- A new leak points to a design change for Garmin watches
- Some future models may come with a digital crown attached
- The new crown mechanism would be built for durability
Some of Garmin’s top watches could soon feature a key design change taken straight from the Apple Watch playbook, according to a new leak: a rotating digital crown that would act as an additional input mechanism.
This comes from information obtained by Gadgets & Wearables (via Notebookcheck), and we also have a mock-up of what it might look like. The crown would be placed on the right side of the watch, with protective screens on either side, somewhat like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra’s Quick button.
According to the leak, the crown wouldn’t actually have any physical connections 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 main selling points for many watches in the Garmin range is ruggedness – an ability to withstand sweat, rain, snow and shock – and implementing a digital crown like this wouldn’t detract too much from Garmin’s appeal to outdoor adventurers.
Coming soon
There’s no indication of 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” such as the Venu and Vivoactive watches.
We have of course seen these crowns on models from other manufacturers, including the best Apple Watches. A crown adds another easy, intuitive control method that can often be faster to operate than a touchscreen or standard button.
Of course, with new Garmin models always on the horizon, discounts on existing models are likely, especially this time of year: we’re already tracking early Black Friday deals, and they’ll likely include deals on smartwatches. Garmin is always a popular choice to receive discounts during the offer period.
It’s been a busy 2025 for Garmin, with several launches including the Garmin Instinct 3, Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and Garmin Venu 4. More new models will most likely follow in 2026 – perhaps with a digital crown attached.
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