History of Garmin Watches

The multinational technology company, Garmin has an interesting backstory. The company has focussed on aviation, sport, automotive and the marine industries ever since it was founded in 1989. Garmin watches are ideal for those working in outdoor industries. They also make great watches for explorers, mountaineers, deep sea divers and fitness fanatics. Now a leader in navigational technology, Garmin is a company associated with robust, reliable materials and innovative gadget tool features, included those from the Garmin MARQ collection.

Gary Burrell and Min H. Kao founded Garmin, which originally went by the name ProNav. The founders later decided to combine their names together to create Garmin. The GPS was Garmin’s first innovation, developed for the marine industry, but it was not until around 1991 that the company began experiencing real success with its GPS and handheld navigational tools having been approached by the US Military. The GPS III came in 1997, built for the automotive industry.

Garmin’s collaboration with AirCell helped propel its success in creating navigational devices for the aeronautics field. The eTrex model which launched in the early 2000s was a highly durable, compact and waterproof GPS receiver. Over the next few years Garmin refined its technologies further, creating UPS Aviation Technologies, along with panel mounted GPS systems and integrated cockpit systems. Shortly after this, in around 2003, Garmin ventured into the watchmaking world, creating its first few models: the 101, 201, and 301. The latter two models enabled the wearer to upload training data to a personal computer.

Garmin has focussed considerably on running equipment and the art of syncing its timekeeping devices with a tool watch that can be used for lifestyle and fitness, with its line of multisport smartwatches. Garmin Smartwatches can be worn for swimming, running, athletic training, golfing, hiking, biking among many other uses. By monitoring heart rate, calories burnt and performance, wearers can track their progress and personal bests with one compact device.

As well as sponsoring the EF Pro Cycling professional cycling team up until 2016 and becoming official timekeeping partner for the English Premier League several times, Garmin has also created a line of tool watches dedicated to explorers and sporting professionals. The Garmin MARQ watch collection features wristwatches developed from premium materials like titanium, ceramic and diamond like carbon coated bodywork. The straps boast materials made from jacquard weave nylon and Italian vacchetta leather.

Strict processes and procedures are part of the tests that every Garmin MARQ watch must go through before production is finalised. These wristwatches were designed so that wearers could trust their lives with them. Pilots, sailors and athletes visiting challenging places on earth can utilize these models with features like a battery power saver, along with altitude and barometer functions. GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, topographical maps can also be utilized alongside features like Trendline popularity routing and the ClimbPro ascent planner.

The Garmin MARQ Athlete watch, equipped with a VO2 max scale on a titanium bezel, is another GPS Smartwatch that comes packed with features like topographic maps, performance metrics, GPS, countdown timers and advanced running and cycling dynamics, as part of the watch’s 26 activity profiles.

Today Garmin is still manufacturing unique, ambitious wristwatches equipped with technologies that assist with everything from precision navigation through the skies, to athletic performance and progress monitoring.