The Garmin MARQ Driver smartwatch may be one of the most distinguishing models within the MARQ collection, focusing on a very specific type of wearer excited by the thrill of the racetrack. Despite its uniqueness, the luxury modern tool watch boasts a remarkable range of functionality that any average driver can enjoy, from its striking tachymeter scale, auto lap split and live delta time features and sophisticated lightweight titanium styling.
Ranked first place as the only modern smartwatch with smart features and more than 250 preloaded global racetracks accessible from the wrist, the Garmin MARQ Driver has quickly become a must-have accessory for anyone setting their own lap records or by anyone inspired by those that do. Today, we will be taking a look at all of the features of the MARQ Driver in detail to give you a complete run down of everything it can do on the racetrack, how it wears on the wrist, it’s battery life, smart features and more.
DRIVING & MOTORSPORT FEATURES
The main purpose of the Garmin MARQ Driver is to bring the thrill of racing to the wrist and we are pleased to announce it does this perfectly with extraordinary driving and motorsport features that can be used by both drivers of the racetrack and supporters in the stands. You can select from over 250 world-famous racetracks to be uniquely displayed on the watch face while the convenient wrist-based lap times means there’s no need for a transponder or other equipment.
The innovative track time is perfect for both those behind the wheel and those spectating, as it works with the tachymeter bezel to automatically calculate the average speed of a car on the course. The lap time repeatability also assists by measuring your consistency throughout a race with a lap time repeatability score and the Last Race feature gives you a summary of your last race with fastest lap times, total laps and max speed. Lastly, the remarkable Virtual Put Wall which gives you access to your very own pit wall at your wrist as you hear audio reports of every lap as you pass the line.
CASE & STRAP
The Garmin MARQ Driver watch has one of our favourite overall aesthetics out of the entire MARQ collection for its sporty yet sophisticated finish that easily transitions from the racetrack to a formal outing. Its refined look consists of a 46mm lightweight titanium case treated with a DLC coating, a matching DLC titanium bracelet with red silicon links and butterfly clasp and a stunning ceramic bezel inlay decorated with a tachymeter scale.
Despite being engineered entirely from metal, the MARQ Driver sits remarkably easy on the wrist thanks to the lightweight properties of titanium. The DLC coating also provides a strong and resilient finish as does the scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass used to protect the 240 x 240 pixel resolution display. The smartwatch also boasts a water resistant rating of 100 metres.
FITNESS FEATURES
As well as being a fantastic tool for enjoying motorsport, the Garmin MARQ Driver provides enough functionality to be classed as a fitness smartwatch too. From a wrist based heart rate monitor – now useable underwater, to a Pulse Ox sensor, performance metrics, ClimbPro feature and activity profiles, you have everything you need to workout successfully and keep on top of your fitness levels.
The Garmin MARQ Driver was one of the first to feature the new PacePro function, something that many runners will benefit from. The remarkable technology allows users to enter custom start and finish points and a target competition times. This means that the watch will tell you exactly how fast you should be aiming to run, cycle, swim etc to complete each mile and ultimately reach your goal. The Pace Pro feature even takes into account hills and slopes! Similarly, the ClimbPro ascent planner gives you real-time information on your current and upcoming climbs, including gradient, distance and elevation gain.
LOCATION FEATURES
Whether you are someone who finds themselves travelling and training in new places all the time or someone who prefers to workout across more difficult terrain, the Garmin MARQ Driver has you covered with some fantastic location features to keep you a safe route from home. With access to multiple global navigation satellite systems including GPS, GLONASS and Galileo you can venture of in more difficult environments than just relying on GPS alone. The handy ABC sensors also help you navigate your route with an altimeter for elevation data, barometer to monitor weather and 3-axis electronic compass for direction.
If you don’t want to limit your workouts to the gym, road or track, you’ll be pleased to know the Garmin MARQ Driver provides access to over 2,000 worldwide ski resorts with preloaded TopoActive Europe maps, run names and difficulty ratings all displayed. For days off, choose from one of the 41,000 golf courses around the world with full-colour course view maps, button targeting and PlaysLike Distance feature which shows you elevation changes on the course by showing the adjusted distance to the green.
BATTERY LIFE
With up to 12 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, the Garmin MARQ Driver has one of the better battery levels we have seen in a fitness smartwatch. Even in GPS mode, the battery promises up to 28 hours of power, 48 hours in UltraTrac mode and 9 hours with GPS and music. During times when battery life becomes essential, the Power Manager function will come in use. This handy feature not only allows you to choose whether you want to display your battery power in percentage or time, but it will offer suggestions to save your battery such as turning off certain apps like music or maps.
SOCIAL & WELLBEING FEATURES
No matter whether you’re out on the racetrack or watching from the stands, it’s always important to keep in touch with the rest of the world. The Garmin MARQ Driver makes this easy with incredible smart notifications so you can receive emails, texts, and alerts right on your wrist when you pair it with a compatible Android or iOS smartphone. The smartwatch also comes equipped with the Garmin Pay contactless payment solution so you can breeze through checkout lines and pay for your shopping with a simple swipe of the wrist.
To ensure wellness during all stages of the day, the MARQ Driver comes equipped with Stress Score feature to monitor your stress levels and offer advice for calming down, Hydration Tracking and Respiration tracking to reveal how you’re breathing throughout the day, during sleep and during breathwork and yoga activities. The watch also has room for all your favourite music including access streaming apps like Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music as well as storage for up to 2,000 songs.
From start to finish, the Garmin MARQ Driver has us impressed. It not only proves itself as one of the most capable motor-sport inspired smartwatches out there, but it ensures we are always equipped for any situation with remarkable fitness, GPS, social and wellbeing features. If you’d like to get your hands on your own, head over to the Jura Watches website here.
