Garmin’s new quatix 8 Pro is built for the sea and ready for land
Garmin has unveiled a new high-end smartwatch aimed at mariners, the quatix 8 Pro. It adds satellite messaging, LTE voice calls and upgraded marine tools to a platform built around AMOLED, titanium and long battery life.
A boat watch that does more than stay on deck
Quatix 8 Pro is a beautiful watch that takes most of its cues from the Fenix 8 Pro. It comes in a 47 mm size, packing a 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen with 454 x 454 pixel resolution. Unlike the Fenix 8 Pro, there’s no MicroLED version here, likely to keep pricing (somewhat) in check. The casing includes a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal lens, in keeping with Garmin’s premium tier.
The standout addition is inReach satellite support. Garmin has built full messaging, location sharing and SOS capabilities into the watch, allowing communication even when up to 50 miles offshore. Cellular connectivity is also included, letting users make and receive voice calls and messages when within network range. This hybrid setup mirrors what we saw with Fenix 8 Pro, but this time it is packaged for marine use and backed by Garmin’s 24/7 Response service.
Marine features surface when you need them
Garmin has added a new “Boat Mode” to the software interface. Activate it, and the watch foregrounds key marine controls like autopilot, trolling motor control, vessel data and compatible chartplotter functions. Step off the boat, and the watch switches back to a more standard Garmin layout for everyday activity, sleep and health tracking. It’s a small but useful change that gives the quatix 8 Pro a dual personality: serious marine tool when needed, standard Garmin wearable the rest of the time.
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Also included is the option to purchase a “Voice Control Bundle” that allows hands-free control of chartplotters and other marine hardware. That pushes the price up a bit, but may appeal to users already embedded in Garmin’s marine ecosystem.
Fitness and health tracking still included
This is still a Garmin watch at its core. You get Garmin Pay, 24/7 heart rate and sleep tracking, stress metrics, Pulse Ox, respiration, body battery and more than 100 sports modes. These include marine-specific activities like wakesurfing, sailing and water skiing, but also gym sessions and strength training.
Battery life is rated at up to 15 days in standard smartwatch mode. That figure will drop if LTE or satellite functions are used frequently, but it’s still a solid showing for a device with a bright AMOLED display.
It’s worth noting that while the quatix 8 Pro inherits many of the same internals as the Fenix 8 Pro, this model skips some of the newer display tech in favor of practical, marine-ready features. That includes support for the Fusion-Link app to control compatible onboard audio systems, chartplotter integration, and voice commands for helm controls.
Garmin will probably be leaning into niche segments more aggressively in 2026. The quatix 8 Pro may not be for everyone, but for the right user it delivers a strong mix of safety, control and lifestyle flexibility. Whether it’s a regatta or a gym session, the watch aims to stay relevant without needing to be swapped out. And the fact it can call for help without a phone makes it one of Garmin’s most capable smartwatches yet.
The device will be available to order from January 16 through Garmin’s website. Pricing starts at $1,300 in the US, £1,140 in the UK, €1,300 in the EU and AU$2,300 in Australia. The optional Voice Control Bundle pushes the US price to around $1,360.
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