The watch I’m interested in is a brand new model so refurbs are not an option, but good advice to keep in mind if I ever purchase Garmin stuff in the future.
A great big “Thank you!” To everyone who offered opinions and really cool advice on this matter.
I’ve decided to purchase a new solar Seiko dive watch instead. I’m a keep it simple person at heart and generally worry that the more complicated the device the more likely it is to fail or even more likely (!) it is for me to fumble around trying to use it.
I figured if my original Seiko dive watch from the late 70s is still working if not keeping perfect time, I’ve got a good chance the new Seiko will be solid as well. And I know Seiko will stand behind the watch without question.
Thanks again!
KayakerBee
My wife has an issue with electric watches; she kills them simply by wearing them.
She’s tried different brands but in a year or two they’re dead.
I’m staying away from pacemakers. 
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I have had enough garmin devices to kniw i would not want any more. the features described in user manuals don’t always work and the garin watch i had was cute but shortilved - oddly enough until just out of warrantee so replaced it with a firbit. personally i would not waste time or miney on anything from garmin.
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My husband went through two FitBits which either were defective or had very short periods of planned lifespans. The second FitBit was no better than the first. He next considered Garmins and Apples and ultimately picked Apple’s watch, which he likes.
When I was 18, my parents gave me a Seiko self-winding watch.
When I began racing bikes, just riding a short local time trial event made the watch go berserk. I could actually see the HOUR HAND circling around the dial. All that road vibration must’ve sent it into warp speed, LOL.
Then I took it to a watch repairman, who charged me the same as what the watch cost to make it work again. It also went berserk again in similar circumstances. NOT a good kind of watch for active sports!!! I bought my first, but not last, digital Casio watch. Those worked beautifully through thick and thin, and they kept time more accurately, too. I still own two such old-school watches.
Interesting about the Seiko. My self winding dive watch - the classic Turtle - was purchased in the mid to late 70s and is still working although it sometimes now loses time. As far as I know it’s still waterproof, at least for kayaking.
I’ve done many a century wearing it and dove in it every single week for years. I don’t dive any longer and would be reluctant to trust it past about 10 feet. It is the automatic self winding though, not the kinetic. Sometimes the capacitors in the kinetics aren’t as reliable as the spring driven automatics. My watch has never been serviced in all that time!
I talked to Seiko about a reburb for my beloved oldie, but they can’t guarantee they have all the gaskets needed to restore it to full waterproof status. To their credit, they will test the waterproofness and then give me a written estimate for parts and work that needs to be done without any cost or obligation. They will even cover the postage to send it back if I decide not to have the work done! That’s how a company should be with their products!
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Have your wife look up the Pauli Effect. I thought it was just a fluke with my equipment until someone told me they had the same issue. Anything with a replaceable battery that is in contact with my skin is a no go. Battery lasts maybe 6 months. I took to carrying a pocket watch for years until I discovered self winding watches. My Fitbit needs recharging twice as often as my husband’s and I’ve had to replace them twice as often as he does. The screens start cycling through non-sensical glyphs.
I also crash ATMs. I stick the card in and they go dead. A new card fixes the problem for awhile and then it happens again.
Often if I call up Google maps the image will appear on the screen reversed, as if you are looking in a mirror. If I hit any key, the image immediately corrects itself. Happens on my laptop and ipad so I know it’s not the machine.
Here’s hoping I never need a pacemaker! Hadn’t thought about that!
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Thanks. Hers isn’t as strong as yours but maybe it decreases as you age.