Looking for a watch!

Anyone have some recs for gps watches? I’m getting into triathlons, but would also like one that suits big mountain days. The main features I want are gps of course, an altimeter, and a swimming mode. Thanks!

Garmin Instinct 2 has all of those features. You can also get a version for solar charging. The normal version starts at $200, the solar charging version is $300.

I have the Garmin instinct 2 solar, it works great for everything you are wanting. I wouldn't recommend spending extra for the solar, I work outside in Colorado and it barely does anything.

+1 for Garmin.

If you do SCUBA, their new sports watches also function as a dive computer.  

Love my Instinct 2 but will echo the extra $ for solar isn't worth it.

+1 for Instinct 2, have the solar and it isn’t worth it.

I've got a Coros and love it. I believe it's the Apex 46, which isn't made anymore, but it's been with me every day for almost 5 years now which I think is pretty darn good for a high tech watch in a world of planned obsolescence. It's done everything you mentioned and more, and my battery lasted around a month when new, a little less now.

I had a coros vertex 1 and it was terrible, the heart rate sensor was useless and it died in under a year.  I feel abused by coros and will not go back.

After the coros watch,  I went with a Garmin 945 which is actually pretty good.  Sadly the lens is not a sapphire and has cracked after 2 years which is far longer than I expected. I end up damaging all watches I have ever owned without sapphire lenses fairly quickly and so a sapphire lens is a requirement for me. 

I must have a sapphire lens in my next watch and the Garmin watches with sapphire lens are so expensive.  I am considering a Suunto vertical, race, or peak pro.  It looks like the peak pro is a previous generation of electronics and does not have mapping capability.  I am not sure I really need the mapping capability because I rarely used it on both the coros and the Garmin but the dated electronics (GPS) are a consideration.   The difference between the vertical and race seems to be screen and battery sizes.

Does anyone have experience with these watches?  How well does their heart rate sensor work?  Does the O2 sensor work at all (it does not work on the coros or the garmin I owned).

My instinct 1 is still going strong after many years. I hear the instinct 2 is noticably better. That's what I'd get if I needed a new watch. 

I've got a COROS Vertix 2S, I think it's pretty good*! (*I've not owned many other GPS watches, so I may not have too much perspective on what else is out there)

I like the watch, the battery lasts a whole month for me (running, cycling, climbing, scrambling, hiking activities), I really like the app (I didn't love Garmin Connect), and you can charge the watch to an FSA or HSA if you have one!

Thanks for the recs, everyone. I decided to go with a Forerunner 955 (non solar) for $300 and have been very happy with it so far! 

Coros nomad. LOVING mine