Time doesn't sync to phone or GPS when moving to new time zone. Period.

I am sorry you are having a time issue with your Fenix 5 series watch.

While traveling you should always be able to correct your time in the new time zone syncing through your Garmin Connect Mobile APP, syncing with Garmin Express on your computer, or acquiring GPS whether through your System > Time menu or by acquiring GPS with any Outdoor activity and then backing out of the activity after connecting to GPS. In all those examples, your time should go back to the correct time zone time.

Please note, it may take much longer to acquire GPS when you travel more than 300+ miles. Your watch needs to find the new nearest satellites and update their path on your watch. You will then acquire GPS more quickly in that same area.

- My Garmin Watch Displays the Incorrect Time

If you continue to have time issues, you can also fully reset your watch: How to Reset My Garmin Outdoor Watch. Reach out to your regional Outdoor Product Support using the contact information on the bottom of the incorrect time support article if the issue still continues. We will be happy to go over replacement options.

Thanks. But as I indicated in my op, I tried that and it doesn’t work. 

After being on chat with Garmin tech for close to an hour, and after a number of failed attempts to pair, I finally got it paired over bt with my phone. After an hour it finally updated the time zone and correct time. 

Then 3 hours later the battery drained to 0. Because that’s what happens over bt. Recharged it to 100% last night, and it was at 25% when I woke up this morning. It was completely dead by the end of breakfast. So it held a charge for about 14 hours. While I was doing nothing but sleeping and eating blueberries and cereal. Because that’s what happens over bt. 

And that’s why I don’t use bt. 

ISTM, when it syncs with ANY computer with correctly set time—by Wi-Fi, hardwire or bt— it should correct the time. I shouldn’t have to trick it. And it shouldn’t take more than a day to correct the time zone. And bt shouldn’t drain the battery faster than a sailor on shore leave blows his paycheck on booze and hookers. 

Garmin has a lot of work to do on this issue. 

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Outdoor Product Support again to have your watch replaced for the fast battery drain. Given the time issue alone, your watch has developed an issue and should be exchanged.

What about people being out of warranty? It seems a little odd to change a watch because it cannot sync the time to GPS anymore, while the GPS function is still working. 

(replying as facing the same issue with my Fenix 5+ which of course is out of warranty)

I recommend connecting the watch with the USB cable to a computer, deleting the EPO or CPE file from the folder //GARMIN/REMOTESW/, checking for updates with Garmin Express, disconnecting and reconnecting the cable, and verifying whether the EPO or CPE file was reloaded. Then step out, acquire the satellites, and the time should sync automatically (or use the function for setting the time with GPS). If it does not help, try resetting the watch (forced reboot without data loss by holding the Light button for some 20s). And if still not working, perform the master reset to factory defaults as Chris has suggested.

I am on vacation so I don’t have a computer with Garmin software here. 

Will try the force reset. Thanks!

Well, normally the CPE file refreshes over the Garmin Connect app too, assuming you have data roaming, but it is less frequent than with Garmin Express, so if the file is relatively fresh, I am not sure whether it is guaranteed the CPE file refreshes when syncing with Garmin Connect. With Garmin Express it would be easier. Another possibility is logging an outdoor activity longer than some 10-20 minutes, using the GPS - I think it should be sufficient for acquiring the satellites properly, even if the CPE file is invalid for your new location.