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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

Thanks for a great review man. Definitely love the new look for it.

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

Excellent review as always, thank you! Bought an Instinct as a trial because of your overview videos. Great watch, and on to the Solar now

NICE !!!, I just want to send a huge thank you and congrats for your amazing work.

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.

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.

I subscribed.. cause you asked 2ce. Detailed explanations and clear projections of your thoughts. I have noted ordered a Crossover Solar in preference to the Vivomove Trend.

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

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!!!

Ray is a robot! Thanks for this review. Very informative.

Beating G-Shock at their own game...

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

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)

It is interesting to see the hands in action. Good review

3:00 the word you're looking for is "recessed" 😂 Great review thanks!

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

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?

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.

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.

Recently ran into a video of yours in my recommendations and am really happy I decided to sub. Am looking for a watch for hiking and these videos are really helpfull. I am mainly looking for one with altimeter and compass. So this has more than I actually need, but still really interesting.

Excellent review - many thanks. I'll be swapping my Fenix 6X for the Instinct Crossover - love the hands, don't need maps. Not much info out there apart from your in depth review. I always appreciate your content. Lots of detail, well presented, and well researched. My wife was listening in and said "can he talk any faster?" and I told her "this guy has a lot of information to tell us, and you get used to the pace after the first few videos". Keep them coming!

Great review. I know not full review but enuf review for me ✌🏽😎

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 ……

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

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

so glad they got rid of that round circle. Hopefully it moves on into the next Instinct 3

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 ) .

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.

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

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

da best choice ever what i made is i buy Crossover solar tactical and i dont regret at all

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

wonderful review

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.

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

I wish it had multiband GPS, I would have considered this watch.

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...

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.

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." 🙄

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 🙂

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

@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?

Very nice review thats why i bought my new huawei watch gt4 😅

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.

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

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?

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!

I really like the crossover look, it's a shame I do want maps or I'd be getting this instead of a fenix.

Second here. And this piece looks amazing!

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

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

always the best👍🏼, the durability should not be used as reason to make the watch bulky or ugly. The 7s & higher models have the same components inside why the thickness increase? Why not using the bigger screen on a thinner watch?

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.

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. :)

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

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

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

Super interesting, thank you. Does the crossover have the morning report feature?

I can't wait for OLED version. This is always on for time.

Thank you very much for this review! Is there a way to have the seconds displayed somehow? Maybe using a field in the background or something like this?

So...smart G-Shock replacement?

I simply like it :)

Try to make an impact with the watch itself (on desk or smth) and than check if it will auto-calibrate. Maybe it use gyro for it?

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.

Nice review! Did the fix the issue of the first Instinct not able to read your heart rate while swimming?

I both love and hate it!

I came from an Apple Watch. I went with the Garmin I2 and love it, but the weather and calendar never update and I do miss the turn by turn

At 8:11 is that training load focus? Also on your complete guide I didn't see that breakdown of aerobic/anaerobic. Does the Instinct 2 do this also? Also did they fix the course "points" issue you found on the Instinct 2?

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

does it run udisc?

Absolutely love the hands and overall look with backlight off! But it's so disappointing with backlight on... Why its retro-blue? I think white would be so much better. Tell me please, glass is scratch resistant enough? Its instinct series, so it must be durable. Am i right?

Thank you Ray. Can we have a super cut of you saying "Revo-Drive" ? Glad I've never bought a Casio G-Shock Analog-Digital , so I can put that money toward this - IFF my first Gen Solar Instinct ever dies. At that price I wonder if they thought about swapping in tritium gas tubes on the hands instead of the brilliant but limited time Super Luminova.

Nice, feels like this is what I've been waiting for but is it possible to show the seconds on the watchface? That's a musthave

I have no idea why they rushed with the release of this one?!?! Tactical version on USA website: ready for shipping: 5-8 weeks?! It won't even come to Hungary in this year! I'm so disappointed. I would wear it yesterday!