This Garmin AMOLED hybrid smartwatch I tested is a masterclass in design and function

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Back in 2022, Garmin released “hybrid” smartwatch style face with analog hands and a monochrome display, quickly becoming one of my favorite smartwatch designs yet. Now, Garmin’s new Instinct Crossover continues the analog design trend with a fantastic AMOLED display, LED flashlight, and more.

Also: The best Garmin watches you can buy: Expert tested

The previous Garmin smartwatch I reviewed, the Instinct 3 has both an AMOLED and monochrome MIP display option, but the new Instinct Crossover only comes with the AMOLED. You have other options, though, between Charcoal, Black, and Bronze/Sunburst colorways. I chose the Charcoal model with a default watch face in teal and white, and it looks fantastic.

In my review of the previous version of the Instinct Crossover, I mentioned that the perfect addition to this smartwatch would be a flashlight. Well, I’m thrilled to see that Garmin took this to heart and added it to the updated Crossover AMOLED. 

It’s good, too: the flashlight gets very bright, with four levels of white light and one level for the evening red light. The analog hands continue to show you the time with the LED flashlight turned on and the rest of the display in sleep mode.

Speaking of the analog hands, there are some added dynamics with the AMOLED compared to the original Crossover. When you access widgets and other functions, the hands still move to the flat position. 

With select watch faces, the dials on the watch face will dynamically move around so that the watch face complications are not covered by the analog hands. This allows for a cleaner interface while providing a unique viewing experience with your watch face changing throughout the day.

The analog hands also serve as the compass indicator, with the minute hand lighting up in red to point North. You can further customize by illuminating the display behind the hands, and choosing your preferred highlight color. 

In addition to the display highlights, the hands have Super LumiNova coating to provide visibility in low light conditions. Red shift is also an option for the AMOLED display so your night vision isn’t impacted by the colors of your watch face, widgets, and other data shown on the display.

Also: The Garmin Instinct Crossover grew on me. I just wish it had this one killer feature

The Instinct Crossover AMOLED is clearly focused on those who prefer analog watch hands, since the Instinct 3 AMOLED offers the same software experience for $150 to $200 less. Personally, I enjoyed my time with the analog hands and if glancing down to check the time without lifting your wrist is how you roll, then this is one of the best watches for you. 

There is also a slight reduction in battery life (on the order of four days in smartwatch mode, and three hours for GPS tracking mode) between the Instinct 3 AMOLED and Crossover AMOLED. Because of this trade-off, you have to really be a fan of the analog hands to consider this watch. 

Also, given the significant price difference between these two AMOLED Instinct watches, a Crossover Solar with an LED flashlight for $50 more than the original would have been all I needed to see. The AMOLED display with analog hands is cool to see in person, but it’s an expensive proposition for a few slick animations and dynamic highlighting.

The Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED has a sapphire crystal lens, MIL-STD-810 thermal and shock resistance, dual-layered metal bezel, and 10 ATM water resistance, so it’s built to withstand just about everything you throw at it. All of the excellent Garmin ecosystem features are present, including the new lifestyle logging feature that supports collection of actions you take in your life that may affect your sleep, stress, and HRV.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Garmin has a host of great watches available in 2025, but the Instinct Crossover AMOLED stands out because of its analog design, which is essentially the only reason to choose this model over others in the catalog. That said, it does look premium, and is packed with helpful features (and now, a useful flashlight).

If you like the analog or hybrid design (but want to spend a bit less), I recommend checking out the Pininfarina hybrid watch.