The MARQ Gen 3 makes calls over LTE and sends messages and SOS by satellite without a phone, and the MARQ Gen 2 can’t. Gen 3 also adds a flashlight, a speaker and microphone, the ECG app, a 40m dive computer, a bigger and brighter screen, four times the storage and the Fenix 9 software. The Athlete costs $2,500, which is $600 more than the titanium Gen 2 Athlete that Garmin still sells for $1,900.
If you don’t need phone-free calls and SOS, or a dive computer, Gen 2 still does everything a serious athlete needs from its training software, for less. Admittedly, with prior-gen internal components.
MARQ Gen 3 vs Gen 2 at a glance
| MARQ Gen 3 | MARQ Gen 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (Athlete, US) | $2,500 | $1,900 |
| Case | 47mm Grade 5 titanium, ceramic bezel | 46mm titanium |
| Display | 1.4-inch AMOLED, 454 x 454, up to 3,000 nits | 1.2-inch AMOLED, 390 x 390 |
| Storage | 128GB, worldwide maps preloaded | 32GB |
| Heart rate sensor | Elevate Gen 5 with ECG app | Elevate Gen 4, no ECG |
| Satellites | Multi-band GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS | Multi-band GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
| LTE and satellite | Yes (inReach plan required) | No |
| Speaker and microphone | Yes | No |
| Flashlight | Yes | No |
| Dive computer | Yes, to 40m | No |
| Weight (silicone strap) | 86g | 84g |
| Smartwatch battery | Up to 18 days | Up to 16 days |
| Max Battery GPS | Up to 87 hours | Up to 75 hours |
| Expedition mode | Up to 18 days | Up to 14 days |
The full lists are on the MARQ Gen 3 specifications and MARQ Gen 2 specifications pages.
What’s new on Gen 3
Calls, messages and SOS without a phone
Every Gen 3 has Garmin’s inReach service built in. Over LTE you can make voice calls (only to other Garmin Messenger users), send voice and text messages, share LiveTrack and check the weather. Away from mobile coverage, it sends messages, location check-ins and SOS by satellite. You need an inReach plan, and Garmin includes free SOS messaging for up to 12 months after the trial. Gen 2 can only message and share LiveTrack through a paired phone.
Flashlight, speaker and ECG
Gen 3 has the LED flashlight that Fenix owners now take for granted, plus a speaker and microphone for calls through your phone and voice commands. The newer Elevate Gen 5 sensor adds an ECG app that can check for atrial fibrillation.
A dive computer on every edition
Every Gen 3 is a dive computer to 40m, with single-gas scuba, nitrox and apnea modes. Gen 2 has no depth sensor, so it can’t track a dive. The new Diver edition adds Garmin’s Descent dive tools and replaces the Gen 2 Captain, which Garmin.com now lists as permanently out of stock.
A bigger, brighter screen and more storage
The 1.4-inch screen is the largest on a MARQ and runs to the edge of the ceramic bezel, making maps and data easier to read on the move. The 128GB of storage includes maps for the whole world out of the box, while Gen 2 has 32GB.
Fenix 9 software and MARQ-only features
Gen 3 runs the current Fenix 9 software. That adds Garmin Epic, which turns several days of activities into one record, plus rolling grade-adjusted pace, grade-adjusted pace workouts, rucking workouts, and a faster maps engine. It also has features the Fenix 9 lacks, including ClimbPro without a loaded course and address search on the watch, which I cover in five MARQ Gen 3 features the Fenix 9 doesn’t have yet.
What Gen 2 still does well
Gen 2 already has the training tools most athletes use every day: Training Readiness, HRV Status, Endurance Score, Hill Score, real-time stamina, PacePro and ClimbPro on a loaded course. It has multi-band GPS, preloaded maps, Garmin Pay and music. At 84g on silicone, it is also 2g lighter than Gen 3.
Its battery holds up too. Gen 3 lasts longer in smartwatch, Max Battery and Expedition modes, but Gen 2 is rated at up to 42 hours of GPS-only recording. Gen 3’s normal mode is rated at 32 hours, though Garmin measures the two differently, so the figures don’t compare directly.
Editions and prices
Gen 3 comes in six editions: Athlete ($2,500), Adventurer ($2,700), Golfer ($2,800), and Aviator, Commander and Diver ($3,100 each). The Diver is new, and the Captain has gone.
Garmin.com still sells the titanium Gen 2 Athlete for $1,900, the Adventurer for $2,100, and the Golfer for $2,300. The Carbon editions cost $2,950 to $3,200, and the Damascus steel Adventurer costs $3,100. The Gen 2 Aviator and Captain are listed as permanently out of stock. Garmin has not yet listed UK prices for Gen 3.
Which to buy
Buy Gen 3 if you train alone in remote places and want to call for help or let people know where you are without carrying a phone, or if you dive. Those features are worth the $600 on their own, and they also include a bigger screen, flashlight, and storage.
Buy Gen 2 if you train near mobile coverage and carry a phone anyway. At $1,900, it gives you the same core training tools in a titanium MARQ for $600 less. For anyone weighing a Gen 3 against a Fenix, the Fenix 9 Pro inReach has the same phone-free features from $1,199.99. Garmin’s launch announcement also describes the Gen 3 collection.
Quick answers
What is the difference between MARQ Gen 3 and Gen 2?
MARQ Gen 3 adds LTE calls and satellite messaging and SOS, a flashlight, a speaker and microphone, the ECG app, a 40m dive computer, a 1.4-inch screen and 128GB of storage. It also runs the Fenix 9 software. Gen 2 has none of these but shares the core training tools.
Is MARQ Gen 3 worth the upgrade from Gen 2?
It is worth it if you want phone-free calls and SOS, or dive. If you carry a phone and don’t dive, Gen 2 already has the training tools most athletes use, and the Gen 2 Athlete costs $600 less.
Does MARQ Gen 2 have a flashlight?
No. MARQ Gen 2 has no flashlight, speaker, microphone or ECG. MARQ Gen 3 has all four.
Is MARQ Gen 2 still on sale?
Yes. Garmin.com sells the titanium Gen 2 Athlete for $1,900, the Adventurer for $2,100, and the Golfer for $2,300, plus the Carbon and Damascus steel editions. The Gen 2 Aviator and Captain are permanently out of stock.
Which MARQ Gen 3 replaces the Captain?
The new MARQ Diver replaces the Captain. It has the Captain’s boat tools plus Garmin’s Descent dive features.
Last Updated on 13 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
