Garmin Approach S70 Golf Watch vs. Garmin MARQ Golfer Gen 2 Watch Comparison Review 

Garmin makes no shortage of impressive golf gear including watches, GPS devices, tracking sensors, and more.

Today we’ll compare two of the top watches from Garmin – the S70 and the MARQ Gen 2.

One is more of a golf watch, while one is a golf watch on steroids. One is mid-priced, while another is closer to the monthly mortgage payment on your house. 

We’ll review each watch individually, then provide the best pick based on what you’re looking for.

Plus, answer your top questions about both watches so that you can buy with confidence. 

Garmin S70 Golf GPS Watch vs. Garmin MARQ Golfer Gen 2 Watch Comparison 

Golf watches are a lot more beneficial than a standard rangefinder. Not only will they provide the distance to flags and targets but provide hole overviews as well.

The higher end Garmin watches also have built-in caddy features too. 

This makes it easier to strategize what club to use and where to aim based on the layout. Not to mention avoid hazards, track statistics, understand how weather impacts the shot, and a lot more features.

Needless to say, that’s a lot more than a standard rangefinder.

Let’s first review the watch that is more affordable for the everyday golfer. 

Garmin S70 Overview

The Garmin S70 watch is a mid-priced golf watch that has a ton of great features. It’s mainly used as a golf watch, but can be used off the course as well.

Their slogan for this watch describes it perfectly, “If golf is your world, this is your watch.” 

As you’ll learn, the MARQ Gen 2 is more stylish than the S70, which has more of an athletic look. Some of the highlights of this watch include:

• 10 days battery life.
• QuickFit accessory bands. 
• 1.2” Color, touchscreen display. 
• Garmin Pay Contactless payments.
• 24/7 health monitoring and activity tracking. 
• Club selection features based on wind and performance. 
• Two case sizes (42MM and 47MM, with two colors for each one).

Here are some of the best features about this Garmin golf watch.

AMOLED Display 

The Garmin S70 provides a beautiful color display that makes it easier than ever to understand the layout of each hole.

The 1.2-inch color screen is super bright with easy to read graphics, even on the sunniest days. Each watch has more than 43,000 preloaded courses, so you can easily navigate through each hole.

You can choose between two sizes; 42MM and 47MM. Each size also has two color choices, all of which are made of black ceramic bezel. 

Golf Features 

The Garmin S70 has an improved virtual caddie feature that provides club recommendations based on swing data, wind, and elevation.

This is a huge perk, as calculating all of this on your own isn’t easy and can slow down the pace of play. But this wrist caddy makes it easy to ensure you’re pulling the right club for any shot during the round.

The Playslike Distance also makes it easier to understand how far each shot is based on slope and other environmental factors. Everything is displayed on the screen and makes it easy to see how wind, slope, and weather impact the total distance for the shot. 

Additionally, you can use the green contour data to make more putts (as long as you have an active Garmin Golf membership). This is a huge advantage that no rangefinder can provide, and feels like a cheat code to making more putts.

Other golf features include wind speed/direction, distance to front/middle/back of green, Pinpointer feature, hazard views, and Autoshot round analyzer.

Plus, it pairs with the CT10 sensors for even more insights about your on course performance.  

Health and Sports Features 

Not only does this watch look good and have tons of golf features, but it has a lot of health benefits too, including:

• HRV status.
• Stress tracking.
• Wrist based heart rate monitoring.
• Sleep score and advanced sleep monitoring. 

The S70 can also help improve your health by creating workouts, providing HIIT workouts, and the Garmin coach feature. Despite being a watch that is meant primarily for golf, there’s no doubt it’s great if you have an active lifestyle as well. 

For only $649, this feels like one of the best deals in golf. Read our full review of the Approach S70 now. 

Garmin MARQ Golfer (Gen 2)

The Garmin MARQ Golfer watch is quite a bit different from the S70. The look itself is one of the biggest differences, as it’s a fancy, premium watch that happens to provide golf data.  

Some of the highlights include:

• Touchscreen display.
• Domed Sapphire lens with AMOLED display. 
• Fused Carbon Fiber or Grade 5 Titanium design.
• Impressive golf features like Virtual caddie, wind speed/direction, green contour data, club tracking, and more. 
• Incredible health and fitness features including a jet lag adviser, morning report, body battery energy monitor, stress tracking, sleep tracking, and more. 

However, this is one of the most expensive golf watches as it’s between $2,500 to $3,100 depending on the model.  

Click here to read our full review of the Garmin MARQ (Gen 2) golf watch. 

Comparing S70 vs. MARQ Golfer Gen 2 – Who Wins? 

Both watches are solid choices, as Garmin is one of the top-rated companies in the golf industry. There are a few things they have in common, including:

• 43,000 preloaded golf courses. 
• Similar golf features including Virtual Caddie, wind speed/direction, Playslike distances, green view, hazard view, and green contour data. 

But the S70 lacks a lot of the health/fitness tracking features that the MARQ Golfer Gen 2 offers. It’s also not nearly as stylish if you’re looking for a more formal watch that you can wear with a suit to work or to the golf course.

Ultimately, both are solid choices, but the MARQ 2 offers a lot more features and a better design. 

Top Questions 

What is the difference between the Garmin MARQ and Gen 2? 

The original MARQ was a solid golf watch that players loved. The Gen 2 got a massive upgrade with the AMOLED touchscreen. The previous version had a lot of the same features, but the newer version is definitely worth the higher price tag. 

What makes the Garmin MARQ so expensive? 

The Garmin MARQ and MARQ Gen 2 are some of the more expensive watches in golf. But they’re worth it thanks to the premium materials used and multiple finish options. It’s a very complex watch design and has so many features to help you play your best on the course and perform best off the course too. 

What is the difference between the Garmin MARQ and EPIX? 

The biggest differences between the two watches is screen size and pixels. The MARQ has a smaller screen (1.2 inches) vs. the Epic (1.3 inches). The MARQ also has slightly fewer pixels at 390×390 vs. 416 x 416. 

Is the Garmin MARQ golfer touchscreen?  

The new Garmin MARQ Gen 2 golf watch is touchscreen and has a ton of features for your golf game. However, the original MARQ is not a touchscreen watch and one of the biggest reasons we encourage buying the Gen 2. 

Closing Thoughts 

Hopefully, you have a better understanding of each Garmin golf watch to figure out which one is right for your game. There’s no doubt that both can do wonders for your game and the MARQ Golfer Gen 2 can do even more for your health and fitness.

It’s not to say the S70 doesn’t have some good health tracking features, it’s not just as immersive. If you need a watch for golf more than anything and have a smaller budget, the S70 is likely the best pick. The color screen display makes it easier than ever to plot your way around the golf course.

If you have a bigger budget and want a wristwatch that can help you 24/7 like a personal AI, the MARQ Golfer is the way to go. It has more features than you can imagine if you want to improve all areas of your life while looking stylish as well. 

Click here to learn more about the Garmin MARQ2 watch now.

Or, click here to learn more about the Garmin S70 watch now

If you’re looking for an ultra-affordable watch, make sure to read our full review of the Garmin Approach S12.