Garmin Instinct Crossover In-Depth Review: More Than Just Hands!

[@TheGizmoGarage]

Great implementation of the hands on Garmin. More fun and more functional than original instinct’s round window.

[@krns1617]

This implantation has been since the Garmin Vivomove series a few years ago.

[@Memmaao]

@@krns1617 yes, but those hidden LCDs were sucks. This monochrome transflective is useful

[@Fredsreviews58]

I love Garmin, but these prices are getting insane! I thought this would a a few hundred bucks, not $500-600 Edit, thanks for all the likes!

[@rgmALC]

I said that with the Enduro 2 release - Garmins pricing is out of control now. I’m glad the Apple Watch Ultra was priced so low for what it is hardware-wise.

[@toadlguy]

The hands are kind of clever but $500 for a low res monochrome display is CRAZY!

[@ashleyjohansson230]

@@rgmALC I got the enduro 2, its worth is 💅💅

[@Runtropolis]

@@ashleyjohansson230 really considering chopping my Tactix 7 in for an Enduro 2!!

[@k1mfor]

Yeah this isn't worth anything more than 250€.

[@ericdewaard1654]

"I've just been whacking the crap out of this watch..." hilarious. You're the best Ray; keep it up!

[@VirtualTrailRunning]

What do you wear when you're running? Check out virtual trail running...

[@stefang4706]

1:44 is there light shining trough on the side of the dail?

[@splatmatt]

Since there isn't a second hand... is there a seconds complication?

[@JMC2727]

Oh yeh, I've been waiting for ages to pay $550 for a watch with a casio level screen from 1980! Come on Garmin, this is weak.

[@jermainesmith1052]

Has anyone found out what the lens size is? I can’t find a screen protector to save my life.

[@kzahrte]

I really want to like this but I cringe at "chemically strengthed glass" and the price. Garmin's are just getting ridiculously expensive.

[@mouwangwang7934]

$550?? Why not fr955 please…

[@jonr6680]

Beating G-Shock at their own game...

[@13ballom]

Lets drop both watches face down from 10 meters, lets see if u still say garmin beats gshock

[@bearenbey]

​@@13ballomwell, these are mil-std-810. They will be head to head with G-Shocks if you are so much into testing their durability. And Garmin is one of those companies who actually tests its products rather than putting a random fancy term on the packages.

[@Axatron8001]

For sure!

[@krummel85]

question? on the compass mode. Does the hand indicate the direction.

[@SchalkBruwer]

I actually like the hands. Reminds me of my dad’s SWATCH back in the day.

[@shwndh]

I really like the physical hands. Nicely done hybrid watch. The battery life is insane and the price could be descrided the same. But everything is expensive now so, whatever. I'd pay $500 or wait til black Friday or something and get one on sale. Needs more color options or bands to be advertised and it should do well. Nice to have something a little different that performs well.

[@theronwolf3296]

Many people (including me) find hands easier to visualize at a glance. Looks like they really did the hands right--they learned a lot from Casio, then added some really unique features as well.

[@SuzukiKid400]

@@theronwolf3296 agreed. Analog hands are preferred to me for a glance. Also, this is definitely the spiritual successor to the G shock.

[@presymarauder]

Yeah, no, those hands are annoying. I was holding back from buying garmin instinct 2 solar waiting to see how this crossover works. I liked the circle at the top right which is missing here. I don't like analog watches without a moving seconds hand, so that's a negative. The battery capability being superior to instinct solar 2 is neat. More activities here than instinct solar 2 that i won't be ever using. So between this and instinct solar 2, only the change in battery capability is good for me and this is more expensive than Instinct solar 2.

[@jjtonik]

Feels like my Casio ProTrek boosted with some advanced features and sensors. I like the design overall, big customizable digital screen, but I miss the seconds hand. Thinking about moving to Garmin.

[@ryandand]

I'm trying to decide between the solar or non-solar crossover watches. I love the idea of the solar charging, but have read some reviews that indicate the display on the solar version is quite a bit dimmer and more difficult to read than on the non-solar option, and that even the glowing hands and numbers at night are brighter on the non-solar version. Did you find that to be the case?

[@GadgetyMV]

14:04 Impressive! I really like how Garmin has gone through the trouble to add lume on the hands and hour markers. LG dabbled with physical hands on a Wear OS smartwatch a few years back but weren't as thorough. And the battery died really rapidly, freezing the hands, not only the smartwatch part.

[@d3athman01]

But why no sapphire glass.... Such a shame. The descent G1 did get sapphire glass and is a instinct based watch..

[@kimwarner6050]

Really disappointed Garmin didn't make an S version. What was their reason for that?

[@hongxumeng3101]

Ok, this is a surprise that Garmin releases an other new product. I am just wondering whether Garmin will release a F7X equivalent of EPIX soon, same to F7X, except with a AMOLED ……

[@matthewfranklin7541]

A homage to the Tissot T-Touch. Like the T-Touch, I think the Calibrate function is needed if the battery goes flat (so that the hands can be orientated). Shame the MARQ models aren't hybrid...

[@YouTubedarek]

Tissot T-Touch gang!!! It’s the first thing I thought of and I still use mine on occasion (from 2006). Last time I sent it in for a battery replacement, the jewelry store said a new battery didn’t fix the problem and didn’t charge me. I took it back anyway for sentimental reasons but when I got home I realized the arms just needed a reset!

[@AlfuhPAD]

I feel like at this pricing this is a swing and a miss. New sensors, chipset, etc could be worth an extra 50 or even 100, but 150 is pushing it to compete against the more premium lineups and it falls short against those

[@SuzukiKid400]

What is superior in your opinion? Does it have an analog feature as well executed as the crossover?

[@saintly9388]

The hard impact relates to the gyroscope, which triggers the emergency mode. To activate this, try like swinging an axe downwards. Hope that helps

[@dblaauwful]

There's so much to consider with GNSS. There's multi-band, which means L1 and L2 frequency bands, then there's the constellations they use (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou), then finally the accuracy itself. Normally they run a Kalman filter, which fuses the accelerometer and gyroscope data into a position measurement with the GNSS position & velocity data, meaning between GNSS signal updates they open-loop propagate the state dynamics using the IMU (inertial sensor data), then they correct each time they get a GNSS signal. The multiple GNSS constellations are sometimes averaged by the GNSS receiver itself, then this measurement is fused by the EKF (Extended kalman filter). So all factors influencing accuracy are: 1. GNSS receiver 2. The amount of GNSS constellations supported and how they are fused together 3. The GNSS antenna design and placement 4. The type of IMU used (low quality IMU sensors will produce a much degraded estimate) 5. The type of EKF algorithm used to fuse the IMU and GNSS signals (the kalman filter has many little knobs to tune)

[@rolandsteenbeek]

Another great review. At this point I don't even know why I watch these videos. I recently got an EPIX2 for my birthday and don't need a new watch. I just like the thorough look at new tech you provide. Keep it up and thanks.

[@fena0701]

The hands look great but they don't add anything else than the looks, but man the prices and variety is getting ridiculous.

[@SuzukiKid400]

The hands are functional to quickly check the time. I prefer an analog face as you require less light to read the display as well, especially if you glance at the face at an angle.

[@Memmaao]

It's so strange to see that everybody is complaining about the price! It's a fully functioning instinct with extra mechanical watchhands! I have Garmin instincts since the first edition,.my solar is 2 y 3mo old and works and looks like a new watch. I do love hybrid watches. Fossil/Skagen was a big disappointment with it's fogging issues. I have a Tissot T touch connect solar, which has no HR sensor and has a 1000€ price tag, now that's overpriced due to functionality. This one isn't! Anybody who own/owned a Pebble knows that transflective (monochrome or not doesn't matter) displays are the best in a smartwatch. OLED looks good but I think a maior step back by it's functionality. The new marq series should have stayed in transflective though.

[@fredriclma6507]

Thanks, Ray! As an Instinct 2 user, this is intriguing. Can the display be dimmed totally and just display the hands?

[@WariWahab]

I guess someone will make an all white or all black watch face

[@DavidWalker-wz9rl]

Not enough to justify the extra cost for me vs the V2 Solar

[@testaccsolutions6784]

0:50 The Pricing / Models 1:06 What's New / Different ? 4:25 How the Analog Hand Work 7:24 Quick Daily Usage Overview 8:41 All The Sport Mode Options 9:26 Starting A Workout 11:13 New GPS / GNSS Chipset 12:30 GPS & HR Accuracy Tests 15:14 Wrap-Up & recommendations

[@MrTwixraider]

interesting concept. But for me the digital display is to small and I prever 6 data fields, 4 is not enough for me.

[@_J.F_]

From the comments it seems there is a clientele for this in my mind slightly weird watch, but you've really got to be in love with the weirdness to pay $499 and upwards for it when you can get a much better Garmin watch for a lot less money.

[@gracemalley6821]

"If you get hit by that impact ..." Still laughing. Seriously correct. Great video, thank you.

[@Kakkoii_ne]

What’s with all the Garmin, Fenix, etc. Im lost now, with all the similar (yet different) watches?

[@sbatty65227]

I do like the hands and how they move out of the way. Plus the overall design is nicer.

[@mlegrand]

Agree to disagree Ray. Nickname all the things. And make sure the nicknames are next level weird. Or at least those are the words I live by here at my house. 🤷‍♂

[@ted363636]

This makes my dream of a Fenix with real analogue watch hands a step closer :) Great job Garmin and thanks Ray for the review :)

[@laurensbot]

Epix 2 with analogue hands in the size of the 7s🤤

[@KFJulius]

Same. A fenix hybrid - yes yes yes please

[@unusualcomment9731]

What's the point of physical hands on a smartwatch tho, by curiosity?

[@ted363636]

@@unusualcomment9731 looks more like a watch less like a wrist computer. I don't even use smart features, just need a map, heart rate and GPS :)

[@unusualcomment9731]

@@ted363636 I feel like the hands would be very annoying to have over a map because they hide what's behind and the base smartwach is pretty ugly with, again, hiden information behind, it would be better to have the screen completely turned off in this case. I think that the virtual hands looks better ifever you want hands on a smartwatch

[@Александр-б4и4т]

Instinct Crossover - Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/70 days with solar* Instinct 2 - Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/Unlimited with solar*

[@SuperDarrenwong]

Another Garmin watch! Reminds me of the old Tissot T touch.

[@MD-tr1yv]

Hopefully the 2nd version of this will be priced cheaper, but probably not! This should be $350-400 max

[@lukipedia]

Wonder if they fixed the display/backlight issues from the Instinct 2. I bought an Gen 2 Instinct to replace my Gen 1 and sent it back: using the backlight totally washed out the display. Garmin's unhelpful response was "it's designed to be worn on the inside of your wrist." 🙄

[@sdelcegno]

It's fixed in pictures I've seen. It doesn't wash out at an angle

[@anthonyeverett2942]

Best device reviewer in the game. Have been reading since your first blogs and this content is just as amazing and in-depth in video form. Thank you for giving me purchasing confidence with my devices once again.

[@samuraijmb]

I have had the Instinct Crossover Solar Tactical watch since last summer and last few months it has been fogging up on the inside when I am out hill walking and it pretty much stays there making it unreadable until I come back inside. Pretty terrible that a "tactical" watch would do this never mind a waterproof Garmin device. I sent photos to Garmin and they sent me a link saying condensation was normal when you move from hot to cold - this is the first watch I have ever owned with condensation on the inside. They have now agreed to send me a replacement but I don't hold a lot of hope of the issue going away. I wish I had bought the Fenix 7 Pro Solar.

[@Graham_Rule]

I once left a watch in an hotel room. A year later I was back at the same hotel and they produced the watch from the safe. The hands were still glowing. I guess that must have been the good old Radium then.

[@lonegroover]

Probably tritium.

[@dyright-1414]

I wish Garmin would do a collab with Luminox. Luminox fits so well with the whole 'rugged & tactical' watch that the Instinct is.

[@blitzer25blitz62]

a watch the new Rangeman should be. now i owned the tactical version, its my daily driver for 6 months! probably Garmin can make UI fonts less bold, thus less cramp on display info.

[@chch242]

A very rare moment of Ray without any watch or band on his hands, except the Oura ring.

[@addie7043]

Thanks for the review! Quick question - since it includes water sports like surfing does it have the tide graph?

[@os2171]

I really liked this idea of crossing analog with digital on a sports watch! I would love tech to reach the point of showing topological maps. I’m still going for the Fenix 7 but this is really tempting

[@Farthendur]

I have a Fénix 7 and somehow I’m still tempted to acquire one of this 😅

[@edwardhorton5467]

Loved the video, I'm getting one now. The solar would be nice for the battery but the silver accents look good but is only on the base model.

[@jbl500]

Finally a watch for the rugged man in you yet full of tech and classy. Sorry Casio you are going the way of palm, blackberry’s better start making changes. Garmin also quit gouging us. These have a 300% mark up value

[@paulfredstone6290]

Great review, you really do offer tons of detail and I always check out you videos before buying. You said near the end that this wouldn't be the one watch you'd choose to wear on a daily basis. If you were asked that question right now, what would be the one watch you would choose? Thanks again for all your videos and the time that you put into them.

[@Mike111Chou]

A 90 dollars g shock looks better than this lmao

[@shahamatalikhan1028]

Nice ... now get some much needed sleep man ...

[@ckat609]

does it run udisc?

[@jkadbhjadhboa]

Excellent video, as always. Loved the segment on whacking the crap out of it and bigger worries 😁

[@Dcrainmaker]

Thanks!!!!

[@pcoastech]

Great review, thank you. Quick question, can the smart watch display in the background be shut off so that you just see the analog hands? I was thinking for most of the day where I don't need to see all the data it would be nice to shut off all the extra data. Thanks.

[@TheFuzzyskwerl]

🤢🤮

[@Roof1028]

The instinct 2 already being one of the better options for thru-hikers, would you say that this cross over also falls I to the category of being a great option for thru-hikers?

[@Motawa88]

Does the gauge let’s say for workout hr only show when you activate the watch ? Meaning doing a hand gesture?

[@niallk9336]

This looks like best case for me. Ideally I want no screen; the only "smart" functionality being fitness and sleep monitoring sent to the phone. But this seems like the closest I can get. Was debating an Oura ring, but their subscription scheme puts me off; plus all the horror stories about customer service and devices dying very soon out of warranty.

[@toosas]

that is awesome, I hope it catches on, marrying the old analog and new digital trends. I love my old watch but just dont wear it because of garmins clever features, this appeals to me

[@patricehenri8172]

Can you set the arms in normal time mode while you are in a sport mode? That would be a nice features, being able to see the time superimposed over your sport screens. Even without the numbers or the bezel tick, you could know the time just looking at the arms. I got a fenix 3 & 5x, and it always annoyed me having to switch back and forth between time and sport mode to see the time while cycling or running. Especially getting to time mode from sport mode requiring à long press and hold button input!

[@XavierMontet]

You can add time as a data field 🙂

[@shahidm4554]

Does it have the second hand?

[@thorstenwidmer7275]

no

[@DamianBucha]

Do any of you got the humidity condensation under the glass problem?

[@rockel83]

Oh I see it also has double of the internal memory compared to the Instinct 2.

[@dizi17]

So...smart G-Shock replacement?

[@MateHegyhati]

Looks pretty interesting. 2 questions: do the handles turn as they do with the gauge when: 1) doing a HR based workout? 2) back to start straight line navigation? That would be super useful. Thanks for the awesome video of course 🙂

[@ryanmullins5085]

For question 1, looks like that is a Yes based on 10:00 in the video

[@MateHegyhati]

@@ryanmullins5085 That's that gave me the hope, but that's just the regular HR gauge data screen, not the training screen. So far, because of the little window, the layout for that screen was not the same as that of the Fenix/FR/etc. It was only a horizontal bar.

[@Hypnotic6]

Best 2 thing are : they removed the most ugly and repulsive thing ( the circle ) and add solar panels :) + the combination of the glowing parts are realy nice touch ( it's a great progress in my opinion ) .

[@wallaguest1]

i agree, the circle is the worst part of the instinct, i am not a fan of see thing covered by the watch hands, but the more i see it, the more it grows on me this crossover version.

[@vothry]

Yeah that’s within $100 of the 955.

[@Mellowdark17]

why does garmin not support inline skating? i dont see it on any of there watches?

[@canadian1892]

Is the product discontinued ?

[@timetothrive1637]

I've seen a vid where someone drove over the original instinct with a jeep and freeze it in a freezer for 24 hours and you're patting it with a plastic spatula 🤷‍♂️

[@Dcrainmaker]

Wood, silicon, and molded plastic (each). That said, the specific RevoDrive tech isn't about the overall sustained pressure, but specific g-force impact.

[@BananaChipzzz]

Garmin has more watch models than I have reasons for self loathing…

[@igoropulas]

Second here. And this piece looks amazing!

[@paulbell1972]

"....if you get hit by that impact, the watch hands are the least of your issues." - slayed me, thank you

[@Waldgeist2k10]

Reminds me of my old Casio Twincept. Everything comes back...

[@jesusavila1663]

I miss that Casio twincept watch, I always thought it was the coolest tech design in a watch for a long time.

[@FiremanFrach]

Great review. Looks pretty cool. I may have to save up for this upgrade from my original Garmin Instinct Solar.

[@RallihSarl]

I think this piece is nice and fun watch for some users, but the price on this feels way to high compared to what you actually get? I feel that they should have worked more on the battery efficiency in best gps-mode as well. 25 hours is pretty bad in this price range.

[@chispito6986]

Fantastic review, as always! Beautiful watch! Just what I have always waited for! I have a Withings Scanwatch which is very cool, but I just hoped they made a full screen of info, not just a round thing...this is IT! Problem is...I have just started to enjoy my Instinct 2!!! And...5-8 weeks waiting time in Spain!!! WTF!!!

[@auskell]

Man, if only it had a second hand. Could be a rad piece for EMS.

[@TheeWarriorGarden]

Been wearing an instinct for 4 years in ems with no issues and it has a second counter with the time. Moved to instinct 2 solar. Same same

[@auskell]

@@TheeWarriorGarden Oh that works fine?? I was reading somewhere that, I forget why but they were saying it wasn't really viable, maybe something to do with it not being an always-on display, and lagging, or something 🤔 But 4 years deep with it - must be fine! Thanks for the info 🙏

[@TheeWarriorGarden]

@@auskell nah. No issues with it, you can change the faces to have it black/white or white/black and diff looking faces to make things easier seen without hitting the LIGHT button. I love it. Smashed it on floors doing fire stuff n bumped it around the ambo plenty no breaks or scuffs either

[@pawansonole9127]

Do.this watch play music ?

[@G4x5da]

Can it also show a digital clock?

[@thomassankara8494]

Garmin please bring a Crossover on Marq-Level - That concept is very nice and kinda logical development. I mean people buy Fenix, Instinct, Marq etc. because they resemble mechanical watches and not too much an Apple watch or smartphone. Look at Withings watches: it really is a way to go...

[@sottypongdang5033]

I've always wanted a G Shock but can't ever see the full utility behind it. Their sensors are really shitty. But I still want something analog or "fake analog" on my watch and this one seems like THE perfect watch

[@origin178]

Does this still have the terrible not-USB-C 4-pin Garmin charging connector on the back? That is the single most useless weak point of all Garmin watches, as it corrodes, and even after careful cleaning with alcohol can't be recovered.

[@gwailotus9154]

@DC Rainmaker or ANYONE - 1) are the analog hour/minute hands on the Crossover actually digital or are they physical like normal analog watches? 2) Regarding the Garmin Instinct Crossover "Tactical Edition" model: Is there a mode where the analog hands freeze (preferably) or keep moving while the time is also displayed with large digital numbers that take up close to half the screen? 3) Why would some people prefer analog over digital for tactical situations? 4) How common is it to find analog watches with a backlight or back glow (whole dial, not just tick marks n hands) on all types of analog watches from casual to rugged to luxury?

[@danielvidal962]

Hello DC Rainmaker!! I hav a question about other garmin (935). What GPS configuration recommend for open water swimming? GPS - GPS+GALILEO - GPS+GLONASS

[@BorisRosenow]

2:23 I have never seen this visual emphasis on the actual like button before. How have I never noticed this anywhere else, or is no one else doing this? Or is it some browser extension I'm using? In any case, quite cool. :)

[@ItsAStephanieB]

Thank you so much for this video! I'm in two minds on which watch to buy, but Im leaning towards the solar crossover. That said I have one question. Does the watch have an option for a digital clock? I'm at the age where I need glasses to read, and digital is just easier to see/read when I'm not wearing glasses. The little analogue hands are simply too small.

[@deantreloar]

I just don't get it. This seems like a very expensive and unnecessary gimmick. Honestly, I thought most people would hate this, but I can see that I'm wrong, a lot of people in the comments seem to like it. Great review though!

[@fisherpaykelauto6137]

It’s a Smart gshock 😂

[@jeh9690]

Have you ever used an Instinct crossover in the winter? Moisture is created between tempered glass and the main display...Maybe it's caused by the difference between the internal temperature of the crossover and the cold temperature outside...I wonder if it doesn't cause any problems with the watch.

[@hensola]

How does it compare with the 1st Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical?.. i've googled, and there are only comparisons with the Instinct 2 :(

[@fedr39]

The moving hands have been copied from LG's W7 smartwatch that they released in 2018.

[@MrKeys57]

Otherwise good and nice looking, but with the watchglass almost raised over the bezel you feel prompted to have a screenprotector, a bit of a bummer, i think, not so on the Instict, which is almost protected even without any screenprotector. (i have the first Instict and will not upgrade anytime soon)

[@COYSMike]

I both love and hate it!

[@SkaiSharku]

Pricing, features, company, all parts make this such a weird watch to release... I don't understand Garmin...

[@Sandmesteren]

Is there special review firmware on your watch? I just received mine, and I don't have any of the surfing activities. (Version 3.10)