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Buy Best Military Tactical Watches | New Garmin tactix 7 AMOLED, Instinct 2X, fenix 7X Pro

Buy Best Military Tactical Watches | New Garmin tactix 7 AMOLED, Instinct 2X, fenix 7X Pro

Compare & buy the best tactical watches with solar, ballistics, compass, jumpmaster, aviation and new AMOLED display options from Garmin tactix 7, Instinct 2, fenix 7X Pro & a military dive watch!

2024 Garmin Military Tactical Watches

 

New Garmin tactix 7 AMOLED Edition

New to the tactix 7 AMOLED tactical GPS watch:

  • Bright, easy-to-read adaptive AMOLED display (that is dimmable!)
  • Applied Ballistics® calculator (for long range rifle accuracy) comes pre-installed and is activated with download of the AB Synapse™ – Garmin smart-device app (unlock fee required)
  • Red Shift mode changes display to shades of red to help user better acclimate to darker conditions and reduce sleep-cycle disturbance
  • Gen 5 wrist-based heart rate monitor
  • Hill Score
  • Endurance Score
  • Wrist-based Running Power

Garmin tactix 7 AMOLED with Kill Switch on display

Not New But Still Amazing Benefits (Available on all tactix 7 series watches):

Tactical Features: 

  • Night Vision
  • Aviation Features—NexRadar & Fly Activity
  • Dual-position GPS formatting
  • Jumpmaster Mode
  • Projected Waypoints
  • Stealth Mode—turns off all comms & won't store GPS data
  • Kill Switch—a super quick factory reset to wipe out watch data
  • Dimmable white or green LED flashlight
  • Tactical Activity: See time, pace, time of day, elevation and your location in both coordinate types.
  • Boating Feature: Wearable trolling motor remote

All of Garmin's robust health monitoring, including wrist-based heart rate sensor, Body Battery energy monitor, Pulse Ox, advanced sleep data, hydration, and more!

Top-of-the-line training and performance features with built-in sports apps and stamina/performance metrics (everything you would get in a Garmin  fēnix 7 Pro, epix Pro, or Enduro 2)

Preloaded TopoActive and ski maps, navigation sensors, and multi-band GPS support, providing the highest level of unbeatable positional accuracy from Garmin

Super-competitive battery life:

  • Smartwatch: Up to 31 days (11 days always on)
  • Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 41 days
  • GPS Only: Up to 82 hours (58 hours always on)
  • All Satellite Systems: Up to 62 hours (48 hours always on)
  • All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 38 hours (30 hours always on)
  • All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 17 hours
  • Max Battery GPS: Up to 145 hours
  • Expedition GPS: Up to 27 days

Huge 1.4" touchscreen color display with 5-button operation for easy access to watch features and functions.

Garmin tactix 7 Military Tactical Watch Series

The Garmin tactix 7 Pro with Applied Ballistics

The Garmin tactix 7 series includes 4 models: the tactix 7 standard, tactix 7 Pro, tactix AMOLED Edition, and tactix 7 Pro — Ballistics Edition. And this 2023 lineup of advanced Garmin tactical GPS watches is packed with premium features for your next mission.

Garmin tactix 7 watches now feature a powerful responsive touchscreen—along with traditional button operation. The powerful 5-button and touchscreen interface enables quick and intuitive engagement with the topographical maps, offering confident “off-grid” situational awareness.

Both civilian and service aviators will benefit from the tactix 7 Series Direct-To Navigation feature, which allows users to navigate straight to an airport in the world aeronautical database or use the “Nearest” function to activate a path to a nearby airport.

Thanks to advancement in solar-technology, this Garmin series of tactical watches offers improved battery life (see Battery Life section below) over the previous tactix Delta series.

Additionally, each tactix 7 GPS smartwatch includes a built-in dimmable white or green LED flashlight. You'll find the green light useful in maintaining your eyes’ natural night vision.

Take advantage of multi-GNSS and multi-band support, providing the highest level of Garmin's positional accuracy.

To the fitness front, these premium tactix 7 GPS watches add Real-Time Stamina and a Recovery Time Advisor to Garmin's extensive offering of advanced training tools.

For all the details, visit our Garmin tactix 7 page.

Affordable Solar Tactical Watch Options — Garmin Instinct 2X

This is the most affordable Garmin tactical watch!

A black Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical with Night Vision feature on the watch face

Garmin Instinct 2X Solar–Tactical Edition tactical features include:

  • NEW! Ballistics Solver: Unlock the Applied Ballistics solver via the AB Synapse - Garmin app (unlock fee required) to access aiming solution for long-range shooting in the field.
  • NEW! Tactical Activity: See time, pace, time of day, elevation and your location in both coordinate types.
  • Night Vision compatibility
  • Stealth Mode
  • dual-format GPS
  • projected waypoints
  • Jumpmaster Mode
  • military standard toughness
  • unprecedented battery life to those that explore under the sun (See Battery Life section below)

The Instinct 2 Solar–Tactical  features a 50 mm case, is 14.5 mm thick, and weighs 67 g. It's topped with a Power Glass lens for solar-charging technology and is built to U.S. military standard 810 for thermal, shock, and water resistance. This GPS watch comes in two colors: Black and Coyote Tan.

Why is the Instinct 2X Solar—Tactical Edition more affordable? It is made from slightly less durable materials. It does not have a Sapphire lens or a metal bezel/rear cover—which does make it lighter on the wrist. And while it has most of them, it does not have all the advanced training features that the tactix 7 offers. Nor the aviation features.

For even more info and a video review, check out this Instinct 2X page.

Does the Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Make a Good Tactical Watch? 

Over-the-shoulder view of a hiker in a rocky area at night looking at a Garmin fenix 7X Pro watch on their wrist with the flashlight illuminated and maps on the display

The Garmin fēnix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar edition offers several features that an extreme outdoor enthusiast or athlete might need.

With a Power Sapphire lens and titanium bezel and rear case cover, it is super resilient to scratches. It is also tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance.

With solar-charging technology, it gets outstanding battery life that only a Garmin can offer (see Battery Life section below).

With Garmin's most robust suite of training tools and sport activities, it will help you train and track your health and wellness for the toughest missions. It will help you get to know your personal performance history and help you push yourself to your limits. 

You'll get Garmin's advanced multi-frequency positioning with SATIQ™ Technology for the greatest possible awareness of your surroundings. And has all the sensors for the best navigation features and elevation data. It also has dual grid coordinates, projected waypoint, and a powerful built-in LED flashlight. 

It's stuffed with maps, including full-color topo maps, ski resort maps, road and trail maps, and even maps for 43,000 golf courses worldwide.

For down and dirty tactical features, it does offer Tactical Activity for time, pace, time of day, elevation and your location in both coordinate types.

However, unlike the Garmin tactix 7 Series and Instinct 2X Solar Tactical, the fēnix 7X Pro does not offer Night Vision, Aviation Features, Jumpmaster Mode, Stealth Mode, or Kill Switch. So, if these features are a must you will want to stick with the tactix 7 Series or the more affordable Instinct 2X (no aviation on the Instinct 2X).

Does Garmin Have a Military Dive Watch?

Yes! The Garmin Descent Mk2 dive computer watches are tactical computer watches for your underwater missions!

Front view of the Garmin Descent MK2 dive computer watch with a map on the display of entry and exit points

Dive features include:

  • Multiple & customizable dive modes for single and multiple gas dives (including nitrox and trimix), gauge, apnea, apnea hunt and closed-circuit rebreather.
  • Track your entry and exit points with advanced satellite connectivity.
    A dive log to store and review data for up to 200 dives—and share via the Garmin Dive app.
    Pair with inReach satellite communicators and the inReach dive case.
    Ascent/Descent rate indicator, automatic altitude adjustment, backlight, alerts and alarms, 3-axis dive compass, built-in barometer and tide tables.
Like the Instinct and tactix Delta Garmin tactical watches, Descent dive computers offer dual-format GPS coordinates, preloaded topographic maps, and projected waypoints to provide unparalleled situational awareness—as well as multi-GNSS (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS) and ABC senors (altimeter, barometer, and compass).

To learn more about this Garmin dive-specific tactical watch's superior GPS and navigation, health-tracking, sport features, and more, visit:

Garmin Descent dive watch comparison blog

Garmin Descent Mk2/Mk2S/Mk2i product specs page

Garmin Tactical Watches Battery Life 

New tactix 7 AMOLED Edition Battery Life

  • Smartwatch: Up to 31 days (11 days always-on)
  • Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 41 days
  • GPS Only: Up to 82 hours (58 hours always-on)
  • All Satellite Systems: Up to 62 hours (48 hours always-on)
  • All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 38 hours (30 hours always-on)
  • All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 17 hours
  • Max Battery GPS: Up to 145 hours
  • Expedition GPS: Up to 27 days

tactix 7 Standard Edition Battery LifeGarmin tactix 7 Pro military GPS smartwatch with solar-charging on display

  • Smartwatch: Up to 28 days
  • Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 90 days
  • GPS Only: Up to 89 hours
  • All Satelilte Systems: Up to 63 hours
  • All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 16 hours
  • Max Battery GPS: Up to 213 hours
  • Expedition GPS: Up to 62 days

Garmin tactix 7 Pro & Pro Ballistics Battery Life

  • Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/37 days with solar
  • Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 90 days/1+ year with solar
  • GPS Only: Up to 89 hours/122 hours with solar
  • All Satellte Systems: Up to 63 hours/77 hours with solar
  • All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 16 hours Max Battery
  • GPS: Up to 213 hours/578 hours with solar
  • Expedition GPS: Up to 62 days/139 days with solar

Instinct 2X Solar & Instinct 2X Solar–Tactical Edition Battery Life

  • Smartwatch: 40 days/Unlimited with solar
  • GPS: 65 hours/160 hours with solar
  • All Satellite Systems: 45 hours/80 hours with solar
  • All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band: 28 hours/39 hours with solar
  • Max Battery GPS Mode: 150 hours/Unlimited with solar
  • Expedition GPS Activity: 60 days/Unlimited with solar
  • Battery Saver Watch Mode: 100 days /Unlimited with solar (WOW!)

Garmin fēnix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar Battery Life

  • Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/37 days with solar
  • Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 90 days/1+ year with solar
  • GPS Only: Up to 89 hours/122 hours with solar
  • All Satellite Systems: Up to 63 hours/77 hours with solar
  • All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 36 hours/41 hours with solar
  • All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 16 hours
  • Max Battery GPS: Up to 213 hours/578 hours with solar
  • Expedition GPS: Up to 62 days/ 139 days with solar

Garmin Descent MK2 Dive Computer Watch Battery Life

  • Smartwatch: Up to 16 days
  • Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 50 days
  • GPS: Up to 48 hours
  • GPS + Music: Up to 15 hours
  • Max Battery GPS Mode: Up to 96 hours
  • Dive mode: Up to 80 hours
  • Expedition GPS Activity: up to 35 days

Does Garmin Have a Military Sport Watch?

The Garmin tactix 7 with training status glance on the display

Yes! All Garmin military GPS and tactical smartwatches have loads of integrated sports apps, fitness-tracking, and training tools—to support all your training and fitness goals!

The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical watches and tactix 7 lineup give you all the usual activity tracking features (calories burned, floors climbed, distance traveled, etc.); Cardio, Strength, Run, Cycling, Swim, Rowing, Hiking—and many, many more workouts! Plus training insights like HRV Status, Training Readiness, VO2 Max for Run and Trail Run, Training Status, Training Load, Training Effect, and more!

Does Garmin Offer a Solar Military Watch?

Yes! Both the Garmin tactix Delta and Garmin Instinct tactical watches offer Solar-charging options!

These include:

Garmin Military Watches with Compass

All models of the Garmin tactix 7 military watches, Instinct 2X Solar Tactical, and Descent dive computer watches have a compass on watch.

Other sensors to help you with distance, orientation, and position- and health-tracking include:

  • Multi-GNSS (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS)
  • Garmin Elevate heart rate monitor
  • Barometric altimeter
  • Gyroscope (except on Instinct watches)
  • Accelerometer
  • Thermometer

And the Garmin Descent tactical dive watch also has a depth sensor.

Are Garmin Military Watches Waterproof?

Yes! Garmin all military tactical watches are rated for water resistance.

  • The Garmin Instinct 2X watches are rated to 10 ATM—Withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 100 meters, splashes, rain or snow, showering, swimming, diving into water, snorkeling, high-speed water sports.
  • The Garmin tactix 7 GPS watches are rated to 10 ATM—Withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 100 meters, splashes, rain or snow, showering, swimming, diving into water, snorkeling, high-speed water sports.
  • The Garmin Descent Dive Computer Watches are rated to Dive (100 meters)—Tested to engineering standard EN13319 for dive compliance, scuba diving, snorkeling, and high-speed water sports.

Black Military Watch & Tactical Watches with Color Options

Most Garmin military and tactical watches are black.

The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical also offers a Coyote Tan option, along with the black military GPS watch option.

Coyote tan Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Edition

The smaller Garmin Descent Mk2S dive computer watch has 2 colors besides black available: Light Gold/Light Sand and Mineral Blue/Sea Foam.

To compare Garmin watches more thoroughly, we've created a Garmin watches blog with comparison chart

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