Garmin Keeps Watches Discounted Up to 35% After Prime Day on Amazon

Q: Are Prime Day's Apple Watch deals real savings or just marketing after pre-sale price hikes?

For these Apple Watch models, the evidence points to real savings, though shoppers should still verify each listing’s price history. The strongest case is that the featured prices match or approach the lowest levels seen this year. Reports consistently cite the Apple Watch Series 11 at $279, down from $399, and the Ultra 3 at $649, down from $799, as record-low or near-record-low prices. Multiple deal trackers and shopping editors say they checked historical pricing across retailers and found these were not routine “sale” prices. Amazon also says Prime Day deal prices must be at or below the lowest price in the previous 60 days. That does not guarantee every discount is exceptional, but it does make a last-minute price hike followed by a fake markdown less likely for headline items such as Apple Watches. The broader skepticism around Prime Day is still justified. Independent analyses of past Prime Day events found many products were raised in price before the sale or were not at their lowest point of the year. One report on Prime Day 2025 said 45.5% of tracked products rose in price the week before the event. Other studies found only a small share of sale items hit a true annual low. So the balanced answer is that these Apple Watch deals appear to be genuine bargains, unlike many weaker Prime Day promotions. But consumers should confirm with tools such as CamelCamelCamel, Keepa, or Amazon’s own price-history feature before buying, especially on less prominent configurations.

3 articles · Updated · Lifehacker · Jun 30

$663.36 buys the Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire on Amazon after Prime Day, leaving the former $999.99 flagship still 35% below list.
Garmin's newer launches are driving the markdowns: the Epix line has been folded into Fenix 8, while newer Forerunner and Vivoactive models have pushed older watches into clearance-style pricing.
$129 Forerunner 55, $199.99 Forerunner 165, $349.99 Forerunner 265 and $189.99 Vivoactive 5 are among the standout remaining deals, spanning entry-level runners to casual athletes.
The discounts extend Garmin's broader summer promotion cycle, with separate reports showing Instinct 3 models also marked down in post-Prime Day and early July 4 sales.