'Garmin actually want their devices to break in these labs' I went to Garmin's closely guarded Kansas HQ to find out why its watches are so expensive

When people talk Garmin, it’s usually about one thing – the best running watches. And sure, that’s the bit most of us see. You buy a Forerunner or a Fenix, sync it to the Connect app, and then spend the next few years being a bit too smug about battery life, especially when your friends complain about their Apple Watches dying after a day.

But when I was invited to Garmin’s HQ in Olathe, Kansas for a media tour to coincide with the surprise launch of the new Forerunner series last year, I was excited to see behind the scenes. As a smartwatch enthusiast, it was like a golden ticket straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I’ll admit, I was expecting the usual checklist of activities a trip like this brings: product demos, a few executive chats, and a polite ...