The best sailing watches can offer a multitude of functions, from MOB alerts to tidal calculations and large faced race count down timers. And yet still there’s utter simplicity of a waterproof self winding timepiece.

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.

You’ll see that Garmin have several entries in our best sailing watches guide and if you’re specifically after a Garmin, we have rounded up the best of those in this guide to the best Garmin watch for yachting sailing and more.

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!

Editor’s top choices at a glance

Garmin Quatix 7

Best smart sailing watch

Specifications: Apple or android smart phone compatible,  Sizes: 47mm / 51mm, Weight 70g, Battery life: up to 16 days with screen on by demand, GPS tracking, waterproof to 10 ATM

Reasons to Buy: Large easy to read face | incredible versatility for an array of lifestyle activity | healthy wellbeing and boat interactivity | customisable to suit individual needs
Reasons to Avoid: Battery life not as good as the Quatix 6 if screen is always visible | bright facia can be distracting | touchscreen is pointless without the additional kit it interfaces with

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.

You can also pay for things with contactless payments, but you’ll need to use an intermediary app, such as Curve if you are in the UK as British banks haven’t signed up for that function directly yet.

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.  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 brighter clearer display does come at a compromise of battery life or screen saver settings.

The extra screen size in the same outer bezel size though is really very nice. Maps and other tracking options can be easily seen.

High end Sapphire models add a new ultra-clear AMOLED touchscreen.

The watch can output directly to Strava and myfitnesspal along with other apps according to your preference. We like this watch very much indeed and it is currently the best smart sailing watch for all round functionality. Pricey though, but worth it.

 

---

Casio Lithium Quartz

Best value sailing watch

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size: 48mm

Reasons to buy: Great value | Highly functional | 2 year warranty
Reasons to avoid: Lacking in design | Lacking extensive features of premium alternatives

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/10 bars and has a 2 year warranty, all packed into a 48mm diameter, 13 mm thick case.

 

---

Ronstan Clear Start Race Timer

Best Race Sailing watch

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size 65mm

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

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.

 

---

Garmin MARQ Captain

Best premium sailing watch

Specifications: Type: Smart | Size: 46mm

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

Tested by: MBY Editor, Hugo Andreae

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.

 

---

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 Big Screen Countdown Race Sailing Watches

Optimum Time Series 3 sailing watch

One of the most popular sailing watches on the market

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size: 65mm

Reasons to buy: Great price | Highly functional | Easy to read
Reasons to avoid: It’s really big

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.

 

---

 

Optimum Time Series 14 Rechargeable sailing watch

Best racing sailing watch

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size: 68mm

Reasons to buy: Rechargeable battery | Packed with features | Suitable for mounting
Reasons to avoid: Basic design

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.

 

---

Timex Intelligent Quartz Yacht Racer watch

Best for Analogue race sailing watch fans

Specifications: Type: Analogue | Size 46mm

Reasons to buy: Striking analogue display | Countdown timers
Reasons to avoid: Larger than average design | Complex to set up | lacks reset button | Expensive

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.

 

---

 

Ronstan Clearstart RF4055 sailing watch

Best specialist racing sailing watch

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size: 50mm

Reasons to buy: Multiple start sequence options | Match racing timer | Can sync for early/late start
Reasons to avoid: Larger than average design

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.

 

---

Optimum Time Series 12 sailing watch

Best audible racing sailing watch

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size: 26mm

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

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.

 

---

Gill Race Watch Timer

Best racing sailing watch for watersports

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size 44mm

Reasons to buy: Water-resistant to 30 metres | Carbon housing | The sleep feature preserves battery life
Reasons to avoid: Basic design and functions

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.

 

---

Limit ProXR Countdown sailing watch

Best value racing sailing watch

Specifications: Type: Digital | Size: 50mm

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

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.

 

---

Best Smart sailing watches

Garmin Instinct 2S Solar

Specifications: Type: Smart | Size: 40mm / 45mm / 50mm, weight 53g(2oz)

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

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.

The Garmin Instinct watch is a good alternative for anyone seeking a more moderately priced alternative to the Quatix 6.

---

Garmin Quatix 6 Multisport Marine Smartwatch

Specifications: Apple or android smart phone compatible,  Sizes: 47mm / 51mm, weight 82g, Battery life: up to 16 days with screen always visible, GPS tracking, waterproof to 10 ATM

Reasons to buy: Suits a multitude of water activity | Highly customisable | 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

This watch I tested comprehensively for several weeks/months – it is a very smart design, with functions for every type of pastime on the water and off it.

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.

---

Best Analogue Sailing watches

Ulysse-Nardin The Ocean Race Diver

Specifications: Type: Analogue | Size: 44mm

Reasons to buy: manufacturer with a strong history in watch making | ‘green’ credentials | classy and collectible
Reasons to avoid: Lacks features/functions of more sailing-specific watches | you’ll need deep pockets

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.

Buy The Ocean Race Diver now on ulysse-nardin.com

---

Spinnaker Haas Automatic

Specifications: Type: Analogue | Size: 43mm

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 quartz movement watch which might mean that cuffs on shirts and foulies are tight.

Tested by: Professional TopSail Schooner Skipper, Phil Pryor

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.

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.

---

FAQ: What makes the best 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.