Watch And Learn

Get a Handle on Your Data With Garmin’s Quatix 5 Sapphire.

- Jason Y. Wood

Be careful what you wish for: Wearable devices seem like they may be a great way to get more connected with your boat. After all, think of how that smartphone gives you the freedom to roam away from your computer in the afternoon (or if you fish, the morning) and get down to the dock, all while still staying in touch with your job and the people who count. But as the saying goes, freedom isn’t free. That’s where the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire ($850 MSRP; garmin.com) comes in. This is Garmin’s next-generation smartwatch that links to your boat’s compatible Garmin helm system and your smartphone and exacts a special kind of charge from its wearer.

The Quatix is based on Garmin’s Fenix fitness watch. The Quatix 5 Sapphire is waterproof to more than 300 feet and has a sapphire crystal and a stainless steel bezel set on a fibre-reinforced polymer case. It comes with silicone and stainless quick-change bands that let the user alter the style of the watch—this is good-looking, rugged design. Its 1.2-inch transflective memory-in-pixel display uses ambient light to brighten to sunlight-viewable levels, but in the dark I found myself hitting a button to illuminate the display.