Garmin D2 Mach 2 – a buyer’s guide
Garmin’s D2 Mach 2 is the company’s pro-grade smartwatch for aviators, released alongside the cheaper D2 Air X15. Both integrate well with Garmin avionics; there are some small differences between the two models in aviation-related features, but the key differences are in the quality of materials, maps and price. The range is topped by the MARQ Aviator (Gen 2), a somewhat dated model built with a superior shell but based on previous generation technology and due for a refresh.
| Model | Release Date | MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| D2 Air X10 | March 21, 2022 | $549.99 |
| D2 Mach 1 | March 28, 2022 | $1,299.99 |
| D2 Air X15 | October 22, 2025 | $649.99 |
| D2 Mach 2 47mm | October 22, 2025 | $1,349.99 |
| D2 Mach 2 51mm | October 22, 2025 | $1,499.99 |
| MARQ Aviator (Gen 2) | October 11, 2022 | $1,950.00 |
Design, Hardware, and Overall Aesthetics
The overall look resembles a classic aviator timepiece with many excellent details. One standout visual comes from some of Garmin’s best aviation-specific watchfaces.
Mach 2’s core hardware is based on the successful Garmin Fenix 8 series and thus lacks the new connectivity support for 4G LTE and satellite in the Fenix 8 PRO series.
Garmin’s AMOLED display is beautifully vibrant and energy efficient, covered by a high-quality sapphire lens. Add to that the choice of a stainless steel or titanium with diamond-like coating (DLC), and you have a solid, high-end smart watch.
To the sides are new inductive pressers (leak-proof buttons), which help the watch achieve an impressive 10ATM (100m) depth rating for divers.
A novel highlight is the addition of the built-in, two-colour LED flashlight (red and white), widely regarded as handy.
Listen to a chat based on this buyer’s guide
Aviation and Navigation Capabilities
D2-series Core Flight Tools are retained and improved. The classic features include GPS Direct-to navigation, HSI course needle, worldwide aeronautical databases, and UTC/time zone displays.
The base feature that sets Mach 2 apart is the on-device maps, the pre-requisite for colour-coded airspace boundaries, runway depictions at higher zoom levels, user waypoints, intersections, and VORs.
There is excellent integration with Garmin avionics via the Garmin Pilot app to receive flight data and alerts and PlaneSync adds compatibility for remote viewing of aircraft status (fuel, electrical, database status).
Current METARs and forecast TAF weather information are integrated with the watch to support pre-flight planning and in-flight situational awareness. An interesting addition is the colour-coded changes to watchfaces driven from personal alerts based on METAR conditions (VFR, IFR, etc.).
Health, Wellness, and Fitness Features
Mach 2 supports a vast range of garmin’s extensive non-aviation features, from sleep quality to fitness training – diving, golf, strength training and triathlon are all covered.
Of specific interest to pilots will be Garmin’s PulseOx (SpO2 – blood oxygen) monitoring, 24×7 ‘stress’ tracking with Body Battery and the Jet Lag Advisor. Even Garmin’s Morning Report can guide your readiness to take on whatever the journey throws at you today.
Connectivity, Battery Life, and Convenience
The battery life is immense. Whilst always-on display and GPS recording will give the battery life a serious hit, you will still get exceptional battery life for a smartwatch in virtually all situations. Contrast these performances to an Apple Watch Ultra 3 where the best possible battery life is 42 hours, and recording modes are more likely to give less than 10 hours.
- Smartwatch: Up to 26 days (13 days always-on)
- Fly Activity (GPS + SPO2): 58 hours
- Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 41 days
- GPS Only: Up to 84 hours (65 hours always-on )
- All Satellite Systems: Up to 68 hours (54 hours always-on)
- All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 62 hours (49 hours always-on)
- All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 18 hours
- Max Battery GPS: Up to 145 hours
- Expedition GPS: Up to 31 days
The new audio quality speaker and microphone let you make and take calls from your wrist to your connected smartphone. There are also on-watch voice commands that are aviation-specific, like “Show me the METAR” and more general ones. However, the voice commands require a button press to start and are more restricted in scope than on, say, an Apple Watch.
Other smart features stand out, like the ability to save and transcribe a geo-referenced voice note. There’s support for Spotify and other streaming music services, which sports watches tend to lack, contactless payments with Garmin Pay and 3rd party apps via Garmin’s Connect IQ store – many of which are pilot-specific (link).
Upgrade From D2 Mach 1?
There is enough added here to justify an upgrade.
Advanced Aviation and Navigation Capabilities (Exclusive to Mach 2)
- Detailed Colour Mapping: includes topography and terrain shading.
- Colour-Coded Airspace: boundaries colour-coded by class
- Enhanced Runway Detail: at higher zoom levels,
- Personal Minimums tolerance Alerts: for flight conditions like max crosswind, minimum ceiling/visibility.
- Visual Alerting: colour-coded Weather elements triggered when personal METAR tolerances are exceeded
- Waypoint Detail: include personal waypoints, intersections, and VORs.
Connectivity and Reporting Enhancements
- PlaneSync Compatibility:
- Aviation Morning Report: includes anticipated weather conditions and field conditions at the chosen airport
- Evening Report: Helps prepare for the next day with a reminder of sleep need, tomorrow’s workout, weather, and events.
- Aviation Voice Commands: such as “Start Fly activity”
- Geo-referenced Voice Memos: in-flight
Hardware Directly Aiding Flight
- Built-in white/red LED Flashlight:
- Red Shift Mode: preserve night vision.
- Built-in Speaker and Mic: hands-free communication.
Take Out
Mach 1 is a three-year-old model, and technology has moved on. Even though the price is slightly higher, the more capable hardware, updated generic software, and new aviation features justify the bump.
Suppose your budget aligns with the price points of the D2 Mach 2 models. In that case, you can justify your decision over the D2 Air X15 by Mach 2’s inclusion of quality on-device maps and an enhanced range of aviation-specific features.
It’s the real deal. It just costs a great deal.
More Information
- Official Garmin Product page for D2 Mach 2
- Official Garmin comparison tool
- Garmin D2 Mach 2 manual
- Buy Garmin D2 Mach 2
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Is there any news on the Marq Gen 3? I guess no chance of the elevate v6 with it either…