Garmin Quatix 7 Pro Review: undoubtedly the best GPS watch for aquatic navigation

For the past few weeks, my main watch has been the Garmin Quatix 7 Pro, which offers features combining the best of the Sapphire Edition watch and one of my new favorite smartwatches, the Epix Pro. Add to that a case made entirely from recycled plastics from the oceans, and you have one of the best connected watches of the year for users who live and travel at sea. And here’s why.

The main conclusions of ZDNET for the
Garmin Quatix 7 Pro

• 
  
  The Garmin Quatix 7 Pro is available at a price of 1000 €. It
  this is a 47 mm watch made from recycled plastics
  coming from the oceans.
  
• 
  
  The screen is AMOLED, it s superb, with a powerful flashlight;
  LED pocket, long battery life, and in-depth support for a
  large number of marine activities.
  
• 
  
  The disadvantages to note are the permanent display mode which
  depletes the battery, the price and the fact that the watch is not available
  only in one size.
  

With the Quatix 7 Pro, Garmin continues to integrate its fantastic LED flashlight into more of its watches. After discovering the flashlight on the Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar at the beginning of last year, it is now a function that I demand on all my current watches. I use the LED flashlight almost every day; just this weekend, to replace a car battery, find a missing watch strap and locate a wrench at the back of my toolbox.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

It is also important to have an LED flashlight at hand in the marine environment.

Red light mode to see things in the dark without harming night vision

Objects often fall into the depths of the hold or into the tight spaces of a boat, where a flashlight is essential to find objects, operate switches and check the condition of the ship. The LED flashlight also has a red light mode to see things in the dark without harming night vision. It is important to keep a night vision on deck or at the helm to see navigation lights, buoys and other objects on the water at night.

The Quatix 7 Pro looks just like the Quatix, with the pretty titanium bezel around the sapphire crystal screen, the red and blue colors around the bezel, the black case, the titanium case back and the 22 mm navy blue silicone strap.

It measures 47 mm in diameter and weighs 70 grams. It is therefore well balanced for a large GPS sports watch. The upper right button – there are five of them around the case – is protected against accidental activation by a red highlight line on the bezel. This is one of the most attractive and elegant Garmin watches I have ever seen.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The AMOLED screen is brilliantly clear

The AMOLED screen is brilliantly clear. But if you turn on the always-on display mode, be prepared to reduce the battery life from 16 to 6 days. Another perfect function for sailors is the “red-shift” mode which turns everything that appears on the screen into a red font, helping you to preserve your night vision.

I have already detailed and appreciated the many nautical functions of the Quatix 7. All these functions can be found in the Quatix 7 Pro, including autopilot, support for the Fusion audio system (for listening in a boat) and viewing the data from your chart plotter on your wrist. In addition, a new application for remote control of an electric trolling motor (silent motor placed at the front of the boat) is available for owners of a Force motor.

The fishing forecast also helps you to follow the movements of the fish during the day. I used the Quatix 7 to help my friend monitor the drag of the anchor (drift) during an outing on Lake Tahoe at the beginning of the summer, and there will be more on our next boat fishing trips with my father-in-law.

An overview of the Garmin application to activate various functions. Matthew Miller/ZDNET

In addition to the set of enhanced functions for sailors, the Garmin Quatix 7 Pro includes the latest ECG (electro-cardiogram) application, golf course maps, ski maps, multi-GNSS support and all the amazing health and well-being functions that can be found in the Garmin ecosystem. The custom data fields available for nautical activities are unlike anything we can see on other GPS sports watches and Garmin is really the only one to support sailors with the Quatix 7 Pro.

ZDNET’s buying tips for the Garmin Quatix 7 Pro

If you practice outdoor activities such as water sports, sailing or boating, the additional functions of the Quatix 7 Pro are ideal for you.

All the Garmin functions that can be found on other Garmin products are also included, so this marine watch can handle much more than activities on the water.

Source: “ZDNet.com “