Marathon Watches Review: Everything You Need to Know

Talking about the Marathon watch brand might prompt you to think about military watches. Indeed, the brand is a great example that combines functionality and durability to fulfill the needs of military timepieces. That said, Marathon makes the best manufacturers in the market for its military watches. 

The journey started when Morris Wein, the founder, began to produce some military-grade watches for British soldiers’ equipment in World War II. The popularity soars until the present day when the watch is also designed to make a good companion for everyday wearing. 

Above many collections, Marathon GSAR (Government-Issued Search and Rescue) is a favorite for its function, durability, and comfort. It consists of high-utility watches designed to carry military purposes. 

The watches are also designed for military personnel in different branches and jobs. They are definitely non-flashy watches but builds with the purpose to aid the army with their missions. As such, you can expect high durability, reliability, and ruggedness in this collection.

In this article, we’re going to take a deeper look at the Marathon watch review to see what makes the brands worth your money and some recommendation that might interest you. 

Are Marathon Watches Good?

There are many factors and considerations to look at how something is worth enough to spend money on. The same also goes for Marathon watches. But, if you ask, we would say that Marathon watches would be one of the recommended purchases. 

As a brand that focuses on making military watches since years ago, you can see that its long existence might give you an answer about its quality. Other than that, every part of the watch is designed meticulously to provide a better experience in legibility, durability, accuracy, and comfort. 

Things to be noted here is that comfort is also an important thing to consider for Marathon. The brand ensures maximum comfort and mobility for the wearer, especially considering crucial situations during military activities. 

As for the performance, Marathon watches have undergone some tests by both the Canadian and US military forces that ensure the quality of the watches. Moreover, Marathon timepieces are now standard issues for the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, NASA, and Canadian Armed Forces as well as law enforcement and government agencies worldwide.

Marathon watches are also known for their tritium gas tubes to ensure optimal legibility in the dark environment. The hour markers, syringe-style handset, and the tip of the second-hand have been well-applied with tritium. It allows the watch to glow without external light charging as SuperLuminova. 

So, does the explanation above answer your expectation about Marathon watches?

Read more: The 5 Best Watches with Tritium that Glow Constantly

Marathon Watches Review

As you might want to take a closer look at Marathon watches, below are some of the popular models.

GSAR Government Diver Black Automatic – Rubber Ref. WW194006BK

A rugged and bold-looking timepiece is the highlight of Marathon watches as presented in this GSAR Diver Automatic. The watch comes with diving equipment, such as 300m water resistance, a 120-click black bezel that rotates uni-directionally, and a total of 15 self-illuminating tritiums that glow in the dark. 

As the main engine, the watch is driven by a Swiss Self-winding automatic, the Marathon M2 movement with 26 jewels and operates at 4Hz (28,800bph). The movement is a workhorse that proves how Marathon emphasizes accuracy under all conditions.

Price: $1,620.00 USD

Pilot’s Navigator Sage Green Sterile Dial Ref. WW194001-S-SG-D

From the diving equipment, we move to the sky where Air Force Military and pilots need a tool for time-telling and other practical functions. The Pilot’s Navigator Sage Green Sterile Dial comes with a fantastic look alongside its bulky design. The watch comes at 41mm in diameter, 13mm thick, and 48mm lugs to lugs.

Powering the watch is ETA FØ6 high-torque 3 jewels Quartz movement with a high degree of accuracy. The watch is accurate to -0.3/+0.5 seconds per day. Additionally, it also features an End of Life (EOL) indicator to indicate that a battery change is needed.

Price: $378.00 USD

CSAR Jumbo Diver/Pilot Automatic Chronograph 46mm 

The next recommendation of Marathon watches that should be on your list is the CSAR Jumbo Diver/Pilot Automatic Chronograph. Falling under the CSAR (Chronograph Search And  Rescue) category, it reflects the one and only watches from Marathon with a chronograph. As the name mentions, the watch comes in jumbo dimensions.

It measures 46mm wide, 18mm thick, and 54mm lug to lug. The beefy squared crown guards that flange the nailed-textured screw-down crown also further add a bulky appearance to the watch. Driven by the traditional Swiss ETA 7750, the watch offers 42 hours of power reserve.

Price: $4,860.00 USD

Frequently Asked Questions about Marathon Watches

While the explanation above answers your deep curiosity about Marathon watches in general, some simple questions might also pop up in your head.

Is Marathon a Luxury Watch Brand?

Rather than questioning whether the brand is in a luxury market or not, we prefer to think of Marathon as tool watches. It refers to a timepiece designed to fulfill a specific purpose with functional and practical features – which is a military field in the case of Marathon.

It’s quite difficult to determine where Marathon belongs when referring to the prices as it varies considerably. For example, you might find the GSAR and SAR collections at a high price that sits at the luxury end of the scale. However, you can still find others under a thousand bucks. 

Does the Military Use Marathon Watches?

Of course yes! Every piece of Marathon watch is specifically designed, built, and manufacture to fulfill military specifications. However, they are now also available for the general public use. 

As for the production, the watch is designed in Canada but manufactured in Switzerland. Therefore, you would notice the title “Swiss Made” on each dial.

Read more: Best Field Watches Under 1000: Picks for Outdoor Adventure

Are Marathon Watches Shock Resistance?

As it is supposed to be for a durable military timepiece, resistance to a magnetic field, corrosion, and shock is important. Marathon watches also equipped its collections to feature those traits and become fully military compatible.

The brand even enhanced the mechanism for shock resistance, a redesigned internal cushion system, and high torque hands.

Are Marathon Watches Waterproof?

Yes, similar to the previous question. Marathon has ensured to fully equip the watch with standard necessities and appear in the advanced performance. Most of their watches are water resistant to up to 300m. 

Final Thought

Marathon watches for the military field are such a wonder that comes with a wide option of rugged and durable timepieces wrapped in affordable prices. Some might ask ‘why are Marathon watches so expensive?’, that’s because of the level of durability and reliability it offers.

Regardless, Marathon still caters to affordable timepieces under $1000 for those who look for a splendid military timepiece without actually robbing their bank account. 

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