Fox Morgan, Phil Sampson and Roger Hughes trst and review 16 of the best sailing watches available with functions for racing and cruising sailors
Just as tablets and even smartphones have revolutionised how sailors use multifunction displays and instruments, so the latest smart watch technology has now firmly filtered into sailing. While we’re now familiar with using our watches to give us directions, make calls and send messages, and act as a repeater screen on our wrists ashore, so the latest sailing watches also make navigation, data and comms technology wearable afloat.
However, the cleverest watch is not always the best watch for sailing. For racing an extremely simple and speedy to operate model may suit better. Price is not always an indicator of functionality either; even some of the least expensive sailing watches, like the Casio we showcase below, can be packed with features.
At the other end of the scale, luxury horology brands – including Rolex, Panerai, and Omega among others – have long been closely associated with sailing, seeing it as the perfect sport to demonstrate their style, waterproof and ruggedised qualities, and accuracy.
In making our selection of the best sailing watches, we’ve chosen those with features specifically suitable for wearing aboard. That doesn’t mean, however, that they float, so be sure to do the clasp up securely and be wary of pulling off jacket sleeves in a hurry and losing your prized timepiece overboard!
Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Best multi-function sailing watches
Quatix 6, tested by Fox Morgan
Garmin Quatix 6 sailing watch
Best smart sailing watch
Read our in depth Quatix 6 review and long term test.
This watch we tried out at length – it is a very comprehensive design, with functions for every type of pastime on the water, including diving. It is a beautifully crafted and extraordinary wrist computer.
Garmin is well known for superior boating instruments and they have now managed to squeeze all the data of a ten-inch chartplotter into a 1.3” inch round sailing watch.
Bluetooth functionality means you can connect it to a Garmin chartplotter using the free Garmin Connect app, and to other makes of plotter using the Garmin transceiver (a $150 extra).
This allows all the features of a chartplotter to be displayed on the watch, including charts and even autopilot control to allow you to change heading or follow a GPS route – provided it is also connected through the chartplotter.
The Quatix 6 also offers more typical smartwatch functions including the ability to receive email and texts, can be used to control music on board, and monitors the user’s heart-rate.
It’s simple to switch between ‘boat display’ and ‘stylish watch’ modes, as hundreds of different watch faces that can be downloaded to customise it to the wearer’s preference, including an antique style face and even a copy of Big Ben. The Quatix 6 can also be switched between analogue and digital.
It’s overall diameter is 51mm (2” in) with a 36mm (1 5/8” in) viewable face, and it is 17mm (11/16”) thick. The Quatix 6’s weight is 83g (3oz) with the plastic strap or 156g (5.5oz) with the stainless band, which is quite a bit heavier than a conventional watch.
It is waterproof to 100 metres, sunlight readable and has a night light mode. The watch has a soft synthetic wristband, available in various colours.
A single charge will last 14 days with normal use, or there is also a solar-powered version for continuous self-charging (available at twice the price). But whatever you do, do not drop this sailing watch overboard, as it does not float!
Reasons to buy
• Suits a multitude of water activity
• Highly customizable
• An incredible amount of data available on your wrist
• A single charge lasts 14 days
Reasons to avoid
• High level of functionality is not for the technologically phobic.
Buy the Garmin Quatix 6 now from Garmin UK
Buy the Garmin Quatix 6 now from Amazon
Quatix 7, tested by Fox Morgan
Garmin Quatix 7
Garmin’s latest sailing smartwatch includes improvements to strengthen integration with onboard electronics.
It’s a touchscreen model that can, for instance, be used to control MFD displays or Fusion audio systems, as well as Garmin autopilots.
But as a Quatix 6 user and someone with touchscreen fatigue, the first thing I did was turn off the touch screen function. It’s pretty quick to toggle between it being on or off, but it’s been off now for a few months.
Quatix 6 and Quatix 7 in daylight conditions
The two Quatix watches, the Quatix 6 on the left and Quatix 7 on the right, in darker conditions
So let’s address the major change for the Quatix 7 over the Quatix 6, and that’s the display. Plenty of folks complained about the darkness or difficulty seeing the Quatix 6 screen, so they’ve addressed that with a much brighter lit up style of screen. Whilst this might appease a large number of wearers, I have found it a bit garish and a major battery suck. It is very bright even when turned to its dimmest setting. To save the battery from being drained unnecessarily at night, there’s a night time version of the watch screen where you can view it as a digital numeric mono display, on demand, otherwise the screen is completely blank.
This bright screen comes at a cost to the battery life. Whereas the Quatix 6 could last a whole 10 days, the Quatix 7 barely makes 6 days before I need to plug it in to charge.
Another tweek to the watch is the raised housing either side of the MOB button. Some people with bigger wrists than mine noted that it was too easy to accidentally trigger the MOB button just by articulating their wrist.
Although both the Quatix 6 and the Quatix 7 have the same overall size dimensions, the screen on the Quatix 7 is bigger due to the thinner bezel.
As for the functionality of the watch, very little has changed to my own user experience other than the menus being moved around and a few user interface design tweeks. I still track my cycle rides, coastal rowing and some of my sailing, plus I track my sleep and overall health monitor. The Quatix 7 has integrated more functionality into the Garmin app on the phone, so it’s easier to make changes to the user functionality of various apps within the watch, rather than having to fiddle about doing them on screen as with the earlier Quatix watches.
Would I tell someone with a Quatix 6 to upgrade to a 7? Probably not, you could wait for the next one, unless the dark screen has you cursing, then sure, do it. But if you don’t have a Quatix watch yet, or yours is an older version, then I would say absolutely yes! This is a brilliant watch with a huge amount of functionality for anyone whose life revolves around being in, on and around water. I feel utterly undressed without my Quatix these days.
I’ve docked the watch half a star for the reduction in battery life over the Quatix 6. Other than that, this is an utterly brilliant piece of kit.
Also, if you love to change the look of your watch, the straps are quick release so you can swap them out within seconds.
In the pictures you’ll see two other strap options other than the standard Blue as supplied with the Quatix out of the box.
To buy the metal strap or the yellow strap you get get those via the links below. There’s loads of colours and styles to choose from, so if these don’t float your boat, there’s probably something else that does.
High end Sapphire models add a new ultra-clear AMOLED touchscreen.
Price: £599.99 to £1,049.99
Buy the Garmin Quatix 7 now on Garmin.com
Buy the Garmin Quatix 7 now on Amazon
Buy the Garmin Quatix 7 now on Jura Watches
Buy Metal strap for all Quatix 22mm watches
Buy a colourful Yellow strap for all Quatix 22mm watches
Instinct 2, tested by Anna Kastanias Kirton and Fox Morgan
Garmin Instinct 2S Solar
The Instinct 2, launched in February 2022 is Garmin’s all-round watch, which they call their outdoors watch. Features that are particularly relevant to sailors include GPS positioning on charts; barometric pressure and a compass.
It has smartphone connectivity, receives emails and texts, and can control music via a phone. This watch also has an inbuilt thermometer and heart rate monitor.
The Garmin Instinct is available in no fewer than 20 different styles and colours. It’s actual diameter is 47mm (1 13/16” in) but the viewable face is 32mm (1 1/4”). The Instinct is 16mm (5/8” in) thick and weighs 53g (2 oz).
For racing sailors, it also has multiple start sequence options. We have an indepth review from long term testing of this watch coming soon.
Garmin Instinct 2, used in our recent lifejacket test
Garmin Instinct 2 – sport modes
The Garmin Instinct watch is a good alternative for anyone seeking a more moderately priced alternative to the Quatix 6.
Read our Garmin Instinct review for the previous model
Reasons to buy
• GPS positioning on charts, barometric pressure and compass
• Smartphone connectivity
• An incredible amount of styles and colours
• A single charge lasts 14 days
Reasons to avoid
• Premium price without a premium design
Garmin Instinct 2S Solar
Buy the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar now from John Lewis
Buy the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar now from Wiggle
Buy the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar now from Garmin
Buy the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar from Amazon
Marq Captain, tested by Hugo Andreae
Garmin MARQ Captain
Best feature-packed sailing watch
Our top priced pick comes from wearable tech-specialists, Garmin. The MARQ Captain sailing watch comes packed with marine-relevant features.
Functions include weather and tidal data for your home port, a regatta timer to pinpoint starting times, a ‘tack assist’ function to determine whether you’re on lift or a header, a man overboard button and GPS.
The full extent of its capabilities is governed by the onboard technology to which it is connected, but possibilities include streaming boat data direct to your wrist wherever you are on the boat and controlling products from the Garmin-owned Fusion range of audio systems.
Reasons to buy
• Weather and tidal data
• MOB and GPS functions
• Stream boat data to your wrist
Reasons to avoid
• Full extent of capabilities is governed by the onboard technology it’s connected to
• Premium price
Buy the Garmin MARQ Captain now from Garmin
Buythe Garmin MARQ Captain now from Westmarine.com
Buy the Garmin MARQ Captain now from Jura Watches
Spinnaker Hass, tested by Phil Pryor, Alex Hancock and Fox Morgan
Spinnaker Hass Automatic
The joy of a traditional analogue watch is right here in this stylish all metal timepiece from Spinnaker.
Spinnaker Watches collaborated with the Marine Conservation Society to produce this limited edition model that’s a tribute to marine biologist and pioneering diver Hans Hass.
If you want to ditch the computers and keep it simple then this is definitely worth a look.
It feels reassuringly sturdy with it’s all metal band and easy to read rating bezel.
It’s waterproof to 300m and requires no batteries as this watch self winds from the motion of your hand through every day movement.
The winder unscrews to allow time, day and date adjustment and that my friends is all there is to this gorgeous watch. At least as far as the wearer is concerned.
Behind that metal back is the smooth Japanese workings of a self winding watch. When it arrived in the box the watch was still and inactive. But the moment I removed it from the box it started to self wind. With just a small amount of movement, the second hand was moving.
For sailors who want to a sleek non electric time piece and for those divers who like to go under the water as well as on it.
Best be quick though, this watch is selling out all over the place due to high demand.
I love this safety yellow colourway as it really stands out and is easy to read. This might not be to everyone’s taste though which is fine because the Spinnaker Hass comes in 9 different colourways.
Reasons to buy
smart styling, easy to read day and night, electronics free, self winding
Reasons to avoid
due to self winding mechanism the watch is not as slim as a quart movement watch which might mean that cuffs on shirts and foulies are tight.
Price: £375
Buy the Spinnaker Hass now on eBay
Buy Spinnaker Hass from Spinnaker
Casio Tide Watch Orange
Best value sailing watch
There’s no question that when it comes to affordable innovation, Casio is right up there.
Despite being one of the lowest-priced watches in our selection, the Casio Tide Watch Orange is a highly functional piece of kit which, in addition to all the usual time, day and auto date functions also features a tide graph and lunar phase display.
More conventional sailing watch functions include a timer, stopwatch and LED might. It is water resistant to 100m and promises a 10-year battery life, all packed into a 43mm diameter case.
Reasons to buy
• Great value
• Highly functional
• 10-year battery life
Reasons to avoid
• Lacking in design
• Lacking extensive features of premium alternatives
Buy the Casio Tide Watch Orange now from Amazon
Best sailing watches for racing
Ronstan ClearStart Race Timer
Best racing sailing watch
With wrist, hull, mast or boom mount options, the Swiss-made Ronstan ClearStart Race Timer is aimed squarely at racing sailors.
Made by renowned rigging and hardware company Ronstan, it’s a robust design with a secure elastic strap and substantial ‘bumper’ around the digital display.
The ClearStart Race Timer’s features include extra-large, easy-press silicon buttons, a highlighted start/stop button, oversized 16 mm digits set in a 65mm rotating face and a double line display simultaneously showing the race countdown and time.
In addition, the ClearStart Race Timer offers ‘5-4-1-0’ and Match Racing start sequence programmes, making it a great choice for competitive sailors. Ruggedly constructed and built to last, this sailing watch weighs in at 92 grammes and is water-resistant to 50 metres.
Reasons to buy
• Robust design with secure strap
• Extra-large, easy to press silicon buttons
• Great display
Reasons to avoid
• Some consumers report issues with clasp/strap
Buy the Ronstan ClearStart Race Timer now from West Marine
Optimum Time Series 14 Rechargeable sailing watch
Best racing sailing watch
Optimum Time’s bold coloured watches are popular among racing sailors from dinghies upwards, and the new rechargeable design makes it more sustainable for anyone who uses theirs frequently.
Featuring a 36mm diameter LCD display mounted within a bright red and black 68mm ABS case, Optimum Time’s Series 14 watch is a substantial device that is equally suited to being mounted on a mast or boom as your wrist, while the digits are large enough to allow crew to see the same timer as the skipper.
Waterproof to 5 ATM (i.e. capable of withstanding a pressure of 5 bar), the sailing watch is packed with useful features and comes complete with a bespoke USB charger clamp for convenient charging.
Reasons to buy
• Rechargeable battery
• Packed with features
• Suitable for mounting
Reasons to avoid
• Basic design
Buy the Optimum Time Series 14 now on Amazon
Timex Intelligent Quartz Yacht Racer watch
Best analogue racing sailing watch
This is a very striking analogue watch, designed to appeal specifically to racing sailors who don’t want a digital display. It features a racing countdown timers (from 5 mins, 3 mins or 1 minute), then after the start the chronometer automatically starts a race timer for up to one hour.
This is a larger than average design, at 46 mm (1.81” in) diameter and 14mm (0.55” in) thick.
However, this watch is complex to set up, as some functions require three buttons to be pressed in sequence. There is also no ‘reset’ button for anyone who misses their start sequence timer.
Reasons to buy
• Striking analogue display
• Countdown timers
Reasons to avoid
• Larger than average design
• Complex to set up, lacks reset button
• Expensive
Buy the Timex Intelligent Quartz Yacht Racer now on the Watch Shop
Optimum Time Series 3 sailing watch
Best all-round racing sailing watch
The popular ‘big yellow’ Optimum Time Series 3 is a lower-priced, yet highly functional racing watch. And it truly is big – far too large for my wrist at a gigantic 65mm (2.56” in) diameter and 16mm (0.62” in) thick. It’s also available in colours other than yellow – including white, blue and pink.
An advantage for racing is that this watch is easy to read at a distance thanks to its huge 16mm digits. A bracket is supplied to fix it to a mast. It also has a sync button if you miss the start gun, and can then run a repeat sequence or race timer for handicap competitions.
Robust, and water resistant to 5 ATM, with a wide elasticated strap.
Reasons to buy
• Great price
• Highly functional
• Easy to read
Reasons to avoid
• It’s really big
Buy the Optimum Time Series 3 now on Amazon
Ronstan Clearstart RF4055 sailing watch
Best specialist racing sailing watch
This sailing watch is another specialist racing design. Race mode features include multiple start sequence options, match racing timer and the ability to sync for an early or late start.
The Clearstart RF4055 is unusual in that it has a fibreglass case, which is available in striking yellow and red as well as the more subtle black. It has a 50mm (2″) diameter face, which is larger than most watches, with a 13mm (0.5″ in) digital display, and the weight is 74gm (2.61oz), though the buttons have a lower profile than some other race watches making it neater to wear on shore.
Reasons to buy
• Multiple start sequence options
• Match racing timer
• Can sync for early/late start
Reasons to avoid
• Larger than average design
Buy the Ronstan Clearstart RF4055 now on Amazon
Buy the Ronstan Clearstart RF4055 now on eBay
Optimum Time Series 12 sailing watch
Best audible racing sailing watch
Another race timer with countdown time and pre-programmed start and audible warnings. Despite its more smart watch-style appearance, there is no GPS or interconnectivity, but you do get a countdown repeat option, World Sailing 5-4-1-0 start sequence pre-programmed with audible warning signals, and a sync button.
The Optimum Time Series 12 is available in many colours, but has a small 26mm (1.02” in) display, with 10mm (0.34” in) figures, which will make it hard to read in the middle of a hectic race start.
Reasons to buy
• Audible warning features
• Many colour choices
Reasons to avoid
• No GPS or interconnectivity
• Small display is hard to read in hectic moments
Buy the Optimum Time Series 12 now on eBay
Gill Race Watch Timer
Best racing sailing watch for watersports
This striking red and black Race Watch Timer is a sailing-specific watch developed exclusively for watersports apparel company Gill. It’s water-resistant to an impressive 30 metres, with the timepiece unit encased in a reinforced carbon ABS plastic housing with a stainless steel back.
As well as telling the time, the sailing watch’s functions include a countdown with synchro, day, date and alarm. There’s a keyboard lock feature to you don’t accidentally change the settings and an electro-luminescent backlight allows the wearer to check the data day or night.
A neat sleep feature preserves and prolongs battery life in a ruggedly constructed unit designed for durability and years of trouble-free service.
Reasons to buy
• Water-resistant to 30 metres
• Carbon housing
• The sleep feature preserves battery life
Reasons to avoid
• Basic design and functions
Buy the Gill Race Watch Timer now from Amazon
Limit ProXR Countdown sailing watch
Best value racing sailing watch
Limit has been producing watches for more than 110 years and specialises in offering a wide variety of styles at great value prices.
For a budget-friendly sailing watch option, the Limit ProXR Countdown comes with a large, clear and easily readable display and is backed by a two-year guarantee.
It also has a dual time display and stopwatch, countdown and pacer functionality. No fewer than five alarms can be set and there’s a night time illumination facility.
Available in a choice of orange/black or blue/black, the looks of this chunky 50 mm case diameter sailing watch certainly belie its low price tag.
Reasons to buy
• Large, clear, easy to read display
• Multiple design options
• Dual time, stopwatch, countdown and pacer functions
Reasons to avoid
• Lacks features/functions of more premium competitors
• Chunky
Buy the Limit ProXR Countdown now on gooutdoors.co.uk
The Ocean Race Diver
Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin sourced discarded fishing nets to upcycle into the base material for this watch, highlighting the 640,000 tonnes of nets that are discarded at sea each year.
In addition, 95% of components for the mechanical movement are sourced from within 30km of Ulysse Nardin’s site.
Price: US$11,500 / £9,540
Buy The Ocean Race Diver now on ulysse-nardin.com
What makes a good sailing watch?
The ability to read the time, countdown or data in a hurry or at an angle is key, so look out for digital readouts with large numbers – some sailing watches have the ability to switch from digital to analogue readouts – and screens that can be viewed in different qualities of daylight. Backlit functions are essential for anyone heading offshore, whether racing or cruising.
A well-fitting wristband or strap with a secure clasp is vital to keep the watch on your arm. Most sailing watches have soft rubber or synthetic wristbands, which are more durable in a marine environment, and safer than steel. Rubber straps are also lighter and easier to adjust.
If you plan to use your watch for race start timing, look for programmable start sequence options, a sync button, countdowns that switch to seconds in the final stages. A loud, clear alarm or ‘beep’ function that tells you time to the gun is particularly useful, so you can keep watching your course, trim and other boats around you during the final approach to the line rather than having to glance at your wrist.
You can read more about other types of GPS enabled and waterproof fitness trackers and smart watches at YBW.com
Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated boating page for more marine products.
The post Best sailing watches: 16 options for racing and cruising appeared first on Yachting World.
