glass still looks new. I went with the titanium band after year two cause the other kept breaking and this band is going 3 1/2 years with no problems. I use it for hunting, hiking, traking the other smart watch stuff. If you are looking at a watch that contains maps or you will use off the beaten path the fenix series is the best youll get.
Was also surprised thag i had non-topo maps of the middle east while I was there. thought it only had non-topo of europe. All of North America has the topo maps which is very nice. Shows NF roads as well.
Trail Blazer II
Thanks for your message! This is all very useful info for me. I'm torn between the Fenix 7 and the Epix at the moment. Main difference is screen quality and battery life. I mostly overland, so have access to a power source even if I go off for several days. And my hikes are never longer than overnight. So in that sense the Epix's shorter battery life wouldn't really be an issue. I might have to go to a store and check out the screens' readability, etc. Then again, with all this sun in Florida the Fenix solar models seem like a fun thing to have. I'd probably never have to charge it, ha ha.
I think nowadays you only get topo maps for the region you buy your watch in, except for the Enduro 2 which I think has worldwide topo. Maybe they have non topo for everything else?
Trail Blazer III
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I believe that is correct for maps. I think its possible to get other regions but would likely be paying a premium for it. My fater has the new fenix and it looks really good, slightly larger than the fenix 5x that I have and the readability is better. I can go almost a week on a single charge using it as a normal watch. when I start accessing GPS consistantly and using the apps that track everything the battery life goes down drastically. after 8 hours of using the hiking app to track my movement last week while hunting I went from 100% to 35%.
tundra21
Rank V
Advocate III
I have had one for 7 years it's great. Just had it serviced first time $40. The map feature saved me i was kinda lost in Smokey Mtns. I backtracked. You'll never want something else.
