I’m on my third watch now due to this issue. I’ve contacted Garmin and they say the issue is due to my unique body chemistry... seems like an excuse for they have no idea what’s causing this issue. Anyway, on the third warranty request they were reluctant to replace my watch and told me that the issue is cosmetic and doesn’t impact the watch’s performance or durability. I have the claim on file with them, so we’ll see if this holds true or if they’re full of it.
Hello, my Fenix 5x looks also from suffering this issue. I have contact my local reseller. I am a quite intensive swimmer (pool/open water). But is there a technical clear explanation what the reason is this cracks. Is there a risk that water will damage the internal of the watch?
You should contact the Garmin Support directly to get a RMA for a replacement. This is a known issue. I have the 3rd Fenix 5X because of this and I‘m wondering how long it will last this time. Typically the cracks will show up after a year. Sadly my Fenix 5X runs out of warranty...
Well I'm in possession of my 4th Fenix 5x Sapphire. I'm pleased that garmin continues to honor their warranty but frustrated that this keeps happening. My newly refurbished unit looks a little different and has the gold pins on the charging connector, I take these to be good signs that maybe I've received a new enough unit to avoid this issue going forward. Only time will tell...
This problem has also extended to the Descent Mk1. After speaking with a rep, she stated that it was just “cosmetic” but after pushing the situation a bit further a new watch was offered as an exchange.