Well then, someone in Kansas is feeling ballsy today. Garmin has just announced three new Fenix units, starting from $900 and topping out at $1,500USD. Or, if you’re so fortunate to be living in the land of maple syrup, it’ll set you back $2,000CAD. This new series, dubbed the Chronos line, takes an existing Fenix3 HR watch and completely revamps the exterior shell. Along the way they give you a fancy new watch face, a nifty stopwatch option, and a solid woody. Wooden box that is.
I’ve spent a bit of time playing with all three new editions, inclusive of some riding. These new editions supplement the already growing collection of now nearly a dozen Garmin Fenix3 models out there – from rose gold to titanium bands and leather strap models. Not to mention the Tactix Bravo, and Quatix 3 variants as well. Full house indeed.
If you’re looking for the end to end overview of what this watch is, start by watching the below video. Think of it as a true executive summary of the Fenix Chronos lineup – complete with me in a suit:
Still looking for more deets after that video? No problem, keep reading and looking at pretty pictures. Because yes, the pictures are definitely pretty here.
The Editions:
The Chronos lineup is based on the Fenix3 HR. When it comes to features, there is best I can tell only a single hardware feature difference, plus some minor user interface tweaks. Everything else is virtually the same. It’s got the same sport profiles, the same navigation functions, and almost the same optical HR sensor. But more on that sensor in a minute.
First, let’s talk the three editions. They are as follows:
Fenix Chronos Titanium: Contains a brushed titanium case with forged titanium links and buttons: $1499 Fenix Chronos Steel: Contains a brushed stainless steel case, and 316L stainless steel links: $999 Fenix Chronos Steel with leather strap: The same stainless steel casing, but with a ‘Vintage’ leather band: $899
In terms of the titanium edition, it’s forged titanium for the housing, bezel, and buttons.
On the steel model, it’s a stainless steel housing and band in an interwoven link pattern.
And for the leather variant, it’s the same base watch as the steel, but with a (genuine) Italian leather band:
The easiest way to remember the difference between the steel version from the titanium one is that the titanium has the long links, versus the steel that has that interwoven pattern:
All three units use a sapphire crystal glass, similar to what we’ve seen on the existing higher end Fenix3 lineup. This helps to protect it against scratches.
I found that I could easily slip all three models under a dress shirt without any issues:
The weights on them vary of course, based on materials. I’ve weighed them in at the following:
Fenix Chronos Titanium: 103g
Fenix Chronos Steel: 184g
Fenix Chronos Steel with leather strap: 94g
Fenix3 HR: 90g
Fenix3 Sapphire with metal bands: 198g
And here’s a nifty gallery of that:
When it comes to waterproofing, all of them retain the higher end Fenix3 HR waterproofing level of 100m deep (~328ft), and the battery life is the same as the Fenix3 HR at 13 hours for GPS mode, and 25 hours in UltraTrack mode.
While the software is virtually identical, there are three minor features differences I’ve noticed. First is that these watches have unique watch faces not seen on other Fenix3 units. Obviously, with Connect IQ someone could replicate these, though we haven’t really seen this level of styling before.
Next, with existing Fenix3 units you press the upper right button to dive into the sports menu. But with the Chronos, that button is red, and red means special.
In this case, a long hold will actually take you to a special stopwatch option. You can start/stop the timer, which in the picture below is at 22.35s. In my overview video, I show it working a bit more as well.
That stopwatch keeps running, even if you go back to the main screen, view text notifications, etc… Pretty cool.
And finally, the third change is more around menu styling. There’s some minor differences in the user interface in terms of styling, with this having more of a rounded edge look in certain menus – such as selecting sport modes:
Now interestingly, as I noted earlier I did find one tiny hardware difference compared to a Fenix3 HR, which is a small change in the optical HR sensor components. First, the optical HR sensor of the Fenix Chronos unit is notably flatter (slimmer). The bump has been reduced by about half the height. It’s maybe 1mm of bumpage now, compared to 2mm of bumpage before. Here’s the two units side by side:
Also note that the Chronos body is slightly slimmer overall than the Fenix3 HR. So it lost a little bit of pudge in there while it was at it.
Next, if you look closely at the optical sensor package when the green light is off, you’ll find they’re using slightly different lights from the Fenix3 HR (the three white dots below). Note how the Fenix3 HR’s lights are squared, versus a more rounded look on the Chronos.
Versus the Fenix3 HR:
In pulling out the newer Garmin FR735XT, you’ll see this actually matches the Fenix Chronos with the rounded diodes, but differs from the Fenix3 HR.
So somewhere along the way Garmin made a slight component change. Whether or not this has any impact to accuracy isn’t clear. Given it appears the same package as the FR735XT, my guess is we’ve already seen those accuracy differences starting with that product. Of course, I suspect most accuracy differences you’ll have seen have more to do with algorithm updates than a swap of the LED’s. Note that in my bike ride section below, I do take a look at HR accuracy though.
Update: Since announcement, Garmin has let slide a few more internals differences to the Fenix3 lineup, most of them minor and focused on Connect IQ – but one is pretty important on the disadvantages side (WiFi). On the upgrades, they are:
Better processor (faster) – really only relevent for some Connect IQ apps
More memory for Connect IQ apps
Support for all of Connect IQ 2 (F3/F3HR get most features, but not all)
More colors in the display (64 vs 14 colors)
Garmin Varia Vision support (the heads up display)
Then there are some ‘downgrades’ compared to the Fenix3/Fenix3 HR:
Smaller battery size (reduces battery life by about 3 hours in GPS mode to 13 hours)
Removal of WiFi (Fenix3/Fenix3 HR have it)
While some have argued that it’s ‘just a FR735XT’, that’s pretty far from correct. In fact, if you were to outline the differences between the two, it’s far closer to the Fenix3 than the FR735XT. For starters, it has a barometric altimeter and compass – hardware things the FR735XT doesn’t have. Further, it has boatloads of hiking, navigation, and related features that the FR735XT doesn’t have. That makes for a huge software difference here compared to the FR735XT, with the only software commonality to the FR735XT being that Varia Vision support is added. But that’s also available on other Garmin wearables. It is rather odd Garmin hasn’t added support to the F3/F3HR (and they say they won’t either).
On the battery it does have a reduced battery profile, which puts it in a similar box as the FR735XT in terms of battery life. But keep in mind that it’s doing this with a display that’s 64-colors and more processing power.
The Wooden Box:
Of course, for a $1,500 watch you expect something more than just a cardboard box. In the case of the $10,000 Apple Watch (gold variant), it comes in a cardboard shell, but with a leather-looking interior charging case. I’d say that Garmin has slightly stepped it up here. They’ve gone wood.
Yup, every Fenix Chronos unit comes with this super fancy engraved wood case:
You’ll find it does have an outer paper half-shell though, with the Chronos logo on it.
Here’s a better look at that carving/engraving of the wood:
Next, to open it up you’ll find the upper lid slides out and the unit sits below it protected in a hard foam. The underside of the lid also has foam to protect it (as seen in my unboxing video below).
Meanwhile, inside you get a charging cable, a silicone sport band, and a small quick start guide and pile of legal papers.
Now both bands have a quick release system that allows you to easily pop it on and off to swap out for sport usage.
In addition, there’s actually a small change to the charging cable, which is more similar in style to that of the FR735XT than that of the existing Fenix3 lineup. The pin sizing is slightly different, and thus not quite compatible.
Now I do a much more thorough unboxing as part of the below unboxing video – diving into size comparisons with the existing Fenix3 lineup, as well as it just being a more immersive unboxing experience.
A bit of a ride:
I didn’t have the units for long, as they’re in high demand. But of course I wanted to at least get a ride in with it, despite them being virtually identical to other Fenix3 units. So when it came time to return them, I figured I’d just plunk the most expensive model on my wrist and return them via bike. The other two units were tossed in a small bag on my back.
As I expected, the units acted just like any other Fenix3 unit. It recorded my power meter data from my power meter, and my heart rate from the optical HR strap. No big surprises there. You can see the file here. I also didn’t see any obvious GPS errors either. It handled my cross-city route without issue and matched the Edge 820.
I was of course interested in the HR accuracy piece, to see if anything notable had changed. And overall, it did better than I expected, and better than I’ve typically seen with the Garmin ELEVATE optical HR sensor units while riding. It wasn’t perfect, but if you look at the below comparisons to a HR strap during this ride, it was actually pretty close – only drifting a few times for a few seconds at what appeared to be stoplights and such.
Given that this is supposed to be the same tech as existing Fenix3 watches, I wouldn’t expect much difference otherwise, and my ride and other usage seems to support that. Note that at this stage, I do not plan an in-depth review of the Fenix Chronos lineup, since I don’t expect that much demand from readers to re-review something that I’ve already reviewed within the Fenix3 HR In-Depth Review. Just like I didn’t release a new review for the rose-gold edition of the Fenix3 when it came out.
Wrap-Up:
There will undoubtedly be a (large) segment of the population that screams and shouts about Garmin offering a $1,500 Fenix3. But one has to keep in mind there’s plenty of precedent for crazy expensive smart watches. For example, Apple Watch and their $10,000 gold edition, or Tag Heuer’s $1,500 Connected watch. In the case of Tag Heuer, Garmin has a crapton more features, and I’d subjectively say it even looks quite a bit nicer than that watch. And that ignores the higher end non-connected watch world at large, where $1,500 is barely shruggable.
Of course, you won’t find me buying this unit anytime soon – for the same reason you wouldn’t find me buying a $10,000 Apple Watch: Technology evolves too fast. Within just a few short years both watches and their respective operating platforms will be dead-ended, like all technology eventually is. That’s part of the appeal of a classical timepiece – that it can potentially be handed down to another generation and be just as stylish and functional as it might have been 50 years earlier. Would you even be able to find a USB2 or USB3 port 50 years from now to charge it?
Which doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with buying it. There’s plenty of purchases that we as consumers make for technology that have a short lifespan. For example, TV’s are rarely kept for more than a decade these days, and we spend quite a bit on ensuring we have the fanciest and prettiest looking one on our wall.
And that’s ultimately what the Fenix Chronos series is about: Looking stylish or fancy. It’s appealing to someone that would otherwise wear a non-connected watch in certain social or work settings, but wants all the functionality of a connected (and multisport watch). And that’s a perfectly fine reason, the Fenix3 HR was the most feature capable multisport watch out there, and this simply gives folks more options to choose from that fit their lifestyle best.
With that – thanks for reading!
Found This Post Useful? Support The Site!
Hopefully you found this review useful. At the end of the day, I’m an athlete just like you looking for the most detail possible on a new purchase – so my review is written from the standpoint of how I used the device. The reviews generally take a lot of hours to put together, so it’s a fair bit of work (and labor of love). As you probably noticed by looking below, I also take time to answer all the questions posted in the comments – and there’s quite a bit of detail in there as well.
If you're shopping for the Garmin Fenix Chronos or any other accessory items, please consider using the affiliate links below! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. Even more, if you shop with TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40! The Pro's Closet has been a long-time partner of the site here - including sponsoring videos like my cargo bike race, as well as just being an awesome Colorado-based company full of good humans. Check them out with the links below and the DCRAIN40 coupon!
Since the Garmin Fenix Chronos is no longer sold, I recommend looking at Garmin MARQ Athlete:
And finally, here’s a handy list of accessories that work well with this unit (and some that I showed in the review). Given the unit pairs with ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart sensors, you can use just about anything though.
This is a dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart cycling cadence sensor that you strap to your crank arm, but also does dual Bluetooth Smart, so you can pair it both to Zwift and another Bluetooth Smart app at once if you want.
This is one of the top straps I use daily for accuracy comparisons (the others being the Polar H9/H10). It's dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, and in fact dual-Bluetooth Smart too, in case you need multiple connectons.
While optical HR works on some newer Garmin watches, if you're looking for higher levels of accuracy, the HRM-TRI or HRM-SWIM are less expensive than the HRM-PRO, but lack the Bluetooth connectivity and a few other features.
This speed sensor is unique in that it can record offline (sans-watch), making it perfect for a commuter bike quietly recording your rides. But it's also a standard ANT+/BLE sensor that pairs to your device. It's become my go-to speed sensor.
The HRM-PRO Plus is Garmin's top-end chest strap. It transmits dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, but also transmits Running Dynamics & Running Pace/Distance metrics, stores HR data during a swim, and can be used without a watch for other sports. Also, it can transmit XC Skiing Dynamics as well.
And of course – you can always sign-up to be a DCR Supporter! That gets you an ad-free DCR, access to the DCR Quarantine Corner video series packed with behind the scenes tidbits...and it also makes you awesome. And being awesome is what it’s all about!
Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. Thanks!
Sure hope they didn’t sacrifice fenix 4, for this…. that said, I’m sure these will sell. If there only where more “general purpose” apps, like you have for Apple Watch
I also believe this shows there is no Fenix 4 coming out soon. It’s ahrd to sell a $1500 watch and then it becomes backburner technology (or in other words if an F4 was coming soon they would wait for the Chronos)
Garmin skipped the ‘3’ from this watch’s name. It is called just Fēnix Chronos. So Garmin could still release a Fenix 4, that has the same dimensions as the Chronos, but with plastic body and cheaper band. That would not outdate the Chronos.
There will absolutely be a Fenix 4 soon-ish. This watch is aimed at people who buy timepieces, not necessarily the latest tech gadget. That said, it’s specs are the highest of any Garmin watch currently and should remain fresh enough next year.
Thank you for great overview! Regarding the stopwatch button, I have a regular Fenix 3 hr and you can go to settings and set the upper left button to start stopwatch if you press it slightly longer compared to press for the normal sports mode.
I was actually somewhat disappointed when I got my F3 Sapphire, that it still had a plastic body. Although the price is a bit on the steep end, with the Chronos it has now gotten rid of the last prettiness impairment. But at at least twice the price? Bugger.
I think it is a good idea to make at least part of the line up look more like a day-to-day watch rather than a sport watch, although I think Garmin already made a big step forward with the orginal Fenix 3 over the bulky Fenix 1 & 2 form factor. However, at $1500 its a bit fierce for me. Thier market research must tell there is a market at this price point.
I hope we aren’t seeing a trend of the Fenix range moving increasingly high end. I hope when the Fenix 4 appears there are some entry level options largely comparable to the exisiting base fenix 3
If I longpress start on my Fenix 3 I also get right to the stop watch since I’ve assigned that as a hotkey. It also runs while you do other stuff etc.
Does this mean you can’t reassign the hotkeys on those expensive units?
The Fenix 3 stopwatch isn’t as good looking though.
Who the hell wants to run, bike or workout with a metal band <—not me!
The person who going to buy a fitness watch isn't going to spend this kind of money for something most people will just use to tell time as they will change to something more comfortable for their workouts.
You dont buy garmin for a style watch…however the 10k apple watch could be a style watch as allot of people use it for things other than fitness. Everyone I know who uses their apple watch for fitness has a rubber band
Also…I dont know about others, but I cant deal with the hassle of switching bands for working out. I would rather just strap on a new watch. Seems like more things to get lost.
These days, the black straps have become acceptable workplace items with the advent of the apple watch and corporate wellness programs promoting fitbit hysteria
> Who the hell wants to run, bike or workout with a metal band The person who going to buy a fitness watch isn’t going to spend this kind of money for something most people will just use to tell time as they will change to something more comfortable for their workouts.
I love the idea of all your data in one single watch that also tracks your steps and tells you when your muscles are ready for the next training
>You dont buy garmin for a style watch…
In the past you didn’t have an option. I had the Forerunner 630 (black and blue) and the thing was so small, ugly, not stylish that I would never DARE use it as my regular watch. The Fenix 3 Sapphire and Chronos editions are just the opposite. They look so great that you feel good about using them all the time.
> however the 10k apple watch could be a style watch as allot of people use it for things other than fitness.
Apple watch? Really? Capacitive touchscreen for sports? Seriously? One more time: Apple watch? Really? Anything Apple… Really?
>Everyone I know who uses their apple watch for fitness has a rubber band
PR for the typical Apple Watch user: “I could once “run” 5k in 34:58…” “The othe day I was going even “faster” but I ran out of battery…” Number of workout in a year… 23… Including those evening “walks” inside their “amazing” gated community
>These wont sell well
Too much money for my pocket. But if money was no object, why not?
Very true, but then you just spent 1.5k for a fancy sports watch.
I think garmin and tri folks tend to be a bit more feature focused and not the type to spend silly money like Apple watch folks who do it to boast their money. Full disclosure I use android phones, so not an isheep but I use apple for my laptop and tablet so switch hit
I think the sapphire series looks just as good for 1/3 the price.
Enough of the soap box, but I agree with Ray on spending money on fashion tech that will just get thinner, faster and better next year. I have an moto 360 sport I use for running and I even have buyers remorse spending 200 when I want the next best thing.
Well, I’m running, biking, swimming, golfing, hiking, walking and wearing my F3HR 24/7 with metal band. And absolutely no problem with its weight and hygiene. Reason for move to metal was simple, alergie on silicon band.
This is why I use the Vivoactive (non-HR variant) as it looks respectable enough to wear out or when visiting clients. I have a TAG for special events but if these were in my budget, I would definitely consider grabbing one.
Isn’t it a bit childish to turn an answer into a “anti-Apple” rant?
Maybe you should read properly before giving such uninformed answer. He didn’t mention sports but fitness which are two different things. For general fitness, you don’t need all detailed functions Fenix 3 provides and would probably manage with simpler device.
If you look beyond your negative attitude towards Apple, you should realize that you should never discount the company of that size and focus. They have more sports- and fitness data than any other company in world. Hardware-vise, they are GPS-away from giving Garmin, Suunto, Fitbit etc. some serious headache in lower- to midmarket. We are paying Garmin bunch of money for a warch that has internal memory that counts in kilobytes! In 2016!
I’ve read Apple claim that, but it’s not something I actually believe. My guess is that even Strava has more “sports and fitness data” than Apple, let alone Garmin. Both Strava and Garmin have been at it longer than Apple. Maybe Apple bought some datasets, but only then could the claim possibly be true.
Speaking as someone who wears and uses an Apple Watch daily, it’s going to take more than just GPS to make the Apple Watch a serious competitor. It’ll also take a screen that can be set to be always on and that can be seen in direct sunlight. If they do that, they’re going to have to do something about the limited battery capacity (which is why the screen turns off now). I don’t think Apple should be positioning the Apple Watch as something it’s not, any more than I think Garmin needs to produce a fashion watch as it seems they’re trying to do here.
Well, I guess that making such public claim has to be backed up by some substance, don’t you think so. We are not talking about chit-chat conversation in barbershop.
I don’t think that GPS only will do but OS side they are in much better position. Who knows what they plan but as I said, lower and medium-priced watches will probavly be in danger once AppleWatch becomes less dependant from iPhone. These devices are not used for Ultra-marathon so battery isn’t an issue.
We are not talking about F3 competitor.
Remember, we are on version 1. I wish Apple to become a bigger player on market since we are in need of healthy competition since, to be honest Garmin and Suunto seem to have lost the controll of their own software development by making us users as beta-testers. Speaking as former Epix user I know how “serious” Garmin can be when it comes to support.
No, I never make that assumption. Claims need to be backed by evidence, and I’ve seen none about Apple’s collection of data. It might be true, especially if they’ve bought data from elsewhere, but it’s hard to believe given that, for example, Garmin/Motionbased has 8+ years of my data. Anyway, it’s irrelevant until we see what, if anything, they’re going to do with that data. Right now, Apple Watch just isn’t a serious fitness device.
I own an Epix, so I know what you mean about Garmin.
I have the Fenix 3HR and wear it with an aftermarket stainless steel band that looks and feels like the original one that came with the Fenix 3 Sapphire. After wearing it for 24 hours, you get used to the weight and the feel. I wear mine 24/7. (For reference, I’m rather small framed with a small wrist. 5’2″,105 lbs.) I’ve run full marathons and other long distances with it, with no discomfort. I’ve pre-ordered the Fenix Chronos Titanium version. I’m sure this will even be more comfortable since Titanium is much lighter in weight than the steel band that I’ve been accustomed to. Since I wear mine 24/7, I do appreciate the style of this new watch. I think it’s worth the money for it to look this good. Also, I don’t think it will really get outdated for my needs. As long as it continues to do all the basic functions I need, I’ll be happy with this for the next 10 years.(I hope). 😀
Santos,
Unfortunately, I got another email stating the delay of my watch until the end of October. I’ve been getting emails like this every 2 weeks, so I’m not even sure I’ll be getting it soon. Judging from other people’s comments and the photos I’ve seen, it is noticeably thinner and more comfortable to wear. Also, the overall watch is a few millimeters smaller. I think it will be noticeable side by side. The weight will be significantly lighter too with titanium. I’ll definitely comment again when I receive my watch.
I don’t think so because the Chronos has a narrower width. Also it has a “quick release” function to swap out the bands. The regular Fenix 3 needs to be unscrewed to swap out bands.
Can anyone in the know confirm or deny if it has the F3 hardware or if it was at least upgraded to support ConnectIQ 2 (as described here link to developer.garmin.com). If the internals at least match the 735xt capabilities, I am interested…
I wonder if the screen has the same size as the fenix 3 … The large black circle around it not actually being part of the screen nor the bezel always made the screen looking small compared to the size of the watch. For the new Chronos, this seems a bit different, the black circle seems smaller – can anyone confirm this?
I can’t confirm with any authority but looking closely at photos 33 & 36 of this post it looks like the black circle is the same size, though its markings are different with the absence of any numerals. This would imply the actual screen size is also the same.
The watch seems to be 2mm smaller in diameter keeping the same screen size apparently … So either the bezel or the black circle must have got smaller …
Ray – they look terrific – thanks for the review and pics. I love my Fenix HR which has unintentionally become my daily wear watch. I still diskike the screen however, it’s too reminiscent of the early Game Boy Color device, searching for the right reflective angle to see the screen adequately when indoors. Any improvements in the display with these new models?
The display brightness has always been the problem for me for the Fenix 3 models. I see nothing from Garmin on a change. Am I missing something? I’m not sure how they can justify an even higher price without a brighter screen.
Ray: Do you think this line is meant to replace the Sapphire line, or just add an additional line? I guess my real question is, do you think the Sapphire line will drop in price as a result of this introduction?
The case of the watch looks very nice, but is it still the same screen? I have a Fenix 3 and the analog watch faces look like garbage, looks like the resolution of cell phones from 10 years ago. If this watch had a screen the same resolution and brightness as an Apple watch I would sell some toys and buy it. Looking forward to the Spartan review.
Really nice work by Garmin. Too expenisve for me though.
Hopefully they’ll take 5% of that aestethics and apply it to their forerunner line which is in desperate need of some good looks.
Don’t forget that a fenix 3 hr is already $500. I’m sure the F4 will fit in the new exorbitance line up around $800. Maybe $999 for the bells and whistles model
I guess it’s just strange wording for “Refurbished” since there already is a “Refurbished” listing and a Refurbished condition on the original listing.
Yeah, odd, but I think it’s just a case of someone trying to get creative with listings. You know how there’s that site called “The People of Walmart”? I think this would qualify under equally wonky Amazon listings, like a ‘Listings of Amazon’, that you just shake your head at.
Different pin sizing. The old pins are much bigger, and these are quite a bit smaller. I suspect in a pinch you could probably fiddle with it enough, but it wouldn’t be very secure that way.
One of my favourite things about the Fenix 3 is that the strap is bolted in so I trust it when swimming in a muddy lake. Yes, it’s a hassle to swap but I can deal with that.
I love the new HR bump, much better (hate the old one, avoided watches as a result).
Price is crazy but I would spend that for a premium option if I had spare money and liked it. And if it wasn’t 2 year old tech!
Any idea about the internals? The Fenix 3 HR has some older stuff that prevents it from running Connect 2.x, mainly due to lack of memory. One would certainly hope that a new top of the line wouldn’t have that problem.
My guess is that this uses the same internals as the 735XT, which supports Connect 2.x (considering that the HR diodes are the same as the 735XT, they probably updated it internally as well). I’m a little sore that my less than 1 year old FR235 is basically deprecated at this point due to a lack of memory (I get it, but I can’t see why flash memory is so scarce on these embedded platforms).
I’m sure it’s not completely identical to the 735XT, since the chronos probably also has the barometer, but yeah, loosely so.
I assume Garmin has moved to a newer platform that the 735XT and VivoActive HR are probably also based on. All they have to do is add and subtract features- barometer, touchscreen, screen form factor, WiFi(?), HRM, magnetometer, etc.
Yeah, nice touch to suit up for the overview. I was hoping you would wear it for the test run too – maybe sprinting through Charles de Gaulle to board on time with the rest of the business class?
I cannot observe that the Fenix 3 HR comes with a power brick while this 1500 USD model does not have on included :).
I really like the titanium strap because it has silicone on the inside so you will not be feeling like wearing a metal band.
Anyway, Garmin will not see my hard earned money for a redesigned Fenix 3 … with a better hardware, longer battery life and a better screen though … I can see myself doing an additional effort to buy one :).
It’s the best news of the month that the optical heart rates sensor packet is getting better….in a few more improvements cycles it looks like it will be good enough to replace a stand alone optical heart rates sensor…
Just when i safed up for a Fenix Titanium. You hit me with this. In South Africa like R32 000 and im only at R15 000. Outch. But atleast i will be faling down a mountainside with some nice bling on my arm.
One thing I’ve noticed is that some of the downloadable watch faces cause a VERY significant lag when changing screens to/from the watch face on my F3HR. It’s as if it’s a CPU bottleneck.
Would be interesting to find one of the faces that’s bad about this and use it as a test on each new Fenix model just to see if there’s any CPU performance increase or not. I *doubt* it when it comes to these, but you never know.
According to specs there is NO wifi on Chronos… so there seems to be a diference here, along with smaller battery and couple minor things… seems its not internally identical after all…
Thanks Ray. Please confirm no wifi and only 180 mah battery vs 300 mah batter in Fenix 3hr. Seems your losing alot of functionality for good looks. The battery life on 3 hr is superb and one of the best things I like about it.
So, no wifi, 180 mah battery, and same hr sensor as 735 xt. Isn’t this therefore really a 735xt chronos branded Fenix by Garmin to capitalize on the Fenix name. Oh, and the relevant part between $400 and $1100 for the saphire crystal and a steel or titanium case. Yes, ballsy.
Well and adding barometer/altimeter. But more likely is that their specs are incorrect on their site (they make mistakes constantly on there). It seems like a Fenix3HR with a new HR sensor and charging port?
“Which doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with buying it. There’s plenty of purchases that we as consumers make for technology that have a short lifespan. For example, TV’s are rarely kept for more than a decade these days, and we spend quite a bit on ensuring we have the fanciest and prettiest looking one on our wall.”
I’d argue that there *is* something wrong with buying an expensive dead-end item, and that we’re using up our natural resources at an insane and wholly unsustainable rate, but unfortunately that’s the elephant in the room. To be fair, I’m as much as a hypocrite as anyone else when it comes to this, but it’s still a reality we need to at least acknowledge.
Ideally they’re figure out a way of replacing the guts of the watch and reusing the shell and strap, so that at least part of it won’t end up in the dumpster after a few years.
That is a good thought but highly unlikely to happen given that they change the charging cradles ever so slightly between every new release. Just to make sure you cannot use the old ones, it seems.
You read my mind.. that would be so great. Then, I actually *would* invest in an expensive titanium shell, since I would still be able to update the watch by having new tech placed inside. Are you listening, Garmin?
Looking at the Garmin site the Chronos only appears to have half the battery life… 180mah vs. 300mAh for the regular Fenix 3 HR… 25 hours UltraTrac vs. 40 hours.
Not sure I want to spend twice the price for half the life!
I think we need another homeless youtube to foil the special agent shots. Ratty cloths, overgrown beard, trashy tank top, etc… I am sure the Parisians would love that.
The display looks so much better than Fenix 3 hr in your photos. However, the Garmin site shows no technical difference in the screen. Are these new displays only available for the Chronos or will they be available for download to 3 hr?
Lol ….. I’m amazed at the variance on Fenix 3 with just changing to 4… I noticed the case sizes on this unit I like bulk: does it feel smaller? Lastely will aftermarket Straps wok on this unit?
Wow. Just…wow. I’m speechless. Very pretty, but very irrelevant. The long game is the justification for escalating prices on the non-super-fancy 920xt-ish replacements. See, we can sell the same functionality (well, less, maybe) and a little fancier (well, a lot, maybe) for twice the price of the 920xt/non-fancy Fenix 3. So, when the 930xt/Fenix 4 emerges…$699 seems to be a bargain! Bleh.
I have been a follower of Garmin running watches; since Garmin forerunner 201. They have lead the way satellite mapping; but I have to say that someone in Kansas is smoking crack. When you compare the products Fenix 3 hr side by side On the Garman website; there is very little change. In fact there is less battery then my Fenix 3 sapphire. Paying $900 for the sensor to be a little smaller,last battery life does not seem worth it to me.
Thanks for the creative review. Is this the first time you put on a suit since leaving the corporate world?
in your opinion does this mean Fenix 4 is delayed by at least 6-9 months? I cannot see how they would justify to those shelling out $1500 to suddenly have a new platform (and the changes to F4 would be HW not SW alone)
I put one on a few times going out to restaurants. I actually very rarely used a suit in the corp world, but went sorta in the middle. I found that for my job, if I showed up in a suit, it would alienate the tech side from the introductions. Whereas if I was dressed more simply, they didn’t think you were some non-techie. If occasions called for it, I could do suit easily.
As for the next Fenix, I think a lot of people had been wishfully thinking it would be sooner, but I don’t see it happening till next year. There’s just no competitive reason for them to do so now, as they’re far beyond any nearest competitor (even more so with Suunto’s latest release seeming to put them behind their existing Ambit3 series in terms of features/functions).
I’m not sure what to think there. I don’t think we’ll see anything soon, if at all. It’s in an of spot now with both the Fr735XT and Fenix3 series. I wouldn’t be surprised to let the market ride a bit and see where the chips fall.
Crazy, box of frogs crazy. Ray will there be a trade in program such like Tag Heuer are offering? I know with Garmin you’ll never end up with the aforementioned hand me down. But it would be good way to tie people in, and those that choose that route would have some benefit for the loyalty
OK. Did you ever compare F3 and 820 data connected to the same PM? In my case it will end up with the same result. F3 data is in average significant lower like in your case here.
Independently from the PM the 820 data you show fits better to the speed you were riding.
Yup, I often ride with duplicate/triplicate units, including the Fenix3, connected to the same power meter. And it virtually always matches spot-on.
If you’re seeing differences, then something is amiss – likely with either settings or potentially connectivity (i.e. Stages on a triathlon bike). With settings, validate that both units have record zero’s configured the same way, which can otherwise result in oddities in data comparison.
Ray – thanks for the quick review (or at least quick for you!). One thing I think that’s worth noting is that this isn’t a $1500 watch. It can cost up to that amount. It starts at $899 for the non-titanium version w/ a leather strap. Not cheap, but much cheaper than $1500.
Out of curiosity, does the optical HRM require fairly tight contact with the skin? I’m wondering if the metal band would provide a snug enough fit for accurate daytime activity tracking/resting heart rate? Or do you need to wear the sports strap to get the most out of this feature?
What a complete fail by Garmin. Waste of time and money.
The game changer for me will be a watch with current fenix 3/ambit 3 functionality but much longer battery life. As to when technology will allow this who knows.
I’m surprised no one has created a high-end watch where they say they will swap out the electronics with the next gen device. So pay a large premium to get a somewhat future proofed watch.
The suit and Bond theme… nice touch.
Looks like a terrific set of products… that are mostly irrelevant to the endurance athlete market, but watch people should love’m. They look great.
I think Garmin would do better by taking the opposite tack. Put the Fenix 3HR in a light plastic body with a similar weight to say the 735 and offer it at a lower price point than the current Fenix 3HR. A round multi function watch could shoal to alot of people. I would be interested in a watch like that.
Heck, don’t even drop the price. Just give us a watch with the Fenix functionality in a smaller lighter package. The 735 was headed in the right direction but still falls short of this.
Damn! Why the highest of high end smart watches wouldn’t incorporate the latest (735xt) software is beyond me!! Come on Garmin, quit milking it already!
Funny how anyone who does not fit a products’s target group can think “it’s a stupid idea” from the supplier. Keep in mind there are a lot of people who think spending $1500 on a bike is absurd, let alone spending $1500 on a power meter for a bike… This said, obviously this product line targets people for whom price is not a determining factor. And obviously, there isn’t $500 worth of titanium in the titanium version, there’s just a lot more margin. There is certainly a market, and keep in mind this is a relatively low-risk gamble from Garmin, since the only development cost was to come up with the casings and straps (and the wooden box packaging, of course); everything else, hardware and software, was already available.
Wow, you outdid yourself on the video, very cool. I can hear people say it… ‘My name is Maker. Ray Maker.’ 🙂
But yeah, no new tech here, same thing, more expensive, BUT… I’ve been drooling over the looks of the Fenix 3 since it came out, and I’m not the only one. Seems logical they want to cater to those who want this to look as great as possible as a daily watch and have money to burn. It’s just so damn pretty!
But in the end: pity it’s not Fenix 4 inside.
One Q though: I’ve haven’t read many updates on the Fenix 3, but was the GPS-accuracy problem ever solved on the Fenix 3, or does this still have that problem?
Also, love the idea of having them create amazing re-usable outer shells and have them replace the hardware inside. That is entirely possible, but nobody is doing it. If I could have e.g. an inscribed titanium shell I could pass on to my kids (don’t have any, but anyway) and they could just pop a Fenix 4,5,6 inside and use – I actually would save up the money for titanium.
Look like the lug width is narrower, so straps may be narrow than the Fenix 3, maybe 24mm vs 26mm on the Fenix 3. Besides the different way to attach it to the watch (screws vs quick release). So you know the strap width?
I am not a fan of smart watches. At some point I will certainly fall for them, but I’ll buy one only if it gets cheap enough. I won’t ever buy an expensive one for the same reasons as you: technology evolves fast and in 5 years at most it will be outdated and need replacement. I also think that classic high end watches are mostly worth what they cost (even those whose price is astronomical) not only because they will still be stylish and functional 50 years from now, but mainly because they are little mechanical marvels, often requiring many hours of artisan work to be manufactured. Smart watches are in my opinion grossly overpriced. Even the rose gold Apple Watch, inside is the same as a 300USD watch, and the gold is certainly not worth the remaining 9,700USD! (besides, who would ever spend 10,000USD for a gold watch with a sport band? For something a bit more stylish you’d need at least the “classic buckle” taking the price up to 15,000 USD!)
Hey Ray,
I agree that with this Chronos, Fenix 4 will not be for soon (ok for me, don’t have money now to change :-)))) ). But do you know if the cpu or memory has been extend a little bit? One thing that i find very different from Fenix 3 and Epix was the cpu/memory. Epix took only a sec or two to save and load a 2-3 hr ride/run with accessory vs 10-15sec on Fenix. That’s my main complaint about it.
Would had love to have Garmin corrected few bugs on Epix who might have me keep it instead of the change to (very best looking) Fenix last february.
All i can say is sunntos hardware is top notch and gps is much more accurate… Sunnto has the worlds worst software however so garmin has nothing to worry aboit right now… If suunto gets bought by a company with a lot more development and support resources then Garmin may need to up the ante cause sunntos problem is software which can be fixed… Here is to hoping for better competition to drive better products in the consumers favor.
“sunntos hardware is top notch and gps is much more accurate”, start following the latest on the Suunto Spartan Ultra and it doesn’t look so bright anymore when it comes to their GPS accuracy.
Any idea when garmin are releasing the fenix chrono in the rose gold with the optical HR. Obviously ladies are keen for the advances just as much as men. Plus the advantage of no HRM strap for us is so much more of a benefit given it generally sits right under our bra.
I am really tempted. It’s a good looking watch.
Great review but I would love to get some better clarity on the internals. Can it run connect iq2.0? Does it have more ram? Does is have a faster cpu? Is the battery really smaller? Does the bezel really not rotate?
Wow. What a huge marketing mistake from Garmin. I am one of the people who would have no problem at all going for the titanium version at this price point. I actually find it extremely appealing styling wise. But a battery endurance divided by two is a complete no-go. I have the F3 sapphire and find the endurance suitable. However I would not even pay 600 USD for that watch with half of the endurance.
Garmin, next time you design a watch for active/athlete executives, make sure you give it an appropriate battery endurance.
A thought occurred to me that if I wonder if the firmware will be “upgradeable” to the next generation Fenix software whenever that comes out? AFAIK that has never happened with “normal” watches but that is often due to changes in form factor as well as whatever is inside. These are clearly not “normal” watches however.
Funny though because you never worry about “upgrading” a classical timepiece. If you are lucky, it will tell you the time of day reasonable accurately. If it does not well too bad 🙂
I mentioned above that this is really the 735xt chronos not the fenix chronos. It has the 735 battery life, 735 hr sensor, and varia support. But, 735xt chronos just doesn’t sound good and Garmin, taking such a marketing risk with it already, has to capitalize on the Fenix branding.
Keep in mind the Fenix series has far more trail/navigation functionality, it’s really quite a different beast when you start digging into it. Plus, the barometric altimeter.
I’ll double-check with someone on whether the Chronos actually has Varia right now, or rather, Garmin is just putting a line in the sand that by time it ships it has Varia support on it (my guess). In which case, that’s likely pretty telling that it’ll end up on the Fenix3, as I’d be very surprised if Garmin maintains a separate software branch for just Chronos (they haven’t done that to date on other Fenix variants with far more differences).
Thanks Ray. Be interesting to see what you find. It is a pretty watch. Just don’t think I’ll be trading up from the Fenix 3 HR anytime soon. I think it may very well sell better than some imagine. Many folks spend $600 plus on an iphone, $900 on an ipad, or as much as $2,000 on an Apple or other laptop knowing full well that they will be outdated in 3 to 4 years. I used my original fr 305 for almost 8 years. Still have it and it still works. I even think there are plenty of men, myself included, that would never wear an Apple watch but could really dig the looks of the Chronos smart watch.
Does look to be a very different branch of the software from the Fenix3 as the Chronos is now listed on the Garmin Developer portal as having CIQ 2.1 Biker Monkey support, so I agree this seems more like a ForeRunner 735xt with the ABC sensor rather than being based on Fenix3 hardware.
Interestingly, when you dig in to the CIQ SDK which was updated yesterday with Fenix Chronos support you can see the CIQ memory limits for the Chronos exceed that of even the 735xt, so seems this is a newer hardware design altogether than all current models:
Garmin posted a developer blog post about the new CIQ 2.1.3 which includes reference to the much faster processor in the Fenix Chronos and that more memory is available to developers.
More interesting is they confirmed something I hadn’t noticed in the SDK at first, although the Chronos has the same resolution screen as the Fenix 3 it now has 64 colours available instead of the 16 colours on the Fenix 3.
On the Fenix 3HR Garmin forum the moderators have announced that as the Fenix range has been around for 1.5 years support is now going to focus on bug fixes (at last) rather than new features (dog tracking be the last new feature).
As the Chronos uses the latest SDK unlike the Fenix 3HR I wouldn’t be surprised if they did separate out the software.
Thinking of using my watch for more than running now (biking, swimming) and my M400 won’t be a good match anymore. The V800 is a natural upgrade, but for looks and functionality Garmin Fenix 3 is the better choice. Main question for me is how large the digits on training screens are compared to Fenix.
I need reading glasses, but can’t run with them so one y m400 I have set the important data as a single data on the screen and switch between screens. If I use two metrics such as time and distance at the same screen, I can not read without problem.
Guess my question is if Fenix 3 would allow me to do the same – one large set of digits for a metric on each screen and easily switch screens?
I didn’t know these existed until recently. Who knew? Well, probably lots of athletes. This is what you need and the watch display shouldn’t matter as much.
I had the F3 Sapphire, the metal strap is almost near to useless due to its design how the strap is closed and hold together, Garmin should look at how those cheap casio watch did their metal strap instead.
great review! This hybrid band – what is your impression? The inside rubber – is this a good thing? Is this sturdy? How does it feel on the hand? Is it stretchy? I am planning to get this version (had F3 Titanium) and curious if the hybrid band is a step forward from the regular titanium band..
cheers
Just picking a random point to put these Q&A I received back from Garmin earlier in the week (sorry, been slammed at Eurobike). I’ll clean-up any conflicting details in the post later today…
—-
Q) Will this unit support the latest CIQ versions, or be more in-line with the F3HR? And either way, how much memory does it have for apps?
A) fenix Chronos does support the latest (2.x) CIQ branch. Reminder though that there’s really not much difference from a wearable perspective between the 1.x and 2.x branches.
Memory: 16 CIQ “slots”, user available space for activities/CIQ/etc. is ~23MB.
Q) Does it have WiFi? (Note: Some Gamrin.com sites say no, while some intl Garmin.com sites say yes).
A) Chronos does not have WiFi.
Q) It’s listed as having Varia Vision support, is that indeed correct? And if so – will the rest of the Fenix3 lineup get it as well?
A) Yes, Varia Vision is supported on fenix Chronos. We do not have plans to bring this support to the fenix 3.
I think the answer is two-fold. First part of the appeal of the watch is the slimmer design, and the smaller battery plays a large part of that.
Second, it appears that the Chronos uses a CPU that is around 4 times more powerful than the Fenix 3 HRs. This improved efficiency means you can have a battery that is around 40% smaller, but only see a 20% reduction in battery life.
I talked to Garmin Support today. They confirmed that although the battery is smaller, they’ve managed to make the watch more energy efficient. One feature, the HR function, they’ve changed the lights to consume less battery. So, we won’t have to sacrifice much along the lines of battery life.
Since it’s been confirmed the hardware is significantly* different on the Chronos than the F3 and F3HR, have you reconsidered not reviewing it separately (or at least testing it)? There was speculation at points that processing power issues (in addition to antenna design) may have been contributing to the GPS pace/GPS accuracy issues — since additional fields and using processor intensive things seemed to exacerbate the issues. It would seem that some of these could have been resolved with different internals.
I’m grossed out by the prices. Its too much its almost criminal.
Can you just focus your R&D on making the software better???
1. The optical HRM still ain’t that great.
2. The whole day fitness tracking isn’t that great which is a good reason to wear it the whole day and in my sleep.
3. The watch face is still too big. Pack all those features in a smaller watch.
4. MP3 player
I called Garmin and they told me it should be the same like sizing any other metal watch band. You must either have the proper tools for it, or take it to a professional watch place to have it sized.
I have pre-ordered the titanium version. I’m very excited to receive it. There seems to be a delay in manufacturing. It was supposed to be available early September, but I keep getting notices of the delays. It’s now expecting to ship end of September. I hope there won’t be any more delays.
I agree with you. The pics don’t show the holes/pins on the sides of the links. That’s why I called them to verify the ease of sizing it. It wouldn’t make sense if they designed it in such a way that it would be difficult.
I meant to reply to Marko’s question about sizing the bracelet, I apologize. I too have a version on order, and I am waiting patiently, expected delivery of October 3rd at the moment.
“The holes to remove links are on the rubber section, you can see them in this photo, on the right side of the bracelet near the clasp.
Thank you, James for that observation. I agree with you. It appears to have “spring” pins to remove the links. I’m just so anxious to get my watch, I hope they ship soon!!!
I’ve pre-ordered this watch since it was announced. I don’t think anyone has received it yet, it’s due to ship end of September. I’m very excited to receive it.
I’m so jealous! May I ask you, Daniel, when did you pre-order? Perhaps you ordered it much earlier than me. I ordered on 8/29/2016. I’d like to get an idea when I’ll be getting mine.
Mine came in…. I went with the stainless steel version and I LOVE IT!!!!!! I had the Fenix 3 TI and upgraded to this model. In my opinion, the TI version of the Chronos isn’t as good looking as the stainless steel version, and the TI band on the Chronos is not as nice as the older TI version. (It’s mostly rubber for $500.) Bottom line: This is the watch I’ve been waiting for. It’s elegant and “smart”. You know what’s funny, I really, really like the look of the watch with the rubber strap. With the rubber strap it reminds me of the IWC-Portuguese Yacht club, with black dial. Maybe that’s a stretch, but not much of one.
Battery life: The 5-week loss of battery life, in watch mode, from the Fenix 3 bothered me until I remembered how fast the Fenix series charges. I can wear it day and night for 3 or 4 days, including workouts, and charge it while I am in the shower. I typically get about a 30%+ jump in battery life while I am in the shower (~30 minutes charging). That jump alone will last 2-3 days. running out of battery is really a non-issue for me. (unlike the apple watch)
Watch band switching finally makes sense, and there is some real innovation here. Having to bring tools to switch bands doesn’t make a lot of sense and the new system is super easy. (Ray made it look way harder than I’ve found it to be. (Sorry Ray)
WIFI is useless function on a watch for me. Using the phone as the connection to the network is seamless. I always have the phone on or near me and the watch can just leverage its connection WIFI or LTE to get the data it needs.
Longevity is kind of wait and see thing. As long as Garmin supports the software I think we are good to go, and I can’t see a refresh timeline as aggressive as mobile phones.
This is a watch for people who like watches. I think Garmin is spot on. They made the best fitness watch in the world and then they made it look great. Unlike some of the other smart watches out there that don’t really have a purpose. This watche’s purpose is clear and now it looks amazing.
Improvements:
Music storage with blue tooth connection to headphones… wait that’s what my phone is for!!
Oh, I’m so jealous. I still have to wait a few more WEEKS before the titanium version arrives. You’re making me doubt my decision to get the titanium. I agree that the stainless steel version is nicer looking, but I chose titanium for the weight. I currently wear the Fenix 3HR with a steel band. It’s heavy, but I’m used to it. I wear it 24/7. I thought the lighter overall weight might be much more comfortable. Decisions…decisions!
I changed my order 4 times going back and forth between stainless and titanium. Ended up getting stainless primarily so that the band would have micro adjustments. The metal band on my F3 never worked well because it was either too big or too small. Plus I think the stainless looks a bit better. With the easily swappable bands, I’ll use the rubber strap when working out so weight won’t matter as much.
The rubber strap is the one to use when you are working out, and it still looks great. Get the stainless version and save $500. Look real hard at the TI band. It is just TI covering rubber. The TI links don’t even connect. So it looks like you may have to cut the strap to fit. That doesn’t sound good to me.
Dan,
Exactly, rubber ban is for working out or more casual wear.
I’m still not sure. From the reviews of people who actually held the titanium version, they all say the titanium one looks and feels the most luxurious. I’ll leave my order as is until I get mine. If I’m unimpressed, I’ll look into exchanging it for the stainless steel version.
Does the Chronos look and feel smaller than F3? I used to have Titanium version and this was a bit bulky.. Or it is the same size (more or less)? I hope the new form factor is noticeable..
Lawrence, I’ll definitely chime in with a review when I finally get the titanium version. It’s supposed to start shipping mid-October. Anticipation…. 😐
Lawrence, I also forgot to mention that I agree with you about your comment of the wifi functionality. After owning the Fenix 3HR for nearly 6 months, I didn’t realize that I never even set wifi up! I always synced it by opening up the Garmin Connect app on my phone and it synced on its own. Therefore, I KNOW I won’t miss the wifi function. I never even used it in the first place! 😀
Lawrence,
Sadly, I just got ANOTHER notification of delay of my titanium chronos. They say late October now. Well, I guess I’d rather have them resolve whatever issue they’re having before sending them out. But it’s rather frustrating with all the delays. I won’t be posting any reviews for probably a month, by the time I receive mine! :/
Mine showed up today. I have the stainless / stainless version and love it. Compared to the Fenix 3, I find the watch is much quicker. Significantly less lag in everything you do, from changing widgets, to saving workouts etc. Also, the buttons are much nicer and not so “mushy”.
I think the watch looks fantastic with the rubber strap, in fact, I probably won’t use the metal strap all that much since it does make the watch size seem much bulkier.
I know the screen has the same resolution, but the new fonts make it appear much crisper.
I have the stainless version so body durability is great! Compared to the Fenix 3 TI, there is a marked improvement in scratch and scuff resistance. (i think that is to be expected based on the different material GPS works well, but I have not done any serious analysis. I leave that to Ray…
I finally received my Fenix Chronos Titanium version 2 days ago. I love this watch so much! It’s so much lighter in weight than the Fenix 3HR. My new watch weighs 95 grams with the titanium links attached! (I sized it down to fit my 6″ wrist. I removed 6 links from the band.). It’s so comfortable, I wear it 24/7. I can hardly feel it’s on my wrist. I can definitely feel the difference in the processor speed. It responds so much quicker when you’re navigating through the screens. Battery life seems almost the same as the Fenix 3HR despite the smaller battery. On top of all that, this watch is just gorgeous! No regrets on the $1500 price tag. I believe this watch will stay with me for MANY years to come.
Hi laura, one question: is your wrist really 6″ or is it slightly smaller? I’m roughly 6″ but I think my wrist is bigger. I wanted to buy the watch and tbis has been the only critical point so far.
Jim,
My wrist might be a tiny bit smaller than 6″. Your wrist should fit this watch just fine. I still love my watch despite the new series of Fenix 5 that just came out. The Fenix Chronos is the only one that has the entire casing of the watch made out of metal. The only major differences of the new Fenix 5 series is that it has double the memory size, higher resolution screen, and wifi. I always sync my watch through Bluetooth, so I don’t miss that. Regarding memory and higher resolution, I’m a little bugged about that. Overall, I’m still super happy with my Fenix Chronos Titanium.
I bought the watch a few days ago, titanium model as yours, I should be getting it in couple of days and I’ve been assured I can get a refund if I turn it back for any reason.
Regarding the other issues, I gotta be honest with you: if the fenix 5 is turns out to be an excellent product and has some feature/s I really need, I may consider getting it in the future, but it’s unlikely. Resolution, memory and wifi are not things I’ll likely miss.
I only hope they keep releasing firmware updates to the chronos for years to come so at least the 1.500$ thing doesn’t get obsolete.
A few more questions, if you don’t mind:
1) does the battery really lasts for 5-7 days?
2) can you tack your activities without gps/glonass? It seems the gps tracking is the one that spends the most.
3) colors: I’ve read that the best way to get the best colors is by setting it to full brightness. Does that compromise somehow the battery duration?
4) software and notifications: any issues there? do the notifications work reliably?
1) Yes, the battery really lasts for 5-7 days. I typically use the GPS tracking for 4 hours per week. I use the bluetooth function to receive all my notifications from my smartphone. I had the Fenix 3HR previously and don’t see much battery decline, regardless of the smaller capacity battery of the Chronos.
2) I believe you can track your activities without GPS/Glonass. You just won’t see that data. GPS tracking does drain the most out of the battery, so you will extend the days of use if you don’t use it.
3) I don’t think the brightness will effect the colors. I do notice that the colors and graphics are more vivid in direct sunlight. When you’re indoors, it’s much harder to see. I haven’t played with adjusting that, so I’m not sure how much that will effect battery life.
4) I’m not sure I understand your question. So far, I update the software/firmware whenever it asks me too. Everything seems to work reliably.
Hi Laura, I just got the watch! My wrist is definitely a couple of mm bigger than yours, which makes it, in my personal and subjective opinion, look better, but that’s my personal taste 😉
As you wrote in another comment, it definitely IS a big watch, and you kind of seems weird at first if it’s the first time you wear a watch like this. However, at lest for me, being in the “limit” of acceptable, I got used to it in less than an hour and seems an amazing watch 😉
Laura, sorry to resurrect an old post, but can you explain how you removed links from the titanium strap? I received mine yesterday and I’ve spent a couple of hours with no success. There are 3-4 links each side where the rubber is lower, exposing part of the pin. I’ve tried about 7 different jeweller screwdrivers to pull the pin down, in the hope it will disengage, and nothing seemsto do the trick.
Hi Rainmaker. Thanks so much for this review. I can’t wait to see how apple watch 2 compares with the fenix chronos.
A couple thing I was hoping for in this review that I didn’t find are:
1) Thickness photos of the watches next to each other. Either flat on the cylinder you normally use or flat against a table. It’s a little difficult from what you have posted to see the difference in height.
2) How does the titanium weight compare to the steel without the band…just the watch face itself. Or maybe a comparison between the following three weights: Steel with rubber band, Ti with rubber band, Fenix 2 HR with a rubber band.
I just got the fenix 3 HR (Just bought it) but I’m one of the people that can feel the HR protrusion and the weight of the watch. Both those seem to be addressed here. (Also why I am keenly interested in your apple watch 2 review).
Thanks for everything! Long time lurker of your site.
This would all be very helpful. Actually what I cannot figure out is why the Fenix Sapphire Titanium is only $100 more than the steel but in the Chronos it is $500 more. So I have the same questions on the weight of just the watch faces between Sapphire Steel (Grey) Chronos Steel and Chronos Titanium. As well, the Sapphire Titanium band looks so much better than the Chronos one and yet it costs so much more. From the specs I can find it looks as though there is negligible weight saving in the actual watch between Titanium and Steel and given the much better looking Steel presentation, despite the weight, given the huge savings, is the better way to go. Perhaps someone will come up with a $100 titanium band that looks good to fit the Chronos. I can actually buy a Chronos Steel and a Fenix 3HR for the same price as the Titanium…no need to switch straps for work out!
It is $500 more because the entire case as well as some percentage of the bracelet is titanium. The case including lugs, buttons, bezel, part of the caseback, are all ti. That at least makes up for some of the price difference you inquire about.
I have a question about the golf features on the Chronos – does it include putt stats and fairwaysn hit as it says on the spec sheet? I bought the Tactix Bravo which also claimed it had this feature on the golf scorecard but it does not, so I’m just wondering if this time the specs are correct or still over-promising?
Dan,
I feel like I actually read the specs somewhere that it’s 24mm. But I could be wrong. You actually have the watch on hand, so you’re probably correct!?
Laura, That’s probably right. Definitely bigger than 22mm though.
By the way – part of the reason I purchased the stainless was because I had hoped it would have micro adjustments on the band so that I could get a perfect fit.
It doesn’t though I’m fortunately, it does fit pretty well regardless.
My Titanium Chronos arrived today. The lugs are 22mm and no way Fenix 3 straps will fit. The rubber strap provided is very nice. The Titanium strap is better than I was expecting. It can be adjusted my removing links that are held together with pins. I love the watch. 🙂
I got mine from Johnny Appleseed GPS in Australia.
Any word on the durability of the body? Scratch resistance? I’m down with the cost as long as it’s more durable than the Fenix 3. Even the Tactix Bravo is durable but not as durable as I’d like. Thanks.
Ray, great review. Why should I care about not having Wifi? I have a Fenix 3 and I am thinking to upgrade to the steel one here but not sure the impact of the wifi. Sorry for my ignorance.
WIFI is useless function on a watch for me. Using the phone as the connection to the network is seamless. I always have the phone on or near me and the watch can just leverage its connection WIFI or LTE to get the data it needs.
Thanks for the good overview of these new watches of Garmin!
However, I have one question that hopefully you can answer for me:
Can the bands be also bought separately? I did not find anything on the official Garmin website, but if you want to buy the cheapest version with the leather strap for example and later on buy the stainless steel band as an addition, is that even possible? Because, as far as I have understood, the existing bands for the F3 and F3 HR do not fit the chronos lineup right?
Ray, I ordered mine thru CT but they have no idea when they will deliver. Are there other retailers that support you that have more clarity on delivery dates? Thank you!
DT, I ordered my Titanium version from CT also. It’s not the retailer’s fault. I called Garmin and they confirmed the delay of them shipping it to their retailers. I only heard of one person so far that got their Titanium version from Australia? Most people still only received the stainless steel and leather versions. I’m hopeful that we’ll get ours soon! I pre-ordered mine in August and kept receiving the delay notices from CT. Keep your fingers crossed! 🙂
Laura, thank you for the response. I ordered the steel one but CT said that they don’t have confirmed delivery days either. Is there any retailer that is delivering the steel one in the US?
DT, I know most retailers already shipped a first batch of the steel and leather versions. I’m still waiting for the first batch of Titanium version which they keep delaying. From what I see online, all the retailers have shipped and sold out of their first batch of steel and leather versions. I don’t think any of the retailers or even Garmin can give you a time estimate of when they will ship out the second batch. I think the demand for these watches are much higher than they anticipated.
Hi, I bought the titanium version yesterday, having held both the steel and titanium versions, it had to be the titanium! The titanium version is only very slightly darker in appearance than the steel one.
Some initial (and superficial) views only, as I am unfortunately laid up with pneumonia so not able to exercise?:
One immediate disappointment – the titanium bracelet needs to be size adjusted by a jeweler – it can’t be done yourself.
The screen is not as bright as the pictures on various websites, in the instructions manual etc suggests. The colors are quite muted. It may be that I have not worked out the settings yet. No big deal, I actually prefer the understated look.
The watch is very comfortable to wear – despite wearing a way smaller 60 year old Omega for the past 27 years, the increased bulk does not bother me at all.
The watch is incredibly easy to learn to use – it paired with my iPhone at the first attempt, and all of the other menus/settings are very intuitive.
Whilst it feels like the most exorbitant purchase I’ve made for myself, my buyer’s remorse is almost non existent – that’s pretty amazing for me!
HR measurement looks to be very accurate after the first hour or so. Sleep measurement looks good too. Can’t wait to try the damn thing running and hiking!!
Enjoy, PG!
One amendment to above – worked out how to adjust the titanium band myself – a small screwdriver or long nails is enough. It is VERY snug fitting. Ideally I’d like to be able to adjust by half a link – pity there is no micro adjustment possible through the closing mechanism.
I’m happy about your decision that the titanium is better than the steel. I chose the titanium and only have that one to hold in my possession so I had nothing to compare to. I love my watch as well. I did manage to size the links myself and also agree that it would be great if the links had half sizes. Mine is either a little too tight or a little too loose. I chose tighter. Hopefully, I’ll get used to it this way.
does the optical hr sensor work while wearing the watch with the metal bands or aren’t they tight enough so you have to Change the bands for every sport unit?
I too have the titanium version, it’s very comfortable but I do switch the band for runs to here the OHR meter tighter against the skin – the titanium band cannot be fine adjusted. Still, the quick connect works well and it’s done inside a minute – the sports band even looks nice too.
The OHR does of course work with the titanium band but I did see more variability than with the sports band.
Great work as usually Ray. I was just wondering do you have mistake on Fenix3 with titanium band weight, or is that really titanium band? My Fenix 3 HR with titanium band weight is only something like 135g.
Hmm, not sure what to say. I’ve got the pic showing 198g. :-/ That’s roughly in the ballpark with the official specs that I see on the Garmin.com site.
Ok, weird. Weight and looks just seems to be more like metal/stainless steel than titanium band. I mean, I can live with approx. 30g heavier fenix3 with titanium band than Chronos titanium, but almost double weight would be too much even for me… ..so that would be really bad for my wallet 🙂
Thanks for the great review! Maybe a little language problem; I don’t understand if the watch faces on the chronos is different for each of the three models? I like the leather wristband, so I get the watch face with the red circle? An the other two models don’t have this watch face? Thanks for clarifying this 😀
I received all three of the above watch faces and what appears to be 11 total analog faces. However, they are configurable so you can change background color and hands giving you plenty of options. There are also several digital faces to choose from as well not to mention the connect IQ faces you can choose from. My current favorite face is the Flieger Type B.
I never cared about any of Garmin’s watches. I have the Vivoactive HR, which does almost everything and while not small is still a decent size for a wearable etc.
Having said that, I’m glad Garmin have released the Chronos. It is the first time I am getting a Garmin watch, and never considered the Fenix 3 at all, and still would not.
I guess there is a market for the Chronos. I was looking at TAG Heuer’s smart watch and it never crossed my mind to get it, but Garmin’s take on this … awesome.
As you’ve seen this in person, up close, can you please comment on the following:
1. The elastomer part of the band. Does this cheapen the look of the watch? Can you presume that this will wear out in time from normal daily wear? When work on the wrist, does the black elastomer come through between the links, thus making it look less like a metal watch? Why do you think they used this and not just all titanium band.
2. Red tachometer and button. Does this appear as an eye sore? I’m wondering if the red writing makes it look not as nice of a watch in person.
Thanks
Most things are personal preference. I saw a review or two that hated the red on the watch. For me, I personally don’t mind the splash of color. I don’t believe that the silicone band will wear out anytime soon no matter how active you are. Its seems comparable to a previously owned silicone band I wore for several years in some pretty harsh environments although slightly thinner in width.
If you didn’t know that the there was silicone underneath the titanium band the black silicone is unnoticeable. it would just appear like a dark void but since the TI links don’t touch they appear to float. all in all I think if you like what you see in the pictures/video you will like it in person just as much if not more. It is a very gorgeous watch and its super light.
I do not know if is not already late, but I can answer your question:
I have used my Chronos 4,5 hrs with 1 sec GPS, bluetooth and OHR disabled and chest HRM – battery consumption was 30%. While battery consumption is quite fluent in my experience it is realistic to expect 14-15 hrs battery life in this mode.
Once yoou use OHR and bluetooth, battery life is definitely shorter, in my estimate about 10-11 hrs.
For Smart watch use (bluetooth on, OHR on, no GPS) Chronos battery lasts 12 days.
Something is wrong with the weight section.. Third picture there (198g) must be Fenix 3 sapphire or F3 HR with stainless steel band?? Says Chronos with titanium band in picture text, and F3 with titanium band in the box. Garmin titanium band is silver not black? Also the weight fits with steel band.
Hey guys.. is the case/bezel of the watch the same color for the TI and the Stainless steel version? I want to get the steel version but may want to upgrade to the TI band at some point in the future… Just wondering if the colors of the TI band would match the case of the steel watch, or if it will look off.
Does anyone know if the new quickfit bands work for the chronos? Which version of the quickfit? I’d ike to get a nice quick fit silicon band to wear for my runs and swims!.
Mine was replaced too, but I had to argue quite a bit before they finally agreed to replace it for free. I did end up paying postage to ship mine back. My Training Status has disappeared since over 6 months. Even with the replacement watch, it no longer shows that data. I don’t know why.
Dan/Laura, Did they require any paperwork like receipts or warranty? I no longer have the receipt etc. and I now have two probelsm with my Titanium Chronos. The sensor has started to craze (not cracking yet, but its heading that way), and more annoyingly, the rubber has split on 3 of the links, so the titanium strap is now unusable. I’m going to contact Garmin UK to se if they will replace either the HR sensor or the unit, and also if they will send some replacement links. I love the strap, its really comfortable but unfortunately the rubber is the major design flaw in what is otherwise a really nice strap.
The watch is worth it. I replaced mine with a 6x pro solar but actually just switched back to the chronos and selling the 6x because I love the build, weight and look of the Titanium chronos.
They don’t require paperwork because they should have a record of your purchase if you registered the product when you first got it. I agree with Dan, the Chronos Titanium is still the nicest looking Garmin watch. So I’d repair it for the $300 charge to replace it. Good luck!?
The rubber/titanium links? $20 per link/piece? You guys didn’t keep the spare pieces when you sized it? Or your wrist is large, so you needed them all?
Also, if the HR sensor has micro hairline cracks in them, I would get it replaced. That’s how mine was, that’s a defect! My replacement I’ve had for 2 years now, hasn’t cracked again. The resin on the HR sensor shouldn’t crack. That’s a defect in the material used for that batch of watches.
That’s good to know. I didn’t realize you can take apart the rubber parts from the titanium band.
I would hold off paying the $278 replacement fee also. My only concern is that if more years pass, they won’t have replacements available anymore.
They sell a link repair kit for $20(ish) which includes all the rubber pieces in the band. However, they provided the repair kit to me for free, for a used watch I bought well out of warranty.
As far as whether to replace for the “cracking” HR monitor… that’s certainly a personal choice. If it works, I’d delay as long as possible then pay the $278… but again, to each their own.
Laura/Dan, thanks for your additional info, that’s really useful. I was despairing when I looked at the broken links, as the ones that broke weren’t the removable ones by the clasp, that you remove to size the bracelet, they’re the normal ones and I couldn’t see any way to replace that rubber, except on the removable ones with the spring pin.The cracking on the HR monitor is now visible, but they’re still minor. Clearly in time they will only get worse. If Garmin are happy to send me a couple of replacement links, I’d be content to see how the cracking goes, and hold off replacing the whole unit. Iagree with you both, its still the nicest Fenix I’ve owned and I’d be happy to keep using it for several more years. I’ve read quite a bit on the forums about the resin cracking, and lots of comments about a tough, tactical watch series like the Fenix that shouldn’t be experiencing these problems. I generally agreed with those comments, until I read about the effects of soap and sunscreen on the resin. I’ve always left my fenix on my wrist when I get in the shower, to rinse it in water, but I take it off before using soap or shampoo or products, mainly as I didn’t want a build up of gunk on the watch.Having read how corrosive some sunscreens or soaps are, I’m glad I only ever rinsed the 5 or 6 Fenix models I’ve had. Several people have mentioned that they received replacement units for various models (I think the 935 had a particular problem, I never owned one) and most said they didn’t experience the cracking again, so I hope that means they have fixed the resin problem. I’m waiting for a reply from Garmin so I’ll let you know the outcome. Fingers crossed.
I just wanted to share my end-of-life experience with my 6-year-old Garmin Fenix Chronos. I knew that it would stop receiving software updates, and I was OK with it continuing to do what it did. What I was not expecting was that when the battery dies, it becomes e-waste. This is.because Garmin does not sell replacement batteries, does not recommend battery replacement due to waterproofing concerns, does not have refurbished watches for purchase/exchange, and does not offer any type of discount on a similar premium watch. So basically, Garmin recommends you throw your watch away when the battery dies after 6 years.
Apple, on the other hand, will replace the batteries on Apple Watches, but Garmin does not sell replacement batteries to watch stores who sell Garmin watches and have lots of experience repairing watches. This is very disappointing for a watch that costs $1500, and even more disappointing for a Garmin Marq 2 that can cost as much as $2400. I initially through this might be a right-to-repair issue, but since no one can repair them, it’s more of a “Garmin doesn’t care” issue.
Background Info for Anyone Interested:
To summarize the problem, I connect my Garmin Chronos to a charger, it boots, gives a critical low battery warning, and shuts down. It will not charge. I contacted Garmin support. Here’s a summary of the chat:
Session started between Taylor and Carlton
Carlton: The battery is dead in my watch. It will occasionally power on, give a “critical low battery” error, then shut down. It will not charge on different cables. It will not show up as a connected device on my computer via usb
Taylor: Have you tried using a different cable?
Carlton: Carlton: Yes, I have 2 cables. No difference.
Taylor: So I believe we are at the point of exchange, but unfortunately we no longer have this device in stock. I can offer 20% off the list price of a fenix 6/7.
Carlton: I’m not really interested in a Fenix 6 or 7, because they are plastic watches and don’t look as nice as my Chronos. I really just want a new battery for my existing watch.
Taylor: We do not sell batteries and really do not recommend replacing them because it can mess up the water proof seal of the watch.
Carlton: Can a watch store replace the battery? I purchased it from a watch store and they replace batteries in other waterproof watches I have.
Taylor: that is something you would have to ask the watch store to see if it is something they are able to do. I am not really sure.
Carlton: Are Garmin replacement batteries available to Garmin authorized watch stores? I’m guessing the Chronos doesn’t use a standard battery type.
Taylor: No we do not sell batteries you would have to purchase from a third party seller.
Carlton: So I guess my watch is basically e-waste when the battery dies?
Taylor: Yeah, unless you want to exchange it for the discount on the Fenix 6/7.
Carlton: I can’t exchange it for a discount on watch that is more similar, like a Marq?
Taylor: Unfortunately it has to be the same model.
Carlton: The Fenix doesn’t seem like the same model to me. So I guess I’m out of options. I’ll probably look into an Apple Watch Ultra instead, because at least they will replace the batteries when they die, even though I don’t like the Apple watches as much as Garmin watches.
Taylor: That is an option you have, I am unable to exchange for a different style of watch, so the fenix 6/7 is the only thing I am capable of.
Carlton: OK, I understand. I know you don’t set the policies. I was just hoping Garmin would have better support, especially for premium products purchased from a watch store. Anyway, thanks for your help. Have a nice day.
Taylor: Enjoy the rest of your day. If you change your mind and want to move forward with the exchange I will leave notes in your account.
Carlton: Thank you.Taylor:
Taylor has exited the session.
The conversation has been ended.
Hi Carlton,
Reading your conversation with Garmin, the representative seems a little clueless. If I were you, I would just take it to a watch repair place and see if they can replace the battery for you. I don’t think it should be that complicated. I too, love my Fenix Chronos Titanium. It’s still the best Garmin watch ever made, even compared to the newer Marq series. Our Chronos has bigger memory storage than Marq for 3rd party apps/data screens. Don’t give up on the watch until you’ve tried everything!
Hi – I’m wondering whether you can give any hints as to how I can replace the rubber bits on the titanium bits which attach to the watch itself. In the photograph attached, how do I join the parts in A so that they look like B. Any assistance would be appreciated as Garmin support aren’t proving to be a great help. I can’t believe that nobody else has encountered this issue.
Thanks in advance
Andrew Westcott
Oh wow, that does look impossible to put together. How did you get the replacement silicone bit? I have the same watch, and agree that it’s frustrating Garmin no longer supports our $1500 watch. I had a battery that no longer held juice. I bought an aftermarket one, and luckily it was easy to swap out. I was so scared to break the watch. I successfully swapped the battery for a higher capacity one. Good luck with the watch strap, hope someone answers here to help you.
You guys aren’t going to believe this, but your pic shows how to install the double sided spring bars. On the double sided spring bars in the part marked B, there is a flathead screw slot on the spring bar handle on the left that you can actually see in the pic if you blow it up. It is so small, I needed a small knife from my multitool to loosen it since even my eyeglass screwdriver didn’t work. But if you unscrew that little bit, you can pull out the spring bar. This screw is TINY so be careful. I’m not sure if anyone else is dealing with this in 2024. I JUST got the hybrid rubber kit from Garmin from customer service in 2/2024, but who knows how long they will have it since it is a very old product. However, this will allow me to refurbish my titanium hybrid band since the rubber has totally disintegrated.
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Check out
my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Wowza. Well, I suppose that’s one way to prolong the Fenix 3 line to CES.
Sure hope they didn’t sacrifice fenix 4, for this…. that said, I’m sure these will sell. If there only where more “general purpose” apps, like you have for Apple Watch
This flatter HR sensor can be a big improvement in comfort. Hopefully this change will be included in other future Garmin watches as well.
I also believe this shows there is no Fenix 4 coming out soon. It’s ahrd to sell a $1500 watch and then it becomes backburner technology (or in other words if an F4 was coming soon they would wait for the Chronos)
Garmin skipped the ‘3’ from this watch’s name. It is called just Fēnix Chronos. So Garmin could still release a Fenix 4, that has the same dimensions as the Chronos, but with plastic body and cheaper band. That would not outdate the Chronos.
Looks like Garmin dropped the numbers like Apple did for MAC OS… This is the Fenix 4ish
There will absolutely be a Fenix 4 soon-ish. This watch is aimed at people who buy timepieces, not necessarily the latest tech gadget. That said, it’s specs are the highest of any Garmin watch currently and should remain fresh enough next year.
It’s just a separate lineup, I wouldn’t overthink the numbers, it’s simply called Chronos.
So Fenix 5 at CES…. apparently the Chronos was the Fenix 4 or 4 + or 5 Fancy… 🙂
Thank you for great overview! Regarding the stopwatch button, I have a regular Fenix 3 hr and you can go to settings and set the upper left button to start stopwatch if you press it slightly longer compared to press for the normal sports mode.
But it won’t come up on the watch face
I love the word “nifty”. It’s… nifty! But the price is not so nifty though.
I was actually somewhat disappointed when I got my F3 Sapphire, that it still had a plastic body. Although the price is a bit on the steep end, with the Chronos it has now gotten rid of the last prettiness impairment. But at at least twice the price? Bugger.
I think it is a good idea to make at least part of the line up look more like a day-to-day watch rather than a sport watch, although I think Garmin already made a big step forward with the orginal Fenix 3 over the bulky Fenix 1 & 2 form factor. However, at $1500 its a bit fierce for me. Thier market research must tell there is a market at this price point.
I hope we aren’t seeing a trend of the Fenix range moving increasingly high end. I hope when the Fenix 4 appears there are some entry level options largely comparable to the exisiting base fenix 3
Love the uninterrupted bezel. I have very few gripes with the F3 but the 5 fasteners around the bezel has always been one. These do look great.
If I longpress start on my Fenix 3 I also get right to the stop watch since I’ve assigned that as a hotkey. It also runs while you do other stuff etc.
Does this mean you can’t reassign the hotkeys on those expensive units?
The Fenix 3 stopwatch isn’t as good looking though.
Same here. I had a chuckle at that sentence because that’s exactly what I already do with mine all the time.
Funny, I hadn’t thought about that while filming. Good point.
Heh.. That intro was the best part of the video.
As for a 1500 USD Fenix 3 in September 2016.. well, there’s one born every minute.
Clearly I’m not part of the target audience because I don’t want a watch that costs as much as my power meter or smart trainer.
Looks nice, though not for the price.
Who the hell wants to run, bike or workout with a metal band <—not me!
The person who going to buy a fitness watch isn't going to spend this kind of money for something most people will just use to tell time as they will change to something more comfortable for their workouts.
You dont buy garmin for a style watch…however the 10k apple watch could be a style watch as allot of people use it for things other than fitness. Everyone I know who uses their apple watch for fitness has a rubber band
These wont sell well
> You dont buy garmin for a style watch
Says you. Shall we rather let the market decide ?
> Who the hell wants to run, bike or workout with a metal band
This is true though, I don’t imagine this being comfortable and hygienic enough for a prolonged time, same goes for the leather band.
Note that all versions include the silicon strap for workouts, as seen in the post and the videos.
how easy is it to change out the straps and do you have any pics with the silicon facing up to the watch face and lugs?
Also…I dont know about others, but I cant deal with the hassle of switching bands for working out. I would rather just strap on a new watch. Seems like more things to get lost.
These days, the black straps have become acceptable workplace items with the advent of the apple watch and corporate wellness programs promoting fitbit hysteria
> Who the hell wants to run, bike or workout with a metal band The person who going to buy a fitness watch isn’t going to spend this kind of money for something most people will just use to tell time as they will change to something more comfortable for their workouts.
I love the idea of all your data in one single watch that also tracks your steps and tells you when your muscles are ready for the next training
>You dont buy garmin for a style watch…
In the past you didn’t have an option. I had the Forerunner 630 (black and blue) and the thing was so small, ugly, not stylish that I would never DARE use it as my regular watch. The Fenix 3 Sapphire and Chronos editions are just the opposite. They look so great that you feel good about using them all the time.
> however the 10k apple watch could be a style watch as allot of people use it for things other than fitness.
Apple watch? Really? Capacitive touchscreen for sports? Seriously? One more time: Apple watch? Really? Anything Apple… Really?
>Everyone I know who uses their apple watch for fitness has a rubber band
PR for the typical Apple Watch user: “I could once “run” 5k in 34:58…” “The othe day I was going even “faster” but I ran out of battery…” Number of workout in a year… 23… Including those evening “walks” inside their “amazing” gated community
>These wont sell well
Too much money for my pocket. But if money was no object, why not?
You are thinking about it backwards. You could use the silicone band almost all the time, but can put on the fancy dress band for formal events.
Ummm it comes with a sports band for sports as well.
Very true, but then you just spent 1.5k for a fancy sports watch.
I think garmin and tri folks tend to be a bit more feature focused and not the type to spend silly money like Apple watch folks who do it to boast their money. Full disclosure I use android phones, so not an isheep but I use apple for my laptop and tablet so switch hit
I think the sapphire series looks just as good for 1/3 the price.
Enough of the soap box, but I agree with Ray on spending money on fashion tech that will just get thinner, faster and better next year. I have an moto 360 sport I use for running and I even have buyers remorse spending 200 when I want the next best thing.
Well, I’m running, biking, swimming, golfing, hiking, walking and wearing my F3HR 24/7 with metal band. And absolutely no problem with its weight and hygiene. Reason for move to metal was simple, alergie on silicon band.
This is why I use the Vivoactive (non-HR variant) as it looks respectable enough to wear out or when visiting clients. I have a TAG for special events but if these were in my budget, I would definitely consider grabbing one.
Isn’t it a bit childish to turn an answer into a “anti-Apple” rant?
Maybe you should read properly before giving such uninformed answer. He didn’t mention sports but fitness which are two different things. For general fitness, you don’t need all detailed functions Fenix 3 provides and would probably manage with simpler device.
If you look beyond your negative attitude towards Apple, you should realize that you should never discount the company of that size and focus. They have more sports- and fitness data than any other company in world. Hardware-vise, they are GPS-away from giving Garmin, Suunto, Fitbit etc. some serious headache in lower- to midmarket. We are paying Garmin bunch of money for a warch that has internal memory that counts in kilobytes! In 2016!
I’ve read Apple claim that, but it’s not something I actually believe. My guess is that even Strava has more “sports and fitness data” than Apple, let alone Garmin. Both Strava and Garmin have been at it longer than Apple. Maybe Apple bought some datasets, but only then could the claim possibly be true.
Speaking as someone who wears and uses an Apple Watch daily, it’s going to take more than just GPS to make the Apple Watch a serious competitor. It’ll also take a screen that can be set to be always on and that can be seen in direct sunlight. If they do that, they’re going to have to do something about the limited battery capacity (which is why the screen turns off now). I don’t think Apple should be positioning the Apple Watch as something it’s not, any more than I think Garmin needs to produce a fashion watch as it seems they’re trying to do here.
Well, I guess that making such public claim has to be backed up by some substance, don’t you think so. We are not talking about chit-chat conversation in barbershop.
I don’t think that GPS only will do but OS side they are in much better position. Who knows what they plan but as I said, lower and medium-priced watches will probavly be in danger once AppleWatch becomes less dependant from iPhone. These devices are not used for Ultra-marathon so battery isn’t an issue.
We are not talking about F3 competitor.
Remember, we are on version 1. I wish Apple to become a bigger player on market since we are in need of healthy competition since, to be honest Garmin and Suunto seem to have lost the controll of their own software development by making us users as beta-testers. Speaking as former Epix user I know how “serious” Garmin can be when it comes to support.
No, I never make that assumption. Claims need to be backed by evidence, and I’ve seen none about Apple’s collection of data. It might be true, especially if they’ve bought data from elsewhere, but it’s hard to believe given that, for example, Garmin/Motionbased has 8+ years of my data. Anyway, it’s irrelevant until we see what, if anything, they’re going to do with that data. Right now, Apple Watch just isn’t a serious fitness device.
I own an Epix, so I know what you mean about Garmin.
I have the Fenix 3HR and wear it with an aftermarket stainless steel band that looks and feels like the original one that came with the Fenix 3 Sapphire. After wearing it for 24 hours, you get used to the weight and the feel. I wear mine 24/7. (For reference, I’m rather small framed with a small wrist. 5’2″,105 lbs.) I’ve run full marathons and other long distances with it, with no discomfort. I’ve pre-ordered the Fenix Chronos Titanium version. I’m sure this will even be more comfortable since Titanium is much lighter in weight than the steel band that I’ve been accustomed to. Since I wear mine 24/7, I do appreciate the style of this new watch. I think it’s worth the money for it to look this good. Also, I don’t think it will really get outdated for my needs. As long as it continues to do all the basic functions I need, I’ll be happy with this for the next 10 years.(I hope). 😀
Have you received your Titanium? How does it compare to your HR experience? How much thinner is it?
I’d love to hear your experience. Thanks.
Santos,
Unfortunately, I got another email stating the delay of my watch until the end of October. I’ve been getting emails like this every 2 weeks, so I’m not even sure I’ll be getting it soon. Judging from other people’s comments and the photos I’ve seen, it is noticeably thinner and more comfortable to wear. Also, the overall watch is a few millimeters smaller. I think it will be noticeable side by side. The weight will be significantly lighter too with titanium. I’ll definitely comment again when I receive my watch.
Can you use Chronos bands with Fenix 3?
I don’t think so because the Chronos has a narrower width. Also it has a “quick release” function to swap out the bands. The regular Fenix 3 needs to be unscrewed to swap out bands.
Fantastic. The next person that says my “plastic” Garmin does not look good in the office, I will know where to direct them too.
Can anyone in the know confirm or deny if it has the F3 hardware or if it was at least upgraded to support ConnectIQ 2 (as described here link to developer.garmin.com). If the internals at least match the 735xt capabilities, I am interested…
Agreed – this would be interesting to know for sure.
According to this other link the Chronos does have IQ2, but the regular Fenix 3 does not… link to developer.garmin.com
Are they actually the same inside? Or is Garmin just playing the planned obsolescence game?
An expensive “Yuppie” version of the f3 with a smaler battery. More a lifestyle watch, no outdoor/sports watch…
I wonder if the screen has the same size as the fenix 3 … The large black circle around it not actually being part of the screen nor the bezel always made the screen looking small compared to the size of the watch. For the new Chronos, this seems a bit different, the black circle seems smaller – can anyone confirm this?
I can’t confirm with any authority but looking closely at photos 33 & 36 of this post it looks like the black circle is the same size, though its markings are different with the absence of any numerals. This would imply the actual screen size is also the same.
The watch seems to be 2mm smaller in diameter keeping the same screen size apparently … So either the bezel or the black circle must have got smaller …
$1,500 suit?
Great Video!
Ray – they look terrific – thanks for the review and pics. I love my Fenix HR which has unintentionally become my daily wear watch. I still diskike the screen however, it’s too reminiscent of the early Game Boy Color device, searching for the right reflective angle to see the screen adequately when indoors. Any improvements in the display with these new models?
i have a F3 Hr and wear it 24/7 too
The display brightness has always been the problem for me for the Fenix 3 models. I see nothing from Garmin on a change. Am I missing something? I’m not sure how they can justify an even higher price without a brighter screen.
brighter screen = less battery life
BUT, does it have Strava segments?? 🙂
Couldn’t justify or afford it…….but would love it
Ray: Do you think this line is meant to replace the Sapphire line, or just add an additional line? I guess my real question is, do you think the Sapphire line will drop in price as a result of this introduction?
Just an additional line. I don’t expect any prices to drop on existing lines.
The case of the watch looks very nice, but is it still the same screen? I have a Fenix 3 and the analog watch faces look like garbage, looks like the resolution of cell phones from 10 years ago. If this watch had a screen the same resolution and brightness as an Apple watch I would sell some toys and buy it. Looking forward to the Spartan review.
Can’t wait for your giveaway day 🙂
Really nice work by Garmin. Too expenisve for me though.
Hopefully they’ll take 5% of that aestethics and apply it to their forerunner line which is in desperate need of some good looks.
And a replacement for their 90’s Era Casio back lights. My timex Ironman from eons ago had a better light
Had one and promptly returned it given my night running
Really disappointed. The price is outrageous. Was hoping for a F4 or 930 announcement.
Don’t forget that a fenix 3 hr is already $500. I’m sure the F4 will fit in the new exorbitance line up around $800. Maybe $999 for the bells and whistles model
Does this announcement have any implications or suggestions about when Garmin may update the 920xt?
I wouldn’t think so. I really don’t expect any near-term changes there.
link to amazon.com
Weird listing that popped up “Newly Overhauled” and sold direct by Amazon.
Yeah, just Amazon selling refurb units. They do that from time to time.
I guess it’s just strange wording for “Refurbished” since there already is a “Refurbished” listing and a Refurbished condition on the original listing.
Yeah, odd, but I think it’s just a case of someone trying to get creative with listings. You know how there’s that site called “The People of Walmart”? I think this would qualify under equally wonky Amazon listings, like a ‘Listings of Amazon’, that you just shake your head at.
Does the new charging clip work on the old Fenix 3 HR with the big bump HR? I would prefer the clip myself.
David
Different pin sizing. The old pins are much bigger, and these are quite a bit smaller. I suspect in a pinch you could probably fiddle with it enough, but it wouldn’t be very secure that way.
One of my favourite things about the Fenix 3 is that the strap is bolted in so I trust it when swimming in a muddy lake. Yes, it’s a hassle to swap but I can deal with that.
I love the new HR bump, much better (hate the old one, avoided watches as a result).
Price is crazy but I would spend that for a premium option if I had spare money and liked it. And if it wasn’t 2 year old tech!
Any idea about the internals? The Fenix 3 HR has some older stuff that prevents it from running Connect 2.x, mainly due to lack of memory. One would certainly hope that a new top of the line wouldn’t have that problem.
My guess is that this uses the same internals as the 735XT, which supports Connect 2.x (considering that the HR diodes are the same as the 735XT, they probably updated it internally as well). I’m a little sore that my less than 1 year old FR235 is basically deprecated at this point due to a lack of memory (I get it, but I can’t see why flash memory is so scarce on these embedded platforms).
I’m sure it’s not completely identical to the 735XT, since the chronos probably also has the barometer, but yeah, loosely so.
I assume Garmin has moved to a newer platform that the 735XT and VivoActive HR are probably also based on. All they have to do is add and subtract features- barometer, touchscreen, screen form factor, WiFi(?), HRM, magnetometer, etc.
So, what sites do teardowns of these devices?
Funny that you were wearing a suit for this overview 😉
Yeah, nice touch to suit up for the overview. I was hoping you would wear it for the test run too – maybe sprinting through Charles de Gaulle to board on time with the rest of the business class?
Thanks for the review. I was getting my doublons ready to buy it, but you are right, usb it is not going to be around for much long.
I cannot observe that the Fenix 3 HR comes with a power brick while this 1500 USD model does not have on included :).
I really like the titanium strap because it has silicone on the inside so you will not be feeling like wearing a metal band.
Anyway, Garmin will not see my hard earned money for a redesigned Fenix 3 … with a better hardware, longer battery life and a better screen though … I can see myself doing an additional effort to buy one :).
It’s the best news of the month that the optical heart rates sensor packet is getting better….in a few more improvements cycles it looks like it will be good enough to replace a stand alone optical heart rates sensor…
C
Just when i safed up for a Fenix Titanium. You hit me with this. In South Africa like R32 000 and im only at R15 000. Outch. But atleast i will be faling down a mountainside with some nice bling on my arm.
One thing I’ve noticed is that some of the downloadable watch faces cause a VERY significant lag when changing screens to/from the watch face on my F3HR. It’s as if it’s a CPU bottleneck.
Would be interesting to find one of the faces that’s bad about this and use it as a test on each new Fenix model just to see if there’s any CPU performance increase or not. I *doubt* it when it comes to these, but you never know.
Hi Ray. just to let you know : there is now Wifi on the Chronos.
Yup, its been on the Fenix3 as well.
According to specs there is NO wifi on Chronos… so there seems to be a diference here, along with smaller battery and couple minor things… seems its not internally identical after all…
First rule of Garmin.com specs, or the truth?
Way at the bottom of
link to buy.garmin.com
Yeah, I sent a note over a number of hours ago asking for clarity as well. I don’t have the units on-hand, else I’d simply just check manually.
Will update as soon as I hear back.
Thanks Ray. Please confirm no wifi and only 180 mah battery vs 300 mah batter in Fenix 3hr. Seems your losing alot of functionality for good looks. The battery life on 3 hr is superb and one of the best things I like about it.
So, no wifi, 180 mah battery, and same hr sensor as 735 xt. Isn’t this therefore really a 735xt chronos branded Fenix by Garmin to capitalize on the Fenix name. Oh, and the relevant part between $400 and $1100 for the saphire crystal and a steel or titanium case. Yes, ballsy.
Well and adding barometer/altimeter. But more likely is that their specs are incorrect on their site (they make mistakes constantly on there). It seems like a Fenix3HR with a new HR sensor and charging port?
180 mAH and no WiFi for 899$ and >?
I just notice an error in my original text. I would say : NO wifi, not now wifi. Sorry….
Does the bezel rotate?
Not that I saw.
VERY impressed with how far you rode, at least according to the 820 distance in the analyzer. Any idea what happened there?
Ray, do you have any idea if it supports Connect IQ 2.0? Or it is a full clone of current Fenix3 HR?
“Which doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with buying it. There’s plenty of purchases that we as consumers make for technology that have a short lifespan. For example, TV’s are rarely kept for more than a decade these days, and we spend quite a bit on ensuring we have the fanciest and prettiest looking one on our wall.”
I’d argue that there *is* something wrong with buying an expensive dead-end item, and that we’re using up our natural resources at an insane and wholly unsustainable rate, but unfortunately that’s the elephant in the room. To be fair, I’m as much as a hypocrite as anyone else when it comes to this, but it’s still a reality we need to at least acknowledge.
Ideally they’re figure out a way of replacing the guts of the watch and reusing the shell and strap, so that at least part of it won’t end up in the dumpster after a few years.
That is a good thought but highly unlikely to happen given that they change the charging cradles ever so slightly between every new release. Just to make sure you cannot use the old ones, it seems.
You read my mind.. that would be so great. Then, I actually *would* invest in an expensive titanium shell, since I would still be able to update the watch by having new tech placed inside. Are you listening, Garmin?
Looking at the Garmin site the Chronos only appears to have half the battery life… 180mah vs. 300mAh for the regular Fenix 3 HR… 25 hours UltraTrac vs. 40 hours.
Not sure I want to spend twice the price for half the life!
Ray, you list “Fenix3 with titanium band: 198g” but I think the picture is of a steel band based on the photo. Was that a typo?
Many thanks, the watches look great, albeit expensive.
Did you wear a suit because these are super fancy watches and you felt the need to step it up? 🙂
I think we need another homeless youtube to foil the special agent shots. Ratty cloths, overgrown beard, trashy tank top, etc… I am sure the Parisians would love that.
Hi there, is there a weight for the titanium version with the sports band ?
Thank you very much !
The display looks so much better than Fenix 3 hr in your photos. However, the Garmin site shows no technical difference in the screen. Are these new displays only available for the Chronos or will they be available for download to 3 hr?
Great review as usual. When should we expect to see the Fenix 4?
Likely at 7AM US EST. Probably on a Tuesday, but sometimes a Thursday. Occasionally, but rarely a Wednesday. Never a Monday or Friday.
Lol ….. I’m amazed at the variance on Fenix 3 with just changing to 4… I noticed the case sizes on this unit I like bulk: does it feel smaller? Lastely will aftermarket Straps wok on this unit?
Wow. Just…wow. I’m speechless. Very pretty, but very irrelevant. The long game is the justification for escalating prices on the non-super-fancy 920xt-ish replacements. See, we can sell the same functionality (well, less, maybe) and a little fancier (well, a lot, maybe) for twice the price of the 920xt/non-fancy Fenix 3. So, when the 930xt/Fenix 4 emerges…$699 seems to be a bargain! Bleh.
I have been a follower of Garmin running watches; since Garmin forerunner 201. They have lead the way satellite mapping; but I have to say that someone in Kansas is smoking crack. When you compare the products Fenix 3 hr side by side On the Garman website; there is very little change. In fact there is less battery then my Fenix 3 sapphire. Paying $900 for the sensor to be a little smaller,last battery life does not seem worth it to me.
Ray,
Thanks for the creative review. Is this the first time you put on a suit since leaving the corporate world?
in your opinion does this mean Fenix 4 is delayed by at least 6-9 months? I cannot see how they would justify to those shelling out $1500 to suddenly have a new platform (and the changes to F4 would be HW not SW alone)
Appreciate your input
I put one on a few times going out to restaurants. I actually very rarely used a suit in the corp world, but went sorta in the middle. I found that for my job, if I showed up in a suit, it would alienate the tech side from the introductions. Whereas if I was dressed more simply, they didn’t think you were some non-techie. If occasions called for it, I could do suit easily.
As for the next Fenix, I think a lot of people had been wishfully thinking it would be sooner, but I don’t see it happening till next year. There’s just no competitive reason for them to do so now, as they’re far beyond any nearest competitor (even more so with Suunto’s latest release seeming to put them behind their existing Ambit3 series in terms of features/functions).
Interesting comment on Fenix 4. And what is your views about the next 920XT?
I’m not sure what to think there. I don’t think we’ll see anything soon, if at all. It’s in an of spot now with both the Fr735XT and Fenix3 series. I wouldn’t be surprised to let the market ride a bit and see where the chips fall.
Crazy, box of frogs crazy. Ray will there be a trade in program such like Tag Heuer are offering? I know with Garmin you’ll never end up with the aforementioned hand me down. But it would be good way to tie people in, and those that choose that route would have some benefit for the loyalty
It’s worth noting that the stopwatch shortcut was available on all previous Fenix 3 devices
Did you recognize, that lot of power data is missing or wrong compared to the 820 data. I have the same issue with my F3.
Not sure I understand what you mean? In this case, I was actually using two different power meters…thus…different data.
OK. Did you ever compare F3 and 820 data connected to the same PM? In my case it will end up with the same result. F3 data is in average significant lower like in your case here.
Independently from the PM the 820 data you show fits better to the speed you were riding.
Yup, I often ride with duplicate/triplicate units, including the Fenix3, connected to the same power meter. And it virtually always matches spot-on.
If you’re seeing differences, then something is amiss – likely with either settings or potentially connectivity (i.e. Stages on a triathlon bike). With settings, validate that both units have record zero’s configured the same way, which can otherwise result in oddities in data comparison.
Ray – thanks for the quick review (or at least quick for you!). One thing I think that’s worth noting is that this isn’t a $1500 watch. It can cost up to that amount. It starts at $899 for the non-titanium version w/ a leather strap. Not cheap, but much cheaper than $1500.
I just watched the videos, and see that you call out the various price points. Sorry!
Out of curiosity, does the optical HRM require fairly tight contact with the skin? I’m wondering if the metal band would provide a snug enough fit for accurate daytime activity tracking/resting heart rate? Or do you need to wear the sports strap to get the most out of this feature?
Ray, do you have an eta for your review of the Samsung Gear Fit 2? All the techie reviews focus on the hardware, not the functionality!
I do not have an estimate at the moment. But it is still sitting near my desk.
What a complete fail by Garmin. Waste of time and money.
The game changer for me will be a watch with current fenix 3/ambit 3 functionality but much longer battery life. As to when technology will allow this who knows.
The market share for that is too small I’d think. Well maybe if they used a FR 305 form factor to fit the battery
I’m surprised no one has created a high-end watch where they say they will swap out the electronics with the next gen device. So pay a large premium to get a somewhat future proofed watch.
The suit and Bond theme… nice touch.
Looks like a terrific set of products… that are mostly irrelevant to the endurance athlete market, but watch people should love’m. They look great.
I think Garmin would do better by taking the opposite tack. Put the Fenix 3HR in a light plastic body with a similar weight to say the 735 and offer it at a lower price point than the current Fenix 3HR. A round multi function watch could shoal to alot of people. I would be interested in a watch like that.
totally agree!
Heck, don’t even drop the price. Just give us a watch with the Fenix functionality in a smaller lighter package. The 735 was headed in the right direction but still falls short of this.
Sounds good to me. Are you listening, Garmin?
Garmin, I’m in!! Please note.
Damn! Why the highest of high end smart watches wouldn’t incorporate the latest (735xt) software is beyond me!! Come on Garmin, quit milking it already!
waiting for someone to ask for the quick release kit then complain that it doesn’t have one.
Funny how anyone who does not fit a products’s target group can think “it’s a stupid idea” from the supplier. Keep in mind there are a lot of people who think spending $1500 on a bike is absurd, let alone spending $1500 on a power meter for a bike… This said, obviously this product line targets people for whom price is not a determining factor. And obviously, there isn’t $500 worth of titanium in the titanium version, there’s just a lot more margin. There is certainly a market, and keep in mind this is a relatively low-risk gamble from Garmin, since the only development cost was to come up with the casings and straps (and the wooden box packaging, of course); everything else, hardware and software, was already available.
Wow, you outdid yourself on the video, very cool. I can hear people say it… ‘My name is Maker. Ray Maker.’ 🙂
But yeah, no new tech here, same thing, more expensive, BUT… I’ve been drooling over the looks of the Fenix 3 since it came out, and I’m not the only one. Seems logical they want to cater to those who want this to look as great as possible as a daily watch and have money to burn. It’s just so damn pretty!
But in the end: pity it’s not Fenix 4 inside.
One Q though: I’ve haven’t read many updates on the Fenix 3, but was the GPS-accuracy problem ever solved on the Fenix 3, or does this still have that problem?
Also, love the idea of having them create amazing re-usable outer shells and have them replace the hardware inside. That is entirely possible, but nobody is doing it. If I could have e.g. an inscribed titanium shell I could pass on to my kids (don’t have any, but anyway) and they could just pop a Fenix 4,5,6 inside and use – I actually would save up the money for titanium.
Look like the lug width is narrower, so straps may be narrow than the Fenix 3, maybe 24mm vs 26mm on the Fenix 3. Besides the different way to attach it to the watch (screws vs quick release). So you know the strap width?
I am not a fan of smart watches. At some point I will certainly fall for them, but I’ll buy one only if it gets cheap enough. I won’t ever buy an expensive one for the same reasons as you: technology evolves fast and in 5 years at most it will be outdated and need replacement. I also think that classic high end watches are mostly worth what they cost (even those whose price is astronomical) not only because they will still be stylish and functional 50 years from now, but mainly because they are little mechanical marvels, often requiring many hours of artisan work to be manufactured. Smart watches are in my opinion grossly overpriced. Even the rose gold Apple Watch, inside is the same as a 300USD watch, and the gold is certainly not worth the remaining 9,700USD! (besides, who would ever spend 10,000USD for a gold watch with a sport band? For something a bit more stylish you’d need at least the “classic buckle” taking the price up to 15,000 USD!)
Hey Ray,
I agree that with this Chronos, Fenix 4 will not be for soon (ok for me, don’t have money now to change :-)))) ). But do you know if the cpu or memory has been extend a little bit? One thing that i find very different from Fenix 3 and Epix was the cpu/memory. Epix took only a sec or two to save and load a 2-3 hr ride/run with accessory vs 10-15sec on Fenix. That’s my main complaint about it.
Would had love to have Garmin corrected few bugs on Epix who might have me keep it instead of the change to (very best looking) Fenix last february.
Thx,
Steph
All i can say is sunntos hardware is top notch and gps is much more accurate… Sunnto has the worlds worst software however so garmin has nothing to worry aboit right now… If suunto gets bought by a company with a lot more development and support resources then Garmin may need to up the ante cause sunntos problem is software which can be fixed… Here is to hoping for better competition to drive better products in the consumers favor.
“sunntos hardware is top notch and gps is much more accurate”, start following the latest on the Suunto Spartan Ultra and it doesn’t look so bright anymore when it comes to their GPS accuracy.
Selling my Fenix 3 HR… Ordered the $899 one on Amazon, cannot wait to get it!!!
Any idea when garmin are releasing the fenix chrono in the rose gold with the optical HR. Obviously ladies are keen for the advances just as much as men. Plus the advantage of no HRM strap for us is so much more of a benefit given it generally sits right under our bra.
I am really tempted. It’s a good looking watch.
Great review but I would love to get some better clarity on the internals. Can it run connect iq2.0? Does it have more ram? Does is have a faster cpu? Is the battery really smaller? Does the bezel really not rotate?
Wow. What a huge marketing mistake from Garmin. I am one of the people who would have no problem at all going for the titanium version at this price point. I actually find it extremely appealing styling wise. But a battery endurance divided by two is a complete no-go. I have the F3 sapphire and find the endurance suitable. However I would not even pay 600 USD for that watch with half of the endurance.
Garmin, next time you design a watch for active/athlete executives, make sure you give it an appropriate battery endurance.
A thought occurred to me that if I wonder if the firmware will be “upgradeable” to the next generation Fenix software whenever that comes out? AFAIK that has never happened with “normal” watches but that is often due to changes in form factor as well as whatever is inside. These are clearly not “normal” watches however.
Funny though because you never worry about “upgrading” a classical timepiece. If you are lucky, it will tell you the time of day reasonable accurately. If it does not well too bad 🙂
Hold up. Just noticed that Chronos is compatible with the Varia rear view radar. Does this mean it is indeed on the latest software like the 735xt?
I mentioned above that this is really the 735xt chronos not the fenix chronos. It has the 735 battery life, 735 hr sensor, and varia support. But, 735xt chronos just doesn’t sound good and Garmin, taking such a marketing risk with it already, has to capitalize on the Fenix branding.
Keep in mind the Fenix series has far more trail/navigation functionality, it’s really quite a different beast when you start digging into it. Plus, the barometric altimeter.
I’ll double-check with someone on whether the Chronos actually has Varia right now, or rather, Garmin is just putting a line in the sand that by time it ships it has Varia support on it (my guess). In which case, that’s likely pretty telling that it’ll end up on the Fenix3, as I’d be very surprised if Garmin maintains a separate software branch for just Chronos (they haven’t done that to date on other Fenix variants with far more differences).
Thanks Ray. Be interesting to see what you find. It is a pretty watch. Just don’t think I’ll be trading up from the Fenix 3 HR anytime soon. I think it may very well sell better than some imagine. Many folks spend $600 plus on an iphone, $900 on an ipad, or as much as $2,000 on an Apple or other laptop knowing full well that they will be outdated in 3 to 4 years. I used my original fr 305 for almost 8 years. Still have it and it still works. I even think there are plenty of men, myself included, that would never wear an Apple watch but could really dig the looks of the Chronos smart watch.
Does look to be a very different branch of the software from the Fenix3 as the Chronos is now listed on the Garmin Developer portal as having CIQ 2.1 Biker Monkey support, so I agree this seems more like a ForeRunner 735xt with the ABC sensor rather than being based on Fenix3 hardware.
link to developer.garmin.com
Interestingly, when you dig in to the CIQ SDK which was updated yesterday with Fenix Chronos support you can see the CIQ memory limits for the Chronos exceed that of even the 735xt, so seems this is a newer hardware design altogether than all current models:
.
For the 735xt:
.
Versus the Fenix 3 HR:
.
Oops, seems the comment box doesn’t like quoting the code, here’s the numbers:
Fenix Chronos (CIQ 2.1)
Watch faces – 128 KB
Apps – 256 KB
Widgets – 128 KB
Data Fields – 32 KB
735xt (CIQ 2.1)
Watch faces – 65 KB
Apps – 128 KB
Widgets – 65 KB
Data Fields – 32 KB
Fenix 3 HR (CIQ 1.3.1)
Watch faces – 65 KB
Apps – 65 KB
Widgets – 65 KB
Data Fields – 16 KB
Huge deal if correct… Great find!
Garmin posted a developer blog post about the new CIQ 2.1.3 which includes reference to the much faster processor in the Fenix Chronos and that more memory is available to developers.
link to developer.garmin.com
More interesting is they confirmed something I hadn’t noticed in the SDK at first, although the Chronos has the same resolution screen as the Fenix 3 it now has 64 colours available instead of the 16 colours on the Fenix 3.
Excellent! Excited to get mine!
On the Fenix 3HR Garmin forum the moderators have announced that as the Fenix range has been around for 1.5 years support is now going to focus on bug fixes (at last) rather than new features (dog tracking be the last new feature).
As the Chronos uses the latest SDK unlike the Fenix 3HR I wouldn’t be surprised if they did separate out the software.
But I hope you are right
Thinking of using my watch for more than running now (biking, swimming) and my M400 won’t be a good match anymore. The V800 is a natural upgrade, but for looks and functionality Garmin Fenix 3 is the better choice. Main question for me is how large the digits on training screens are compared to Fenix.
I need reading glasses, but can’t run with them so one y m400 I have set the important data as a single data on the screen and switch between screens. If I use two metrics such as time and distance at the same screen, I can not read without problem.
Guess my question is if Fenix 3 would allow me to do the same – one large set of digits for a metric on each screen and easily switch screens?
I didn’t know these existed until recently. Who knew? Well, probably lots of athletes. This is what you need and the watch display shouldn’t matter as much.
link to amazon.com
or this link to amazon.com
Hope Ray gets a kick back on this if you buy from Amazon.
I had the F3 Sapphire, the metal strap is almost near to useless due to its design how the strap is closed and hold together, Garmin should look at how those cheap casio watch did their metal strap instead.
hey Ray,
great review! This hybrid band – what is your impression? The inside rubber – is this a good thing? Is this sturdy? How does it feel on the hand? Is it stretchy? I am planning to get this version (had F3 Titanium) and curious if the hybrid band is a step forward from the regular titanium band..
cheers
Hi Ray,
Could you please check the battery capacity. US website says 180mAh but .com, .ch and .fr says 300mAh… What the right answer?
link to buy.garmin.com
link to garmin.ch
link to buy.garmin.com
Cheers
Fab
Just picking a random point to put these Q&A I received back from Garmin earlier in the week (sorry, been slammed at Eurobike). I’ll clean-up any conflicting details in the post later today…
—-
Q) Will this unit support the latest CIQ versions, or be more in-line with the F3HR? And either way, how much memory does it have for apps?
A) fenix Chronos does support the latest (2.x) CIQ branch. Reminder though that there’s really not much difference from a wearable perspective between the 1.x and 2.x branches.
Memory: 16 CIQ “slots”, user available space for activities/CIQ/etc. is ~23MB.
Q) Does it have WiFi? (Note: Some Gamrin.com sites say no, while some intl Garmin.com sites say yes).
A) Chronos does not have WiFi.
Q) It’s listed as having Varia Vision support, is that indeed correct? And if so – will the rest of the Fenix3 lineup get it as well?
A) Yes, Varia Vision is supported on fenix Chronos. We do not have plans to bring this support to the fenix 3.
Sounds like there are more hardware differences that originally thought. More in line with a bumped up 735xt vice Fenix 3 HR.
And battery, 180mAh? If 180 mAh, do you know why garmin has given the chronos such smal battery? To make it slimmer?
I think the answer is two-fold. First part of the appeal of the watch is the slimmer design, and the smaller battery plays a large part of that.
Second, it appears that the Chronos uses a CPU that is around 4 times more powerful than the Fenix 3 HRs. This improved efficiency means you can have a battery that is around 40% smaller, but only see a 20% reduction in battery life.
I talked to Garmin Support today. They confirmed that although the battery is smaller, they’ve managed to make the watch more energy efficient. One feature, the HR function, they’ve changed the lights to consume less battery. So, we won’t have to sacrifice much along the lines of battery life.
Has more CPU speed then the fenix 3 and supports more colors: link to developer.garmin.com
Just to be constructive… Goold old Fenix 3 also sports a red button, so the button itself isn’t any different.
The base Fenix3 does, but not the F3HR, or most of the other models (no idea why).
Ray,
Since it’s been confirmed the hardware is significantly* different on the Chronos than the F3 and F3HR, have you reconsidered not reviewing it separately (or at least testing it)? There was speculation at points that processing power issues (in addition to antenna design) may have been contributing to the GPS pace/GPS accuracy issues — since additional fields and using processor intensive things seemed to exacerbate the issues. It would seem that some of these could have been resolved with different internals.
Regards,
Matt
*actual chipset/processor/memory
I’m grossed out by the prices. Its too much its almost criminal.
Can you just focus your R&D on making the software better???
1. The optical HRM still ain’t that great.
2. The whole day fitness tracking isn’t that great which is a good reason to wear it the whole day and in my sleep.
3. The watch face is still too big. Pack all those features in a smaller watch.
4. MP3 player
I cannot resist ordering the Titatinum Chronos.
One question I can’t figure out: How do you adjust / shorten the band? Do you have to cut parts of the inlaying rubber off?
I called Garmin and they told me it should be the same like sizing any other metal watch band. You must either have the proper tools for it, or take it to a professional watch place to have it sized.
I have pre-ordered the titanium version. I’m very excited to receive it. There seems to be a delay in manufacturing. It was supposed to be available early September, but I keep getting notices of the delays. It’s now expecting to ship end of September. I hope there won’t be any more delays.
Hi Laura,
are you sure? On the pics of the Titanium bracelet aren’t any holes on the side of the links…
I Hope it will delivered soon 😉
I agree with you. The pics don’t show the holes/pins on the sides of the links. That’s why I called them to verify the ease of sizing it. It wouldn’t make sense if they designed it in such a way that it would be difficult.
The holes to remove links are on the rubber section, you can see them in this photo, on the right side of the bracelet near the clasp.
link to media.dcrainmaker.com
I meant to reply to Marko’s question about sizing the bracelet, I apologize. I too have a version on order, and I am waiting patiently, expected delivery of October 3rd at the moment.
“The holes to remove links are on the rubber section, you can see them in this photo, on the right side of the bracelet near the clasp.
link to media.dcrainmaker.com “
Thank you, James for that observation. I agree with you. It appears to have “spring” pins to remove the links. I’m just so anxious to get my watch, I hope they ship soon!!!
Has anyone received this watch yet, and if so how are you liking it?? I am really debating on getting this watch… Please help??
Thank you…
I’ve pre-ordered this watch since it was announced. I don’t think anyone has received it yet, it’s due to ship end of September. I’m very excited to receive it.
Just received shipping notification from clever training today.
I’m so jealous! May I ask you, Daniel, when did you pre-order? Perhaps you ordered it much earlier than me. I ordered on 8/29/2016. I’d like to get an idea when I’ll be getting mine.
daniel – please post up a review.
Unfortunately mine was shipped to an old address so I won’t get it for at least a few more days. 🙁
mine is in!!!! i will post my thoughts on the larger thread.
Mine came in…. I went with the stainless steel version and I LOVE IT!!!!!! I had the Fenix 3 TI and upgraded to this model. In my opinion, the TI version of the Chronos isn’t as good looking as the stainless steel version, and the TI band on the Chronos is not as nice as the older TI version. (It’s mostly rubber for $500.) Bottom line: This is the watch I’ve been waiting for. It’s elegant and “smart”. You know what’s funny, I really, really like the look of the watch with the rubber strap. With the rubber strap it reminds me of the IWC-Portuguese Yacht club, with black dial. Maybe that’s a stretch, but not much of one.
Battery life: The 5-week loss of battery life, in watch mode, from the Fenix 3 bothered me until I remembered how fast the Fenix series charges. I can wear it day and night for 3 or 4 days, including workouts, and charge it while I am in the shower. I typically get about a 30%+ jump in battery life while I am in the shower (~30 minutes charging). That jump alone will last 2-3 days. running out of battery is really a non-issue for me. (unlike the apple watch)
Watch band switching finally makes sense, and there is some real innovation here. Having to bring tools to switch bands doesn’t make a lot of sense and the new system is super easy. (Ray made it look way harder than I’ve found it to be. (Sorry Ray)
WIFI is useless function on a watch for me. Using the phone as the connection to the network is seamless. I always have the phone on or near me and the watch can just leverage its connection WIFI or LTE to get the data it needs.
Longevity is kind of wait and see thing. As long as Garmin supports the software I think we are good to go, and I can’t see a refresh timeline as aggressive as mobile phones.
This is a watch for people who like watches. I think Garmin is spot on. They made the best fitness watch in the world and then they made it look great. Unlike some of the other smart watches out there that don’t really have a purpose. This watche’s purpose is clear and now it looks amazing.
Improvements:
Music storage with blue tooth connection to headphones… wait that’s what my phone is for!!
Oh, I’m so jealous. I still have to wait a few more WEEKS before the titanium version arrives. You’re making me doubt my decision to get the titanium. I agree that the stainless steel version is nicer looking, but I chose titanium for the weight. I currently wear the Fenix 3HR with a steel band. It’s heavy, but I’m used to it. I wear it 24/7. I thought the lighter overall weight might be much more comfortable. Decisions…decisions!
I changed my order 4 times going back and forth between stainless and titanium. Ended up getting stainless primarily so that the band would have micro adjustments. The metal band on my F3 never worked well because it was either too big or too small. Plus I think the stainless looks a bit better. With the easily swappable bands, I’ll use the rubber strap when working out so weight won’t matter as much.
Laura,
The rubber strap is the one to use when you are working out, and it still looks great. Get the stainless version and save $500. Look real hard at the TI band. It is just TI covering rubber. The TI links don’t even connect. So it looks like you may have to cut the strap to fit. That doesn’t sound good to me.
Dan,
Exactly, rubber ban is for working out or more casual wear.
I’m still not sure. From the reviews of people who actually held the titanium version, they all say the titanium one looks and feels the most luxurious. I’ll leave my order as is until I get mine. If I’m unimpressed, I’ll look into exchanging it for the stainless steel version.
hi Lawrence,
Does the Chronos look and feel smaller than F3? I used to have Titanium version and this was a bit bulky.. Or it is the same size (more or less)? I hope the new form factor is noticeable..
Art,
I really can’t tell the difference until I try on my dress shirts….it fits but just barely. A custom tailored shirt should fix that for me.
Laura,
I am very interested in your review once your shows up.
Lawrence, I’ll definitely chime in with a review when I finally get the titanium version. It’s supposed to start shipping mid-October. Anticipation…. 😐
Lawrence, I also forgot to mention that I agree with you about your comment of the wifi functionality. After owning the Fenix 3HR for nearly 6 months, I didn’t realize that I never even set wifi up! I always synced it by opening up the Garmin Connect app on my phone and it synced on its own. Therefore, I KNOW I won’t miss the wifi function. I never even used it in the first place! 😀
Lawrence,
Sadly, I just got ANOTHER notification of delay of my titanium chronos. They say late October now. Well, I guess I’d rather have them resolve whatever issue they’re having before sending them out. But it’s rather frustrating with all the delays. I won’t be posting any reviews for probably a month, by the time I receive mine! :/
Mine showed up today. I have the stainless / stainless version and love it. Compared to the Fenix 3, I find the watch is much quicker. Significantly less lag in everything you do, from changing widgets, to saving workouts etc. Also, the buttons are much nicer and not so “mushy”.
I think the watch looks fantastic with the rubber strap, in fact, I probably won’t use the metal strap all that much since it does make the watch size seem much bulkier.
I know the screen has the same resolution, but the new fonts make it appear much crisper.
What about GPS accuracy? Any better?
How’s the durability of the body? Does it scratch easily? How’s the GPS accuracy? Thanks, I’m so jealous.
I have the stainless version so body durability is great! Compared to the Fenix 3 TI, there is a marked improvement in scratch and scuff resistance. (i think that is to be expected based on the different material GPS works well, but I have not done any serious analysis. I leave that to Ray…
Thanks for the response, I’m sold on it. Looks great.
I finally received my Fenix Chronos Titanium version 2 days ago. I love this watch so much! It’s so much lighter in weight than the Fenix 3HR. My new watch weighs 95 grams with the titanium links attached! (I sized it down to fit my 6″ wrist. I removed 6 links from the band.). It’s so comfortable, I wear it 24/7. I can hardly feel it’s on my wrist. I can definitely feel the difference in the processor speed. It responds so much quicker when you’re navigating through the screens. Battery life seems almost the same as the Fenix 3HR despite the smaller battery. On top of all that, this watch is just gorgeous! No regrets on the $1500 price tag. I believe this watch will stay with me for MANY years to come.
Hi laura, one question: is your wrist really 6″ or is it slightly smaller? I’m roughly 6″ but I think my wrist is bigger. I wanted to buy the watch and tbis has been the only critical point so far.
Jim,
My wrist might be a tiny bit smaller than 6″. Your wrist should fit this watch just fine. I still love my watch despite the new series of Fenix 5 that just came out. The Fenix Chronos is the only one that has the entire casing of the watch made out of metal. The only major differences of the new Fenix 5 series is that it has double the memory size, higher resolution screen, and wifi. I always sync my watch through Bluetooth, so I don’t miss that. Regarding memory and higher resolution, I’m a little bugged about that. Overall, I’m still super happy with my Fenix Chronos Titanium.
Hi Laura, thanks for replying!
I bought the watch a few days ago, titanium model as yours, I should be getting it in couple of days and I’ve been assured I can get a refund if I turn it back for any reason.
Regarding the other issues, I gotta be honest with you: if the fenix 5 is turns out to be an excellent product and has some feature/s I really need, I may consider getting it in the future, but it’s unlikely. Resolution, memory and wifi are not things I’ll likely miss.
I only hope they keep releasing firmware updates to the chronos for years to come so at least the 1.500$ thing doesn’t get obsolete.
A few more questions, if you don’t mind:
1) does the battery really lasts for 5-7 days?
2) can you tack your activities without gps/glonass? It seems the gps tracking is the one that spends the most.
3) colors: I’ve read that the best way to get the best colors is by setting it to full brightness. Does that compromise somehow the battery duration?
4) software and notifications: any issues there? do the notifications work reliably?
Thanks!
Jim,
1) Yes, the battery really lasts for 5-7 days. I typically use the GPS tracking for 4 hours per week. I use the bluetooth function to receive all my notifications from my smartphone. I had the Fenix 3HR previously and don’t see much battery decline, regardless of the smaller capacity battery of the Chronos.
2) I believe you can track your activities without GPS/Glonass. You just won’t see that data. GPS tracking does drain the most out of the battery, so you will extend the days of use if you don’t use it.
3) I don’t think the brightness will effect the colors. I do notice that the colors and graphics are more vivid in direct sunlight. When you’re indoors, it’s much harder to see. I haven’t played with adjusting that, so I’m not sure how much that will effect battery life.
4) I’m not sure I understand your question. So far, I update the software/firmware whenever it asks me too. Everything seems to work reliably.
Thanks Laura, really useful info. I hope only it doesn’t look too bad on my wrist and I’ll definitely keep it.
I’ve double checked yesterday and I have a 6” size below my wrist bone (the slimmer part of the wrist) and a 6.7” between the wrist bone and the hand.
It’s one of those things you can’t really know until you get the watch. Thanks again for answering!
Hi Laura, I just got the watch! My wrist is definitely a couple of mm bigger than yours, which makes it, in my personal and subjective opinion, look better, but that’s my personal taste 😉
As you wrote in another comment, it definitely IS a big watch, and you kind of seems weird at first if it’s the first time you wear a watch like this. However, at lest for me, being in the “limit” of acceptable, I got used to it in less than an hour and seems an amazing watch 😉
Laura, sorry to resurrect an old post, but can you explain how you removed links from the titanium strap? I received mine yesterday and I’ve spent a couple of hours with no success. There are 3-4 links each side where the rubber is lower, exposing part of the pin. I’ve tried about 7 different jeweller screwdrivers to pull the pin down, in the hope it will disengage, and nothing seemsto do the trick.
Hi Rainmaker. Thanks so much for this review. I can’t wait to see how apple watch 2 compares with the fenix chronos.
A couple thing I was hoping for in this review that I didn’t find are:
1) Thickness photos of the watches next to each other. Either flat on the cylinder you normally use or flat against a table. It’s a little difficult from what you have posted to see the difference in height.
2) How does the titanium weight compare to the steel without the band…just the watch face itself. Or maybe a comparison between the following three weights: Steel with rubber band, Ti with rubber band, Fenix 2 HR with a rubber band.
I just got the fenix 3 HR (Just bought it) but I’m one of the people that can feel the HR protrusion and the weight of the watch. Both those seem to be addressed here. (Also why I am keenly interested in your apple watch 2 review).
Thanks for everything! Long time lurker of your site.
This would all be very helpful. Actually what I cannot figure out is why the Fenix Sapphire Titanium is only $100 more than the steel but in the Chronos it is $500 more. So I have the same questions on the weight of just the watch faces between Sapphire Steel (Grey) Chronos Steel and Chronos Titanium. As well, the Sapphire Titanium band looks so much better than the Chronos one and yet it costs so much more. From the specs I can find it looks as though there is negligible weight saving in the actual watch between Titanium and Steel and given the much better looking Steel presentation, despite the weight, given the huge savings, is the better way to go. Perhaps someone will come up with a $100 titanium band that looks good to fit the Chronos. I can actually buy a Chronos Steel and a Fenix 3HR for the same price as the Titanium…no need to switch straps for work out!
It is $500 more because the entire case as well as some percentage of the bracelet is titanium. The case including lugs, buttons, bezel, part of the caseback, are all ti. That at least makes up for some of the price difference you inquire about.
I have a question about the golf features on the Chronos – does it include putt stats and fairwaysn hit as it says on the spec sheet? I bought the Tactix Bravo which also claimed it had this feature on the golf scorecard but it does not, so I’m just wondering if this time the specs are correct or still over-promising?
If anyone who has the Chronos could just test it out on the golf app for me please!
Hi there,
Anybody knows if Chronos have or will have Strava Live Segments support as FR735XT got?
I think F3 itself haven’t enough CPU to run it but since Chronos got faster…
Anybody knows the lug width / strap size? 26mm like Fenix 3 or different?
Jose,
The lug width of the Chronos is narrower than the Fenix 3. I believe it may be closer to 24mm.
I believe the lug width is 23mm. My 22mm pebble bands fit ok, but they are slightly small.
Dan,
I feel like I actually read the specs somewhere that it’s 24mm. But I could be wrong. You actually have the watch on hand, so you’re probably correct!?
Laura, That’s probably right. Definitely bigger than 22mm though.
By the way – part of the reason I purchased the stainless was because I had hoped it would have micro adjustments on the band so that I could get a perfect fit.
It doesn’t though I’m fortunately, it does fit pretty well regardless.
My Titanium Chronos arrived today. The lugs are 22mm and no way Fenix 3 straps will fit. The rubber strap provided is very nice. The Titanium strap is better than I was expecting. It can be adjusted my removing links that are held together with pins. I love the watch. 🙂
I got mine from Johnny Appleseed GPS in Australia.
Do you happen to have a Fenix 3 or F3HR. I’d love to see more side by side photos if any are available.
How do you like the heft/weight of it?
Fitted a Hirsch 22mm Carbon leather strap to my Chronos today. Absolutely love this watch.
You sure like your watches tight!
Any word on the durability of the body? Scratch resistance? I’m down with the cost as long as it’s more durable than the Fenix 3. Even the Tactix Bravo is durable but not as durable as I’d like. Thanks.
Ray, great review. Why should I care about not having Wifi? I have a Fenix 3 and I am thinking to upgrade to the steel one here but not sure the impact of the wifi. Sorry for my ignorance.
WIFI is useless function on a watch for me. Using the phone as the connection to the network is seamless. I always have the phone on or near me and the watch can just leverage its connection WIFI or LTE to get the data it needs.
(posted in my comments above)
Anyone receive their Chronos yet? If so, from what retailer/site?
Thanks for the good overview of these new watches of Garmin!
However, I have one question that hopefully you can answer for me:
Can the bands be also bought separately? I did not find anything on the official Garmin website, but if you want to buy the cheapest version with the leather strap for example and later on buy the stainless steel band as an addition, is that even possible? Because, as far as I have understood, the existing bands for the F3 and F3 HR do not fit the chronos lineup right?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Best regards
Ray, I ordered mine thru CT but they have no idea when they will deliver. Are there other retailers that support you that have more clarity on delivery dates? Thank you!
DT, I ordered my Titanium version from CT also. It’s not the retailer’s fault. I called Garmin and they confirmed the delay of them shipping it to their retailers. I only heard of one person so far that got their Titanium version from Australia? Most people still only received the stainless steel and leather versions. I’m hopeful that we’ll get ours soon! I pre-ordered mine in August and kept receiving the delay notices from CT. Keep your fingers crossed! 🙂
Laura, thank you for the response. I ordered the steel one but CT said that they don’t have confirmed delivery days either. Is there any retailer that is delivering the steel one in the US?
DT, I know most retailers already shipped a first batch of the steel and leather versions. I’m still waiting for the first batch of Titanium version which they keep delaying. From what I see online, all the retailers have shipped and sold out of their first batch of steel and leather versions. I don’t think any of the retailers or even Garmin can give you a time estimate of when they will ship out the second batch. I think the demand for these watches are much higher than they anticipated.
Hi, I bought the titanium version yesterday, having held both the steel and titanium versions, it had to be the titanium! The titanium version is only very slightly darker in appearance than the steel one.
Some initial (and superficial) views only, as I am unfortunately laid up with pneumonia so not able to exercise?:
One immediate disappointment – the titanium bracelet needs to be size adjusted by a jeweler – it can’t be done yourself.
The screen is not as bright as the pictures on various websites, in the instructions manual etc suggests. The colors are quite muted. It may be that I have not worked out the settings yet. No big deal, I actually prefer the understated look.
The watch is very comfortable to wear – despite wearing a way smaller 60 year old Omega for the past 27 years, the increased bulk does not bother me at all.
The watch is incredibly easy to learn to use – it paired with my iPhone at the first attempt, and all of the other menus/settings are very intuitive.
Whilst it feels like the most exorbitant purchase I’ve made for myself, my buyer’s remorse is almost non existent – that’s pretty amazing for me!
HR measurement looks to be very accurate after the first hour or so. Sleep measurement looks good too. Can’t wait to try the damn thing running and hiking!!
Enjoy, PG!
One amendment to above – worked out how to adjust the titanium band myself – a small screwdriver or long nails is enough. It is VERY snug fitting. Ideally I’d like to be able to adjust by half a link – pity there is no micro adjustment possible through the closing mechanism.
I’m happy about your decision that the titanium is better than the steel. I chose the titanium and only have that one to hold in my possession so I had nothing to compare to. I love my watch as well. I did manage to size the links myself and also agree that it would be great if the links had half sizes. Mine is either a little too tight or a little too loose. I chose tighter. Hopefully, I’ll get used to it this way.
Ray, what’s your take on these rumors about the next Fenix?
link to the5krunner.com
link to appelmoessite.wordpress.com
Hi Guys,
does the optical hr sensor work while wearing the watch with the metal bands or aren’t they tight enough so you have to Change the bands for every sport unit?
Best,
Matthias
Diameter is 49 mm, ‘stylishly large!! ‘
I too have the titanium version, it’s very comfortable but I do switch the band for runs to here the OHR meter tighter against the skin – the titanium band cannot be fine adjusted. Still, the quick connect works well and it’s done inside a minute – the sports band even looks nice too.
The OHR does of course work with the titanium band but I did see more variability than with the sports band.
What is diameter of that watch?
I like the lather style but worry about the size!!!
Great work as usually Ray. I was just wondering do you have mistake on Fenix3 with titanium band weight, or is that really titanium band? My Fenix 3 HR with titanium band weight is only something like 135g.
Hmm, not sure what to say. I’ve got the pic showing 198g. :-/ That’s roughly in the ballpark with the official specs that I see on the Garmin.com site.
Ok, weird. Weight and looks just seems to be more like metal/stainless steel than titanium band. I mean, I can live with approx. 30g heavier fenix3 with titanium band than Chronos titanium, but almost double weight would be too much even for me… ..so that would be really bad for my wallet 🙂
Could it be that it’s the stainless steel band in that pic? Looks (and weighs) like it 🙂
Did some checking, it’s actually the Sapphire Edition with the metal bands. Text fixed. Thanks!
Thanks for the great review! Maybe a little language problem; I don’t understand if the watch faces on the chronos is different for each of the three models? I like the leather wristband, so I get the watch face with the red circle? An the other two models don’t have this watch face? Thanks for clarifying this 😀
I received all three of the above watch faces and what appears to be 11 total analog faces. However, they are configurable so you can change background color and hands giving you plenty of options. There are also several digital faces to choose from as well not to mention the connect IQ faces you can choose from. My current favorite face is the Flieger Type B.
I never cared about any of Garmin’s watches. I have the Vivoactive HR, which does almost everything and while not small is still a decent size for a wearable etc.
Having said that, I’m glad Garmin have released the Chronos. It is the first time I am getting a Garmin watch, and never considered the Fenix 3 at all, and still would not.
I guess there is a market for the Chronos. I was looking at TAG Heuer’s smart watch and it never crossed my mind to get it, but Garmin’s take on this … awesome.
Great review by the way, as always!
I’m interested in the titanium chronos.
As you’ve seen this in person, up close, can you please comment on the following:
1. The elastomer part of the band. Does this cheapen the look of the watch? Can you presume that this will wear out in time from normal daily wear? When work on the wrist, does the black elastomer come through between the links, thus making it look less like a metal watch? Why do you think they used this and not just all titanium band.
2. Red tachometer and button. Does this appear as an eye sore? I’m wondering if the red writing makes it look not as nice of a watch in person.
Thanks
Hey Stephen,
Most things are personal preference. I saw a review or two that hated the red on the watch. For me, I personally don’t mind the splash of color. I don’t believe that the silicone band will wear out anytime soon no matter how active you are. Its seems comparable to a previously owned silicone band I wore for several years in some pretty harsh environments although slightly thinner in width.
If you didn’t know that the there was silicone underneath the titanium band the black silicone is unnoticeable. it would just appear like a dark void but since the TI links don’t touch they appear to float. all in all I think if you like what you see in the pictures/video you will like it in person just as much if not more. It is a very gorgeous watch and its super light.
If you have more questions feel free to ask.
Question: what is the maximum battery life with GPS and strap-on HR-sensor? e.g. without optical HR and all other settings optimised for battery life?
Would like to know if it survives an amateur Ironma distance (e.g. 13 hours). The spec is not clear on battery life with remote HR!
Thanks a bundle if you could answer.
Hello Alexander,
I do not know if is not already late, but I can answer your question:
I have used my Chronos 4,5 hrs with 1 sec GPS, bluetooth and OHR disabled and chest HRM – battery consumption was 30%. While battery consumption is quite fluent in my experience it is realistic to expect 14-15 hrs battery life in this mode.
Once yoou use OHR and bluetooth, battery life is definitely shorter, in my estimate about 10-11 hrs.
For Smart watch use (bluetooth on, OHR on, no GPS) Chronos battery lasts 12 days.
I hope it helps
Jiri
Something is wrong with the weight section.. Third picture there (198g) must be Fenix 3 sapphire or F3 HR with stainless steel band?? Says Chronos with titanium band in picture text, and F3 with titanium band in the box. Garmin titanium band is silver not black? Also the weight fits with steel band.
Thanks. Did some checking, it’s actually the Sapphire Edition with the metal bands. Text fixed. Thanks!
Hey guys.. is the case/bezel of the watch the same color for the TI and the Stainless steel version? I want to get the steel version but may want to upgrade to the TI band at some point in the future… Just wondering if the colors of the TI band would match the case of the steel watch, or if it will look off.
I just ordered the stainless steel model…
Does anyone know if the new quickfit bands work for the chronos? Which version of the quickfit? I’d ike to get a nice quick fit silicon band to wear for my runs and swims!.
Are there new chorno coming this or next yr??
Thanks for the Cnd $ conversion!
To resurrect an old thread… Garmin just replaced my 2.5 year old Chronos due to a cracking / delaminating optical heart rate monitor.
Replaced for free (it was in bad shape). 1.5 years out of warranty, so i appreciate Garmin’s support.
Mine was replaced too, but I had to argue quite a bit before they finally agreed to replace it for free. I did end up paying postage to ship mine back. My Training Status has disappeared since over 6 months. Even with the replacement watch, it no longer shows that data. I don’t know why.
Dan/Laura, Did they require any paperwork like receipts or warranty? I no longer have the receipt etc. and I now have two probelsm with my Titanium Chronos. The sensor has started to craze (not cracking yet, but its heading that way), and more annoyingly, the rubber has split on 3 of the links, so the titanium strap is now unusable. I’m going to contact Garmin UK to se if they will replace either the HR sensor or the unit, and also if they will send some replacement links. I love the strap, its really comfortable but unfortunately the rubber is the major design flaw in what is otherwise a really nice strap.
They will replace an out of warranty watch with a refurbished one + a new rubber strap for around $300.
Thanks for the instant reply, Dan. That’s pretty steep but sadly I think its the only option for me.
The watch is worth it. I replaced mine with a 6x pro solar but actually just switched back to the chronos and selling the 6x because I love the build, weight and look of the Titanium chronos.
They don’t require paperwork because they should have a record of your purchase if you registered the product when you first got it. I agree with Dan, the Chronos Titanium is still the nicest looking Garmin watch. So I’d repair it for the $300 charge to replace it. Good luck!?
I forgot to mention, they will send you new rubber links for free even out of warranty. You can also purchase them for around $20.
So as long as the heart rate monitor is working, I’d just get the band fixed for no cost.
The rubber/titanium links? $20 per link/piece? You guys didn’t keep the spare pieces when you sized it? Or your wrist is large, so you needed them all?
Also, if the HR sensor has micro hairline cracks in them, I would get it replaced. That’s how mine was, that’s a defect! My replacement I’ve had for 2 years now, hasn’t cracked again. The resin on the HR sensor shouldn’t crack. That’s a defect in the material used for that batch of watches.
That’s good to know. I didn’t realize you can take apart the rubber parts from the titanium band.
I would hold off paying the $278 replacement fee also. My only concern is that if more years pass, they won’t have replacements available anymore.
Laura,
They sell a link repair kit for $20(ish) which includes all the rubber pieces in the band. However, they provided the repair kit to me for free, for a used watch I bought well out of warranty.
As far as whether to replace for the “cracking” HR monitor… that’s certainly a personal choice. If it works, I’d delay as long as possible then pay the $278… but again, to each their own.
Laura/Dan, thanks for your additional info, that’s really useful. I was despairing when I looked at the broken links, as the ones that broke weren’t the removable ones by the clasp, that you remove to size the bracelet, they’re the normal ones and I couldn’t see any way to replace that rubber, except on the removable ones with the spring pin.The cracking on the HR monitor is now visible, but they’re still minor. Clearly in time they will only get worse. If Garmin are happy to send me a couple of replacement links, I’d be content to see how the cracking goes, and hold off replacing the whole unit. Iagree with you both, its still the nicest Fenix I’ve owned and I’d be happy to keep using it for several more years. I’ve read quite a bit on the forums about the resin cracking, and lots of comments about a tough, tactical watch series like the Fenix that shouldn’t be experiencing these problems. I generally agreed with those comments, until I read about the effects of soap and sunscreen on the resin. I’ve always left my fenix on my wrist when I get in the shower, to rinse it in water, but I take it off before using soap or shampoo or products, mainly as I didn’t want a build up of gunk on the watch.Having read how corrosive some sunscreens or soaps are, I’m glad I only ever rinsed the 5 or 6 Fenix models I’ve had. Several people have mentioned that they received replacement units for various models (I think the 935 had a particular problem, I never owned one) and most said they didn’t experience the cracking again, so I hope that means they have fixed the resin problem. I’m waiting for a reply from Garmin so I’ll let you know the outcome. Fingers crossed.
I just wanted to share my end-of-life experience with my 6-year-old Garmin Fenix Chronos. I knew that it would stop receiving software updates, and I was OK with it continuing to do what it did. What I was not expecting was that when the battery dies, it becomes e-waste. This is.because Garmin does not sell replacement batteries, does not recommend battery replacement due to waterproofing concerns, does not have refurbished watches for purchase/exchange, and does not offer any type of discount on a similar premium watch. So basically, Garmin recommends you throw your watch away when the battery dies after 6 years.
Apple, on the other hand, will replace the batteries on Apple Watches, but Garmin does not sell replacement batteries to watch stores who sell Garmin watches and have lots of experience repairing watches. This is very disappointing for a watch that costs $1500, and even more disappointing for a Garmin Marq 2 that can cost as much as $2400. I initially through this might be a right-to-repair issue, but since no one can repair them, it’s more of a “Garmin doesn’t care” issue.
Background Info for Anyone Interested:
To summarize the problem, I connect my Garmin Chronos to a charger, it boots, gives a critical low battery warning, and shuts down. It will not charge. I contacted Garmin support. Here’s a summary of the chat:
Session started between Taylor and Carlton
Carlton: The battery is dead in my watch. It will occasionally power on, give a “critical low battery” error, then shut down. It will not charge on different cables. It will not show up as a connected device on my computer via usb
Taylor: Have you tried using a different cable?
Carlton: Carlton: Yes, I have 2 cables. No difference.
Taylor: So I believe we are at the point of exchange, but unfortunately we no longer have this device in stock. I can offer 20% off the list price of a fenix 6/7.
Carlton: I’m not really interested in a Fenix 6 or 7, because they are plastic watches and don’t look as nice as my Chronos. I really just want a new battery for my existing watch.
Taylor: We do not sell batteries and really do not recommend replacing them because it can mess up the water proof seal of the watch.
Carlton: Can a watch store replace the battery? I purchased it from a watch store and they replace batteries in other waterproof watches I have.
Taylor: that is something you would have to ask the watch store to see if it is something they are able to do. I am not really sure.
Carlton: Are Garmin replacement batteries available to Garmin authorized watch stores? I’m guessing the Chronos doesn’t use a standard battery type.
Taylor: No we do not sell batteries you would have to purchase from a third party seller.
Carlton: So I guess my watch is basically e-waste when the battery dies?
Taylor: Yeah, unless you want to exchange it for the discount on the Fenix 6/7.
Carlton: I can’t exchange it for a discount on watch that is more similar, like a Marq?
Taylor: Unfortunately it has to be the same model.
Carlton: The Fenix doesn’t seem like the same model to me. So I guess I’m out of options. I’ll probably look into an Apple Watch Ultra instead, because at least they will replace the batteries when they die, even though I don’t like the Apple watches as much as Garmin watches.
Taylor: That is an option you have, I am unable to exchange for a different style of watch, so the fenix 6/7 is the only thing I am capable of.
Carlton: OK, I understand. I know you don’t set the policies. I was just hoping Garmin would have better support, especially for premium products purchased from a watch store. Anyway, thanks for your help. Have a nice day.
Taylor: Enjoy the rest of your day. If you change your mind and want to move forward with the exchange I will leave notes in your account.
Carlton: Thank you.Taylor:
Taylor has exited the session.
The conversation has been ended.
Hi Carlton,
Reading your conversation with Garmin, the representative seems a little clueless. If I were you, I would just take it to a watch repair place and see if they can replace the battery for you. I don’t think it should be that complicated. I too, love my Fenix Chronos Titanium. It’s still the best Garmin watch ever made, even compared to the newer Marq series. Our Chronos has bigger memory storage than Marq for 3rd party apps/data screens. Don’t give up on the watch until you’ve tried everything!
Hi – I’m wondering whether you can give any hints as to how I can replace the rubber bits on the titanium bits which attach to the watch itself. In the photograph attached, how do I join the parts in A so that they look like B. Any assistance would be appreciated as Garmin support aren’t proving to be a great help. I can’t believe that nobody else has encountered this issue.
Thanks in advance
Andrew Westcott
Oh wow, that does look impossible to put together. How did you get the replacement silicone bit? I have the same watch, and agree that it’s frustrating Garmin no longer supports our $1500 watch. I had a battery that no longer held juice. I bought an aftermarket one, and luckily it was easy to swap out. I was so scared to break the watch. I successfully swapped the battery for a higher capacity one. Good luck with the watch strap, hope someone answers here to help you.
You guys aren’t going to believe this, but your pic shows how to install the double sided spring bars. On the double sided spring bars in the part marked B, there is a flathead screw slot on the spring bar handle on the left that you can actually see in the pic if you blow it up. It is so small, I needed a small knife from my multitool to loosen it since even my eyeglass screwdriver didn’t work. But if you unscrew that little bit, you can pull out the spring bar. This screw is TINY so be careful. I’m not sure if anyone else is dealing with this in 2024. I JUST got the hybrid rubber kit from Garmin from customer service in 2/2024, but who knows how long they will have it since it is a very old product. However, this will allow me to refurbish my titanium hybrid band since the rubber has totally disintegrated.