- New leak indicates design change for Garmin watches
- Some future models could come with a digital crown attached
- The new crown mechanism would be built to last
According to a new leak, some of Garmin’s best watches could soon feature a key design change taken straight from the Apple Watch playbook: a rotating digital crown that would act as an additional input mechanism.
This comes from information from Gadgets & Wearables (via Notebookcheck), and we also have a mockup of what it could look like. The crown would be placed on the right side of the watch, with protections on each side, a bit like the Quick button on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.
According to the leak, the crown would actually have no physical connection to the electronics inside the watch: instead, it would use magnetic sensing to detect touch and movement, which would help with waterproofing and durability.
One of the key selling points of many watches in Garmin’s line is ruggedness – an ability to withstand sweat, rain, snow and shock – and implementing a digital crown in this way wouldn’t interfere too much with Garmin’s appeal to outdoor adventurers.
Future
There’s no indication as to when we might see this digital crown implemented on a Garmin watch, but the leak mentions a potential debut in a “high-end model” or a “design-focused line” like the Venu and Vivoactive watches.
We have of course seen these crowns on models from other manufacturers, including on the best Apple Watches. A crown adds another simple, intuitive method of control that can often be quicker to use than a standard touchscreen or button.
Of course, with new Garmin models still on the horizon, discounts on existing models are likely, especially at this time of year: we’re already tracking early Black Friday deals and these will likely include deals on smartwatches. Garmin is always a popular choice for discounts during the deal period.
2025 has been a busy year for Garmin, with several launches including the Garmin Instinct 3, Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, and Garmin Venu 4. Several new models will most likely follow in 2026 – perhaps with a digital crown attached.
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