What Is Garmin Sapphire Edition? Is It Worth It?

If you are considering buying a Garmin Smartwatch Sapphire Edition but are unsure if it’s worth the investment, then this guide is for you.

Garmin Smartwatches are some of the most durable smartwatches out there and they are well-built and can handle rough treatment pretty well. On top of the regular versions, Garmin offers a special edition for some of its popular smartwatches and in this guide, I’ll tell you if it is worth your attention or not.

In this WearToTrack Guide, I’ll cover the following topics:

• How Garmin Sapphire Edition is different from other Garmin Smartwatches
• How durable is Sapphire glass?
• Sapphire Glass vs Gorilla Glass: Which one is better?
• Garmin Smartwatches with Sapphire Glass
• And many more!

So, without any further ado, let’s get into it.

For more details on this subject, please check out this post that I published recently – Syncing Up The Garmin Connect With Popular Third-Party Fitness Apps In 2023.

What is Garmin Sapphire Edition?

The Garmin Sapphire Edition is the special edition of the sapphire watches, which comes with the sapphire glass.

Garmin watches are pretty popular among the adventurers, so the company has introduced the sapphire edition that comes with the sapphire glass, which is known for its durability.

The company offers the Sapphire Edition for its various models.

How Good Is Sapphire Glass?

The main reason why sapphire is getting is so popular out there is that it is very durable. It is the second hardest material on earth after the diamond, which shows why many companies, including Garmin, use it in their premium watches.

As Sapphire Glass is very strong and hard, it doesn’t get scratched as the other type of glass out there.

So, if you get the sapphire edition of the Garmin, then you can be sure that your watch won’t get the scratches.

Is Sapphire Glass Better than Gorilla Glass?

Garmin offers both types of glass on its watches, you can get the watches with the Gorilla Glass as well as Sapphire. When it comes to durability, Sapphire is more durable than the Gorilla Glass, but it is also true that Sapphire is more expensive than the Gorilla Glass.

So, if you are looking for more durable glass on your Fenix, then you should go for Sapphire Glass, but the Gorilla Glass also offers much better protection then a regular glass. Also, in terms of visibility, sapphire glass is shinier, which can cause some visibility issues under direct sunlight.

Which Garmin Watches Have Sapphire Glass?

Sapphire Glass is a premium gloss which is the reason why you will find it only on premium smartwatches and Garmin is no exception. Garmin also uses Sapphire Glass on its top-of-the-line smartwatches to make them more durable and scratch resistant. In this section, I’m going to tell you about the Garmin Smartwatches that come with Sapphire Glass.

1. Garmin Fenix 7

Let’s start with the Garmin Fenix 7 which is one of the premium smartwatches by Garmin and this comes with a very special type of Sapphire glass which is known as Power Sapphire.

The unique thing about Power Sapphire is that it comes with embedded solar cells which basically convert sunlight into battery power. Garmin develops this technology for its solar smartwatches and it’s exclusively available on Garmin Smartwatches.

When it comes to durability, Garmin Power Sapphire is as durable as normal sapphire glass. So, you don’t have to worry about its durability and scratches.

Similarly, the body is made up of high-quality polymer while the bezel and rear cover are made up of titanium. This combination of polymer and titanium makes the Garmin Fenix 7 durable without adding a lot of weight to it.

When it comes to features, Garmin Fenix 7 is as good as any other premium smartwatch. From heart-rate monitoring to advanced health snapshot, Fenix 7 is equipped with tons of advanced fitness features which will help you stay fit. 

The battery life of Fenix 7 Solar is also pretty good. You get up to 73 hours with GPS and in expedition mode, you can extend it up to 2 months.

So, if you want a premium Garmin smartwatch with solar charging capabilities and Power Sapphire glass, you can’t go wrong with Garmin Fenix 7.

2. Garmin Tactix 7

Garmin Tactix series comes with some of the best tactical smartwatches out there and Tactix 7 is the latest addition to this series. As these smartwatches are designed for the military, they come with sapphire glass by default and Tactix 7 is no exception here.

Garmin Tactix 7 comes with sapphire glass in the standard version and Power Sapphire Glass in the solar version. Like other Garmin smartwatches, Tactix 7 also comes with a pretty durable build. The body is made up of lightweight but high-quality polymer but you get a titanium bezel and rear cover for protection.

In Tactix 7, you get a suite of advanced features including heart-rate tracking, resting heart rate, abnormal heart-rate alerts, respiration rate, body battery, Pulse OX, and workout tracking. 

As far as the battery life is concerned, Tactix 7 offers 89 hours of battery life with GPS which you can extend up to 62 days using the expedition mode.

So, if you want a Garmin military smartwatch with sapphire glass, you can’t go wrong with Garmin Tactix 7.

3. Garmin Enduro 2

Garmin Enduro 2 is another premium Garmin smartwatch that comes with sapphire glass. As the name suggests, this smartwatch is all about endurance which makes it an ideal smartwatch for adventure sports and outdoor activities.

In Enduro 2, you get a special type of Sapphire Glass known as Power Sapphire which protects the watch and converts sunlight to battery power. The body of Enduro 2 is made up of high-quality polymer and it comes with a titanium bezel and rear cover for protection.

When it comes to features, it comes all-day heart-rate monitor, sleep tracking, fitness age, Stress tracker, hydration, Pulse OX, and dedicated 32 GB music storage. On top of these regular features, Enduro 2 comes with special features such as VO2 Max (trail run), Climb Pro, and ultrarunning features which are designed for adventure sports.

Also, the battery life of Enduro 2 is very good. It offers 150 hours of battery life with GPS and there’s an expedition mode which offers 77 days of battery life. Also, there are other power-saving modes that you can use to extend the battery life.

So, if you are looking for a high-endurance Garmin smartwatch with sapphire glass and extraordinary battery life, you can’t go wrong with Garmin Enduro 2.

4. Garmin Quatix 7

If you are someone who is in the Navy or you generally go in the sea, you can consider Garmin Quatix 7. It’s a Premium Marine smartwatch that is designed for Mariners and it comes with some very useful boating-specific features which can help you in the open sea.

It comes with useful features such as an anchor alarm, autopilot control, and tide data which can be useful for sailors. On top of that, you also get sailing features such as tack assist, pre-race guidance, and sail racing. The Quatix 7 is also equipped with regular fitness tracking features such as heart-rate monitoring, stress monitoring, sleep tracking, body battery, fitness age, sleep insights, hydration tracking, and Jet Lag Advisor.

The Sapphire Edition of Quatix 7 comes with sapphire glass and if you opt for the Solar edition you will get power Sapphire glass. Like other premium Garmin smartwatches, Quatix 7 also comes with a polymer body and features a titanium bezel and rear cover for protection.

The battery life on Quatix 7 is also impressive. You get up to 42 hours with GPS and expedition mode offers up to 14 days of battery life.

Overall, If you are looking for a premium marine smartwatch with sapphire glass and boating-specific features, you can’t go wrong with Garmin Quatix 7.

5. Garmin D2 Mach 1

Garmin D2 Mach 1 is a premium aviator smartwatch that also comes with sapphire glass. The smartwatch comes in two versions: The titanium version & standard version. The titanium version comes with a titanium strap while the standard version comes with a leather band.

The overall body for both versions stays the same. Its body is made up of high-quality polymer and it features a titanium ring and rear cover. 

The unique thing about D2 Mach 1 is its aviation-specific features. For starters, it comes with a database of all the airports in the world with detailed information such as frequencies, runways, and approach procedures. On top of that, it also comes with features such as flight logging, direct-to-navigation, and support for moving map displays.

The watch is also equipped with regular fitness tracking features such as heart-rate monitoring, Pulse Ox, hydration, sleep tracking, and workout monitoring. 

D2 Machv1 also offers great battery life. You will get around 42 hours of battery on a single charge and it offers different battery modes which you can use to extend its battery life.

So, if you are a pilot and looking for a high-quality aviation smartwatch with sapphire glass, you can’t go wrong with Garmin D2 Mach 1.

6. Garmin Epix (Gen 2)

Garmin Epix (Gen 2) is another very popular Garmin smartwatch that is available in Sapphire Edition. The standard version comes with gorilla glass and stainless steel build but on the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition, you get Sapphire glass and titanium on the bezel and rear cover.

In Garmin Epix (Gen 2), you get a wide range of sensors that will be tracking your sleep, heart rate, sleep, stress, Pulse OX, hydration, and fitness age.

When it comes to battery performance, Epix (Gen 2) offers 42 hours of battery life which you can extend to 14 days by using expedition mode.

Overall, if you are looking for a high-end Garmin smartwatch for tracking your indoor and outdoor workouts, Garmin Epix (Gen 2) is a solid option.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Does Sapphire Mean On Garmin?

If your Garmin smartwatch has Sapphire written on its specifications, it means that it has the Sapphire glass on it. Sapphire Glass is way more durable than regular glass and it also has good protection against scratches. However, it’s an expensive glass and you will find it on premium Garmin smartwatches such as Fenix 7 and Epix (Gen 2).

What Is The Fenix Sapphire Edition?

Fenix Sapphire Edition is a version of the Garmin Fenix smartwatch that comes with Sapphire glass on top of the display which provides great protection against scratches.

Is It Worth Getting The Sapphire Edition?

Yes, Sapphire Edition smartwatches are way more durable than regular smartwatches when it comes to scratch resistance. So, if you don’t want your smartwatch to have scratches, then investing in a Sapphire Edition smartwatch will be a good investment.

Conclusion

Garmin offers premium Sapphire Edition for some of its high-end smartwatches. While it surely adds to the cost of the smartwatch, it comes with extra durability which makes it a good investment, especially for people who want a durable and reliable smartwatch. 

So, If you are interested in buying a Garmin smartwatch with sapphire glass, you can choose from the list because these are the best Garmin smartwatches that come with sapphire glass.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, check this guide where I’ve shared the 11 smartwatches with the longest battery life.