Top 3 Marathon Dive Watch Collection for Marine Activity

The term "GSAR" stands for "Government Search and Rescue," and it is called after the high-risk tactical missions of the military personnel to whom these watches are provided, acting as a critical instrument in their armory. The GSAR is Marathon's flagship ISO-certified dive watch, designed for use during underwater missions and featuring a 30 ATM (300m) water resistance, resistant to magnetism, corrosion resistance, and high shock and temperature resistance. Here are three Marathon dive watch you can rely on.

Marathon GSAR NGM Diver Automatic Arctic Edition - Ref. WW194006-WD

Bezel

The bezel is still black, but it contrasts nicely with the dial, which has been changed to a "cool white," according to Marathon. Clearly, the brand spent a lot of time and work perfecting the dial color. It's not a bright white, but more of a silvery tone. This, together with the red highlights on the dial, results in a very attractive and classically useful dial design.

Although the lighter dial color is the only significant difference between the Arctic Edition and the standard GSAR with a black dial, it is significant. The main goal was to create a timepiece that was easier to read in bright, chilly conditions. Most customers, however, will most likely select the Arctic Edition for its stylish value. Even though the GSAR is strictly a tool watch, matching it with this silvery-white dial and putting it on a well finished bracelet makes the GSAR look better than any model before it with a suit or social clothes.

Case

The steel case and band are beautifully crafted, probably even better than some previous GSAR watches I've seen. I'm aware that Marathon has been improving some of its components, so the GSAR of today could be a better-finished Marathon dive watch than previous GSARs. The finishing quality is better than you'd expect for a watch at this price point, which helps a professional military watch feel like it was made for collectors. The case is water resistant to 300 meters and can be used as a professional diver's watch in every way (even though this is a military watch in practices and spirit).

A sapphire crystal protects the Marathon dive watch face. Tritium gas tubes in the hands and hour markers self-illuminate the dial. The 60-minute pip on the rotating bezel is painted with more typical luminant paint (“Maraglo”). In white, the dial is just as deep and attractive as it is in black. Marathon realized that a movement with a lot of torque was required to make those heavy hands work properly. As a result, the brand embarked on a journey that led them to collaborate with Swiss movement manufacturer Sellita to develop the Marathon M2 automatic movement.

Movement

The movements are based on the Sellita SW200 automatic movement from Switzerland, but with several noticeable improvements. A robust Incabloc shock-absorbing system for the regulation system, an easier date mechanism setting, high torque hands, and a proprietary steel suspension system (rather than plastic, which is commonly used) for the case that is designed to absorb shock that could negatively affect the performance of the 4Hz, 42-hour power reserve automatic movement.

Price

The Arctic Edition GSAR is the larger brother of Marathon's Arctic Edition MSAR automatic, which is where the design was perfected. I'm excited to see these on people's wrists and hear what the community has to say about them. $1,040 USD is the price of the Marathon Arctic Edition Large Diver's Automatic GSAR watch.

Marathon GSAR Government Diver Black Automatic - Ref. WW194006BK

Overview

The GSAR is powered by a Swiss-made Sellita automatic movement and is made in Marathon's own factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (that I believe is produced with some unique elements just for Marathon). The case is 41mm broad, 14mm thick, and has a lug-to-lug distance of about 48mm. With 20mm-wide lugs, it wears smaller, but given the case thickness and height bezel, it doesn't feel small (which has become a signature Marathon dive watch look). The GSAR has a sapphire crystal, is water-resistant to 300 meters, and uses self-illuminating tritium gas tubes for darkness illumination on the hands and hour markers as a sport/professional watch.

Dial

The depth of the dial, as well as the lack of reflecting components, make the GSAR so legible as a tool clock. The watch's depth is a result of the space required for all of the gas tubes, but it also contributes to the watch's overall functionality, which has helped the brand's General Search & Rescue versions become so popular. Traditional luminant material (such as on the bezel) is also used on the Marathon dive watch to improve visibility in low-light situations.

Case

The case of this Marathon dive watch is made of 316L stainless steel and is 41mm broad, 14mm thick, and 48mm lug to lug. Furthermore, the casing is totally sandblasted to give it a dull surface, and then treated with a full black anodized treatment, reducing any source of inessential reflections while still being beautifully finished, which is where Marathon puts particular care to its watches. The 120-click black bezel has wide grooves that allow for unidirectional rotation in all conditions, especially when your hands are moist. With a luminous triangle pip at 12 o'clock, the engraved black anodized bezel keeps faithful to military needs in a 60-minute format. The timepiece's size allows one to feel its solidity and that it was designed with a sense of purpose for use in the field.

Marathon GSAR Government Diver Automatic - Ref. WW194006BRACE-US

You may dive in deep waters without worrying about not being able to see the time because the tritium-based light is so good. The bezel, which has a light indicator on top and is unidirectional, will not travel backwards, allowing you to lose track of your dive time.

As previously stated, the window is constructed of extremely resistant Sapphire Crystal, and there is a little date window, two thick index hands for hours and minutes, and one thin hand for seconds on the dial. Aside from that, the Arabic numbers marking the hours are not illuminated, so you'll only be able to see the markers and hands, as well as the arrow on the bezel, during dark periods.

Crown

The robust squared crown guards on the side profile flange the nailed-textured screw-down crown for simple handling. When we turn it over, we see the screw-in case-back, which allows it to endure 300 meters of water. The necessary government markings and specifications are engraved right on the caseback. These documents verify that this Marathon dive watch was built in accordance with US government specifications. All of this being said, we believe it is safe to claim that both watch collectors and the US military employ watches for land and sea operations.

Dial

The dial of a military-style watch, as you'd think, requires all of the proper materials to live up to its livery. Marathon has used MaraGloTM tritium gas tubes with a total of 15 encapsulated tritiums (Isotope H3) on its hour markers and syringe-style handset beneath its flat sapphire display. Even the second-hand has one at the tip, letting you read the time clearly even if you've been in the dark for more than 24 hours. As a result, light is constantly emitted. External light sources, such as conventional SuperLuminova, will no longer be used to charge them.

Arabic hour markers are placed just beneath the tritium tubes on the dial, only to be flanged further by a set of 24-hour markings reading inside. The date was also set to 4.30 to avoid interfering with the installation of the tritium gas tubes. Finally, only the most important text is present, with the “Marathon, US Government” emblem at the top and “Automatic, 300m/ 1000ft (in red)” at the bottom. The “H3, hazard emblem” is added to the dial to signal the presence of tritium gas. Even at a glance, all of this information about the GSAR Diver is readily apparent.

Movement

The traditional Swiss Self-winding automatic Marathon M2 Movement, which operates at 4Hz (28,800bph) and has a power reserve of roughly 42 hours, is housed within its heart. Marathon's use of this action demonstrates that precision is important in all situations.

Strap

A 20mm stainless steel bracelet produced with the same high quality 316L grade is attached to the GSAR Diver Auto. If one has to strap it over his wetsuit, it also has a folding diver extension along the clasp part. The Marathon logo is engraved on the bracelet's clasp. This is in keeping with the adventure motif, enhancing the overall sportiness and toughness.

Overall, Marathon products are made with the utmost care and subjected to a variety of quality control procedures. The GSAR Government Diver Automatic on Bracelet Ref. WW194006BRACE-US, which combines military ruggedness with Swiss craftsmanship, exemplifies this attention to detail. The world of military-style tool watches has never been more crowded in the sector, where buyers have a variety of options to select from, but not all have the right to be approved by the US government until today. Since day one, the Marathon dive watch has stood out from the crowd in this way, and their watches have always been made with a purpose in mind, providing incredible value for money for us watch collectors.