Garmin does a GPS watch for pretty much everyone – and the latest D2 Mach 1 aviator smartwatch is evidence of that.
The new watch may look familiar – and that’s because it’s essentially a Garmin Epix (2nd Gen), jacked up with flying features for pilots.
Up front is the 1.3-inch AMOLED screen that sets the Epix apart from its brethren the Fenix 7 – and it’s a touchscreen too.
And as you might expect, the D2 Mach 1 uses the sapphire/titanium build from the most expensive Fenix/Epix finishes, which keeps it lightweight and manageable.
So what do pilots get? Well, direct-to navigation capabilities so you can waypoint directly to a fixed location or routes on the worldwide aeronautical database.
You can see with NEXRAD radar overlaid on your route – and there’s a full gamut of aviation weather data, complete with graphical indications of MOS forecasts for specific airports. That includes data such as temperature trends, wind, dewpoint, sky cover, and precipitation probability.
You also get a horizontal situation indicator (HSI) needle that acts like a cockpit instrument to quickly see if you’re left or right of the desired heading.
There’s also global airport info, automatic flight logging and the built-in barometric altimeter can alert you to when you’re at your desired altitude.
You can custiomize alerts for METAR and TAF reports, in case of changes in airport conditions or crosswinds exceed thresholds and limits. And if there is an emergency, the D2 Mach 1 can show glide speed, estimated glide distance and glide time during an engine-related issue – and guide you to nearby airports.
It’s also a pretty complete GPS sports watch, when you’re not in the air.
There’s multi-band GNSS support and over 30 sport profiles, with running, swimming, cycling and HIIT all on the list. Golf is on the list with 42,000 courses supported, as is skiing which uses SkiView maps.
And like the Epix, there’s 11 days of smartwatch battery life.
And it brings Garmin’s full range of smart features, such as Garmin Pay and support for the offline syncing of Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer.
Flying isn’t a cheap hobby, and the D2 Mach 1 isn’t a cheap watch. You can grab it for with a titanium bracelet for $1,299.99 or with an oxford brown leather band for $1,199.99.
The bands are interchangeable, but you would want a silicone band to take advantage of the sports features.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.