Grace Cook wears a clunky Garmin Forerunner 55 — a £115 "outfit ruiner" — alongside a rose gold Oura ring. At an Arizona restaurant, a real estate executive in a Rolex called it "nerdy." Yet this black rubber timepiece has become an unlikely status symbol among runners. In a Runner's World report, Garmin topped the best watch list, beating minimalist Oura rings, Whoop bands, and Coros. Co-founder Nicola Strange of Studio Beyond says her Garmin Fenix 6x Pro signals she "prioritises an athletic lifestyle." Fashion buyer Feyisola Latunji wore hers to her hen do; Jessie Hyman of Pruzan paired it with a Bode dress.

Riding the global running boom, Garmin's fitness sales soared 42 per cent to $547mn in Q1 2026. Founded in 1989 by engineers Gary Burrell and Min Kao in Kansas, the company pivoted from marine GPS to running watches in 2003. Revenue jumped from $1bn to $1.5bn between 2020-2021. Models range from the Forerunner 55 (£119.99) to the Marq Athlete Gen 2 (£1,999).

Runners value real-time pace tracking, 14-day battery life, and Strava sync. James Irlam, a six-time major marathoner, swapped his Rolex for a Garmin: "A Rolex feels flashy. Garmin shows a different sort of success that has been earned." The tan line becomes a badge of honour — "the wealthiest watch you can buy," says Matt Willocks of Good Sport.

Competitors like Tag Heuer (£1,350) and Amazfit's diamond-dial Josh Kerr edition offer luxury blends, but Cook prefers her 2021 model's simplicity: "It isn't another smartphone on my wrist. It feels original and analogue in this era of mass AI slickness."