A great sailing watch with GPS will tell the time, fit comfortably, look stylish and it will provide GPS data to the person wearing the watch.
There are a number of top sailing watches with GPS to choose from with each having its own strengths.
The best sailing watches with GPS are:
- Best Overall: Garmin Instinct
- Best For Features: Garmin Fēnix 5
- Best For Price: Suunto Traverse Alpha
- Best For Underwater: Garmin Descent MK1
- Best For Battery Life: Garmin Quatix 5x Sapphire
These sailing watches offer great features, high battery life, stylish design and waterproof capabilities so they can operate in harsh marine environments without any issues.
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1. Garmin Instinct
The best overall sailing watch with GPS is the Unisex Garmin Instinct manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
The Garmin Instinct watch comes in 5 editions including standard edition, eSports edition, surf edition, tactical edition, and camo edition. There is a solar-powered version of the Garmin Instinct available too. It comes in quartz movement.
We recommend the Garmin Instinct standard edition as this edition is more than enough to cater to all sailing activities. Buying a Garmin Instinct watch gives buyers access to the Garmin Connect app too.
Most retailers price the Garmin Instinct watch between $170 and $320. This watch comes with a one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
The battery life of the Garmin Instinct watch is 14 days in smart mode, 16 hours in GPS mode and 40 hours in Ultratrac battery mode. It is chargeable through a USB cable that plugs into the back of the watch.
The Garmin Instinct has a display resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. It has a memory of 16MB.
The Garmin Instinct watch features include:
- Heart Rate Monitor
- 3 Axis Compass With Barometric Altimeter
- Digital Time Display
- GPS (Multi-GNSS Satellite Support)
- Elevation Tracker
- Smart Notification Alerts
- Garmin App Connectivity
The dimensions of the Garmin Instinct are 45 x 45 x 15.3 mm. The screen size is 1.27 inches. It fits wrists with a circumference of 132-224 mm. The weight of the Garmin Instinct watch is 52 grams so it is lightweight on the wrist.
The Garmin Instinct watch is shaped round/circular. It comes with 5 total buttons on either side of the watch display. These buttons control the light display, the GPS, a back button, an up button and a down button.
It is a unisex watch meaning both men and women can wear it.
This Garmin Instinct watch comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
The Garmin Instinct watch is compatible with smartphones including Android and Apple devices. This enables alerts and notifications to be received on the smartwatch itself.
The Garmin Instinct watch is not compatible with Windows 95, 98, Me, Windows NT, and Mac OS 10.3 or earlier.
The Garmin Instinct watch can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 140ºF which means it can work in most sailing weather conditions.
The Garmin Instinct watch comes in 13 colors including:
- Black
- Red
- Graphite
- Lakeside Blue
- Lichen Camo
- Moss Green
- Orchid Purple
- Seafoam Blue
- Sunburst Yellow
- Tundra
- White
- Tactical Tan
- Black Lava
The material in the Garmin Instinct includes U.S. Military standard 810G for thermal, shock and water resistance, a fully vented silicone wristband strap with 2 removable keeper loops, a monochrome & sunlight-visible memory-in-pixel (MIP) display and a fiber-reinforced polymer case
The Garmin Instinct package includes 1 Garmin Instinct smartwatch, 1 rechargeable lithium-ion metal battery, 1 charging/data USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency/protocol of the Garmin Instinct watch is 2.4 GHz @ 2.4 dBm nominal.
The benefits of the Garmin Instinct are:
- It's water resistant up to 100 meters depth: This watch has a 10 ATM water rating which means it is resistant in water depths of 100 meters/10 bars. This means it is the perfect watch for any sailing trip
- There are many color options: This watch comes with 13 color options which means buyers have plenty of choices to choose from to suit their own preferences and style
- The display screen is scratch resistant: The Garmin Instinct watch display is chemically strengthened to create a scratch-resistant display which is great for harsh and rough marine environments when sailing
- People can easily see all their statistics and data in the Garmin Connect app: This watch automatically logs data to the Garmin Connect app which means people can easily check their stats inside the app
- It has multiple great features: This Garmin Instinct watch can monitor heart rate, track elevation data, provide GPS data, automatically update Garmin Connect app, track activity etc. which means it is a great multi-function smart watch for sailing
One disadvantage of the Garmin Instinct is the battery can drain fast in the GPS mode with a battery life of just 16 hours in GPS mode.
2. Garmin Fēnix 5
The best sailing watch with GPS for its features is the Unisex Garmin Fēnix 5 manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
The Garmin Fēnix 5 watch comes in 2 editions which are the sapphire edition or the standard edition with no sapphire. It comes in 3 different case sizes which are 42mm, 47mm and 51mm.
We recommend the Garmin Fēnix 5 sapphire edition 47mm case as this edition features a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, Wi-Fi connectivity and the 47mm case is a great size for sailing.
Most retailers price the Garmin Fēnix 5 watch between $370 and $680. The large price range is because the different case sizes vary in price.
This watch comes with a one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
The battery life of the Garmin Fēnix 5 watch is 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, 24 hours in GPS mode and 60 hours in Ultratrac battery saver mode. It is chargeable through a USB cable that plugs into the back of the watch.
This Garmin Fēnix 5 watch has a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It has a memory of 64MB.
The Garmin Fēnix 5 watch features include:
- Digital Colored Screen Time Display
- Heart Rate Monitor
- GPS With Full Colored TOPO U.S. Mapping
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- Smart Notifications
- Step Counter Tracking
- Built-in Altimeter, Barometer, 3-Axis Compass
- Sleep Tracking
- 3D Speedometer
- Accelerometer
- Thermometer
- Garmin App Connectivity
The dimensions of the Garmin Fēnix 5 are 47mm x 47mm x 15.5 mm. The screen size is 1.20 inches. The weight of the Garmin Fēnix 5 watch is 85 grams so it is one of the heavier watches on the market.
The Garmin Fēnix 5 watch is shaped round/circular. It comes with 5 total buttons with 3 buttons on the left side of the watch display and 2 buttons on the right side of the watch display. These buttons control the light display, selecting an activity, a back button, an up button and a down button.
It is a unisex watch meaning both men and women can wear it.
This Garmin Fēnix 5 watch comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
The Garmin Fēnix 5 is smartphone compatible and it can work with Apple and Android devices. This watch can pair with a smartphone device that is within 10 meters (33ft) of the watch's range.
The Garmin Fēnix 5 watch can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 122ºF which means it can work in most marine weather conditions.
The Garmin Fēnix 5 watch comes in 13 colors including:
- White With Carrara White Band
- Silver With Black Band
- Rose Goldtone Sapphire with White Band
- Silver with Turquoise Band
- Black Sapphire with Black Band
- Champagne Sapphire with Gray Suede Band
- Champagne Sapphire with Metal Band
- Slate Gray with Black Band
- Slate Gray with Amp Yellow Band
- Silver with Granite Blue Band
- Black Sapphire with Black Band
- Slate Gray Sapphire with Metal Band
- Slate Gray Sapphire with Black Band
The material in the Garmin Fēnix 5 includes a fiber-reinforced polymer case with stainless steel rear cover, a PVD-coated stainless steel bezel and buttons, a chemically strengthened sapphire crystal lens and a silicone or steel strap.
The Garmin Fēnix 5 package includes 1 Garmin Fēnix 5 smartwatch, 1 rechargeable lithium-ion metal battery, 1 charging/data USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency/protocol of the Garmin Fēnix 5 watch is 2.4 GHz @ 8.16 dBm nominal.
The benefits of the Garmin Fēnix 5 are:
- It comes with a great high resolution full color display: This Garmin Fēnix 5 watch comes with a high quality fully colored display screen
- The sapphire edition is scratch-resistant: The sapphire edition Garmin Fēnix 5 is scratch resistant and durable so it can withstand harsh marine environments
- It is wi-fi enabled: This watch can connect to any wi-fi network which is an added benefit
- It comes with a great 1-year warranty: This watch comes with a 1-year warranty which gives added peace of mind
- It is water & shock-resistant: This watch can withstand up to 100 meters underwater and it is made of durable and shock-resistant material which is great for rough seawater when sailing
One disadvantage of the Garmin Fēnix 5 is it is more expensive than other sailign watches with GPS with a price tag ranging from $370 to $680.
3. Suunto Traverse Alpha
The best sailing watch with GPS for its price is the Suunto Traverse Alpha manufactured by the watch brand Suunto in Finland and sold worldwide.
Most retailers price the Suunto Traverse Alpha watch between $230 and $260.
This watch comes with a two-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
The battery life of the Suunto Traverse Alpha watch is 14 days in time mode and 15 hours in training mode with GPS. It is chargeable through a USB cable that plugs into the back of the watch.
It is a unisex watch meaning both men and women can wear it but it is more popular with men.
This Suunto Traverse Alpha watch has a display resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. It comes with 5 customizable modes which are running mode, cycling mode, hunting mode, fishing mode and sports mode.
The Suunto Traverse Alpha watch features include:
- Digital Compass
- GPS & GLONASS for route and POI navigation
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Training Analysis Logger
- Barometric Altimeter
- Speed, Distance & Altitude Tracker
- Temperature Display
- Moon Phase Calendar
- Alarm Clock
- Vibration Alerts
- Step Counter
- Real-Time Route Recording
- Mobile Notifications (Calls, Texts & Push Notifications)
- Access To Movescount App
- 3D Map Route Creation
- Weather & Storm Alerts
- Night Vision Goggle Compatible
The dimensions of the Suunto Traverse Alpha are 1.97" x 1.97" x 0.59". The weight of the Suunto Traverse Alpha watch is 75 grams.
The Suunto Traverse Alpha watch is shaped round/circular. It comes with 5 total buttons with 2 buttons on the left side of the watch display and 3 buttons on the right side of the watch display. These buttons are the back button, view button, start button, next button and the light button.
This Suunto Traverse Alpha watch comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
The Suunto Traverse Alpha is smartphone compatible and it works with iOS and Android devices.
The Suunto Traverse Alpha watch can operate in a temperature range from -5ºF to 140ºF which means it can work in most marine weather conditions.
The Suunto Traverse Alpha watch comes in 2 colors including:
- Black
- Graphite
The material in the Suunto Traverse Alpha watch includes stainless steel bezel material, sapphire crystal glass material, textile strap material and a lithium-ion battery.
The Suunto Traverse Alpha package includes 1 Suunto Traverse Alpha smartwatch, 1 charging/data USB cable, 1 quick guide and 1 warranty leaflet.
The benefits of the Suunto Traverse Alpha watch are:
- The glass case is scratch-resistant: The sapphire glass display is scratch resistant which means this watch can withstand tough environments without getting scratched or scuffed
- It comes with a great 2-year warranty: This watch comes with a 2-year warranty which gives added peace of mind
- It's a great price: This watch is one of the cheaper options on the market at a price range of $230 to $260 which means people will not have to spend a lot of money to get one
- It is water-resistant: This watch is water resistant up to 100 meters underwater which means it can function perfectly when out sailing on the water
Two disadvantages of the Suunto Traverse Alpha watch are it has a low battery life in training mode with a battery life of just 15 hours and it only comes in two color options so there are not many color choices to choose from.
4. Garmin Descent MK1
The best sailing watch with GPS for its underwater abilities is the Unisex Garmin Descent Mk1 manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
Most retailers price the Garmin Descent Mk1 watch between $1,050 and $1,350.
This watch comes with a one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
There are 3 styles of the Garmin Descent Mk1 watch to choose from including a steel case with a silicone band style, a titanium case with a silicone band style and a titanium case with a titanium band style.
We recommend the titanium case with a silicone band version as it is the lightest weight of the three versions.
The battery life of the Garmin Descent Mk1 watch is 19 days in watch mode, 10 days in smartwatch mode, 30 hours in UltraTrac mode, 40 hours in dive mode, and 20 hours in GPS/HR Activity mode so there is a great battery life for sailing trips.
This Garmin Descent Mk1 watch has a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It has a memory of 16GB.
The Garmin Descent Mk1 watch features include:
- Digital Colored Screen Time Display
- GPS Speed & Distance Tracker
- Surface GPS With TOPO Mapping
- Wrist-Based Heart Rate Monitor
- Garmin App Connectivity
- Depth Sensor
- Full LED Display
- Thermometer
- Accelerometer
- Compass
- Steps Track
- Calorie Burn Tracker
- Barometric Altimeter
- Bluetooth, ANT+& Wi-Fi Connectivity
- Dive Log Tracks Up To 200 Dives
The dimensions of the Garmin Descent Mk1 are 51mm x 51mm x 17.8 mm. The display size is 1.20-inch in diameter.
The weight of the Garmin Descent Mk1 watch is 101 grams for the steel case and silicone band version, 94 grams for the titanium case with silicone band version and 145 grams for the titanium case with titanium band version.
The Garmin Descent Mk1 watch is shaped round/circular. It comes with 6 total buttons with 3 buttons on the left side of the watch display and 2 buttons on the right side of the watch display and 1 button on the display screen. These buttons control the light display, up and down buttons, select buttons, back button and confirm button.
It is a unisex watch meaning both men and women can wear it.
This Garmin Descent Mk1 watch comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters. It also comes with a dive EN 13319 water rating which means it can be used to dive in depths up to 100 meters.
The Garmin Descent Mk1 is smartphone compatible and it can work with Apple iOS and Android devices.
The Garmin Descent Mk1 watch can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 122ºF which means it can work in most marine weather conditions.
The Garmin Descent Mk1 underwater operating temperature range is 32º to 104ºF.
The Garmin Descent Mk1 watch comes in 3 colors including:
- Grey Sapphire With Black Band
- Silver Sapphire With Black Band
- Grey Sapphire With DLC Titanium Band
The material in the Garmin Descent Mk1 includes a fiber-reinforced polymer case, a stainless steel or titanium bezel and buttons, a sapphire glass lens and a silicone or titanium strap.
The Garmin Descent Mk1 package includes 1 Garmin Descent Mk1 smartwatch, 1 rechargeable lithium-ion metal battery, 1 extra long adjustable strap, 1 charging/data USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency/protocol of the Garmin Descent Mk1 watch is ANT+ 2.4 GHz @ -1 dBm maximum, Bluetooth 2.4 GHz @ 0 dBm maximum and Wi‑Fi 2.4 GHz @ 12 dBm maximum.
The benefits of the Garmin Descent Mk1 are:
- It is waterproof: This watch is waterproof and can be used diving up to 100 meters underwater which means it is great for withstanding harsh marine
- It is durable and shock resistant: The great fiber-reinforced polymer case with sapphire glass helps protect the watch and ensures it is durable and can withstand any force that may be experienced while out sailing or swimming
- Multiple style options: There are 3 different style options to choose from which is great as it gives people plenty of choices to choose their preferred style
- Large memory: This watch comes with a great 16GB memory which is large for a watch
Two disadvantages of the Garmin Descent Mk1 are it is not air integrated and it is expensive with a price tag of between $1,050 and $1, 350.
5. Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire
The best sailing watch with GPS for its battery life is the Unisex Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
Most retailers price the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch between $800 and $900.
This watch comes with a one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
There are two editions of the Garmin Quatix 5 to choose from which are the sapphire edition and the standard edition.
We recommend the sapphire edition as this protects the glass case against scratches.
The battery life of the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch is 20 days in smartwatch mode, 24 Hours in GPS/HR mode and 60 hours in UltraTrac mode.
This Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch has a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It has a memory of 64MB.
The Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch features include:
- Digital Colored Screen Time Display
- Wi-Fi Connectivity
- Boat Autopilot Control
- Tidal & Depth Information
- Boat Stereo Control
- Garmin SailAssist Capabilities (Create 2 Waypoints Visual Sail Racing Start Line And Finish Line
- Collects Water Sports Data
- High-Sensitivity GPS Navigation & Tracking Functions
- Wrist Based Heart Rate Monitor
- Altimeter
- Barometer
- Compass
- Internal Gyroscope Helps Improve Position Accuracy
- Smart Notifications (Receive Emails, Texts & Alerts On Watch Screen)
- Garmin's Fusion-Link Lite App Access
The dimensions of the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire are 47mm x 47mm x 15.5 mm. The display size is 1.20-inch in diameter.
The weight of the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch is 85 grams with the silicone band and 156 grams with the metal band.
The Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch is shaped round/circular. It comes with 5 total buttons with 3 buttons on the left side of the watch display and 2 buttons on the right side of the watch display.
It is a unisex watch meaning both men and women can wear it.
This Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
The Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire is smartphone compatible and it can work with Apple iOS and Android devices.
The Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 122ºF which means it can work in most boating weather conditions.
The Garmin Quatix 5 watch comes in 2 colors including:
- Stainless Steel With Blue Band
- Stainless Steel Grey Sapphire With Silver Metal Band
The material in the Garmin Quatix 5 watch includes a fiber-reinforced polymer case, a stainless steel bezel, buttons and rear case, a sapphire glass lens and a silicone or stainless steel metal band.
The Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire package includes 1 Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire smartwatch, 1 rechargeable lithium-ion metal battery, 1 Quickfit watch band, 1 charging/data USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency of the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire watch is 2.4 GHz @ 4 dBm nominal.
The benefits of the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire are:
- It can connect to sailboat autopilot or boat entertainment system: This watch offers the ability to connect to a boat's autopilot system or entertainment system through Garmin's Fusion-Link Lite App
- The glass display is scratch-resistant: The sapphire case means the glass display is scratch resistant which is great for protecting the watch from getting scratched
- It has a great long battery life: This watch can last up to 20 days in smartwatch mode before needing to be charged again
One disadvantage of the Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire is it is heavy on the wrist when a person chooses the metal band option as the weight of the watch with the metal band option is 156 grams.
Top Sailing Watches With GPS Comparison Table
What To Consider When Buying A Sailing Watch With GPS
The factors to consider when buying a sailing watch with GPS are:
- Price: The price of a sailing watch with GPS is an important factor to consider when buying a sailing watch. People have different budgets so some people can only afford cheaper sailing watches whereas others can afford more expensive ones
- Material: The material of the sailing watch with GPS is a factor to consider when looking to buy one. Different materials can change how well the sailing watch operates and functions so choosing the ideal materials is important
- Waterproof Compatibility: Is the sailing watch with GPS waterproof? This is an important factor as most people prefer waterproof watches with sailing out on the seawater. A waterproof sailing watch will ensure no damage when sailing or swimming
- Design & Style: The style of the sailing watch is a factor to consider when buying a sailing watch with GPS. Buyers will prefer a fashionable and stylish-looking sailing watch and every person has their own unique taste
- Size: The size options are another factor to consider when buying a sailing watch with GPS. Buyers can only purchase a watch if the watch fits around their wrist
Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Sailing Watches With GPS
Below are the most commonly asked questions about the top sailing watches with GPS.
What Are The Top Sailing Watches With GPS Brands?
The top sailing watches with GPS brands are:
- Garmin
- Suunto
How Much Do Top Sailing Watches With GPS Cost?
The best sailing watches with GPS cost between $230 and $1,350.
How Much Does The Cheapest Top Sailing Watch With GPS Cost?
The cheapest top sailing watch with GPS is the Garmin Instinct watch which costs approximately $170 to $320.
How Much Does The Most Expensive Top Sailing Watch With GPS Cost?
The most expensive top sailing watch with GPS is the Garmin Descent Mk1 watch which costs approximately $1,050 to $1,350.