Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days runs October 6 and 7, and the watch discounts are already trickling out ahead of the main event.
This is Amazon's second big members-only sale of the year, the October follow-up to the summer Prime Day. It's a 48-hour event, and Amazon is promising up to 50 percent off across smartwatches, fitness trackers and earbuds as it fights for early holiday shoppers. New deal drops are scheduled three times a day, at midnight, 8am and 1pm Pacific.
The catch is that the early deals are already live, and some of them are good. A few are on current-generation watches that only launched in the past few weeks. Here's where the prices sit right now, and which ones are worth watching when the real sale kicks off.
Garmin deals are live right now
Garmin is the standout of the early round. ZDNET is tracking a batch of discounts across the lineup, and several are on watches we've recommended this year.
- Garmin Fenix 8 Pro at $1,099, down $100. Not the all-time low ($950 during July Prime Day), but a real cut on the flagship.
- Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire Edition at $499.99, down $500. This is the steepest Garmin cut on the board and a lot of AMOLED watch for the money.
- Garmin Forerunner 165 at $200, down $50. Still the best value running watch in Garmin's line for most people.
- Garmin Instinct 3 at about $347, down roughly $100. Rugged case, 18-day battery and a built-in flashlight.
- Garmin Vivoactive 5 at $189, down $111. The cheapest way into Garmin's health features.
- Garmin Venu 3S at $398, down $52. Not a deal worth taking. This is the previous-generation 41mm Venu, and it has dropped below $360 several times this year, so $52 off is the weakest offer on the board.
If you're weighing the Venu line, our breakdown of the Garmin fall feature update for the Venu 4 covers what changed on the current hardware versus the older Venu 3S.
Apple Watch deals start at $199
The Apple Watch side is where the timing gets interesting. Apple only announced the Series 12 and Ultra 4 in September, so any discount this soon is unusual.
- Apple Watch SE 3, 40mm GPS at $199, down from $249. This matches the SE's lowest price on record and is the best entry point in Apple's lineup.
- Apple Watch SE 3, 44mm GPS at $229, down $50.
- Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm GPS + Cellular at $489.99, down $10.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4 at $779.99, down $20.
- Apple Watch Ultra 3 at $699.97, down $200, as retailers clear the outgoing generation.
That Series 12 and Ultra 4 cut is small, and the honest read is that they're too new to fall far. If you want the latest Apple hardware, our Series 12 and Ultra 4 what's new rundown explains whether the upgrades justify paying near full price. If you don't need the newest sensors, the Ultra 3 at $200 off is the better value.
Samsung Galaxy Watch discounts are smaller so far
Samsung's early cuts are thinner, but there's one clear highlight. The Galaxy Watch 7 in 40mm Bluetooth is down to $185 from $249.99, which is a lot of watch for under $200, especially with Samsung's health features and sleep apnea detection.
The current-generation Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 9 should see deeper cuts once the event formally opens. Samsung typically discounts its newest watches aggressively during these sales. Worth comparing against our Galaxy Watch 9 release, price and specs coverage if you're deciding between generations.
How to shop it
A few things worth remembering:
- Prices move during the event. Amazon drops new deals at set times each day, so a price today is not the price tomorrow. Check back at midnight, 8am and 1pm Pacific.
- Previous-generation models are the value play. The Ultra 3 at $200 off and the Epix Pro Gen 2 at $499 are the biggest percentage cuts, and both are still strong watches.
- New models barely move. Expect the Series 12, Ultra 4 and Galaxy Watch 9 to stay close to full price. The real discounts land on last year's flagships.
- Prime membership is required for most of the headline deals.
For a sense of how these compare to the summer sale, our July Prime Day GPS watch deals roundup shows what the June event looked like.
Bottom line
Prime Big Deal Days 2026 isn't a great time to buy Apple's or Samsung's newest watches, because they're too fresh to discount. It is a good time to buy last year's flagships and any mid-range Garmin. The Garmin deals are already live and the Epix Pro Gen 2 at $499 is the standout so far. If you're set on a current model, wait for the main event on October 6 and 7 and watch for the timed drops.
All prices are as of October 5, 2026 and can change at any point during the sale.
Sources: ZDNET's early Garmin Prime Big Deal Days tracker (Fenix 8 Pro, Epix Pro Gen 2, Forerunner 165, Instinct 3, Vivoactive 5, Venu 3S prices); AppleInsider and Technobezz on the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 12 and Ultra 4 early deals; Macworld's Apple Watch Prime Day guide; SammyGuru on the Galaxy Watch 7 price; and Amazon's own confirmation of the October 6-7 event dates and daily drop schedule.
