When you put a Marathon watch on your wrist, there's no ambiguity about its purpose. It's not for wearing to dinner or showing off. It might also serve in those roles, but what it's obviously made for is the kind of abuse to which a modern soldier might subject a watch. That's exactly the stake Marathon claims in the watch world: they're one of the few watchmakers continuing to work under government and military contracts.
And while it might be more than many need in daily life, civilians are welcome to experience this toughness, too — just like those canvas packs, cargo pants or other tacticool gear we love. I did just that, and can confidently say that it's about as pure of a tool watch as I've ever strapped on.
The GSAR is part of a larger collection of dive watches, mostly designated with some form of SAR, for Search and Rescue. The particular version we're reviewing here is the GSAR (Government Search and Rescue), in 41mm with an automatic movement and a white dial. It should be noted that there are models in whopping 46mm and diminutive 36mm cases as well with both automatic and quartz variants available.
Marathon GSAR: What We Think
The appeal of Marathon watches is specific, though not exactly niche. It's the familiar attraction of military gear which is somehow captivating in its seemingly pure and stubborn focus on functionality and complete lack of fussiness. It's also the promise of toughness and longevity, which is a selling point for any product. Any Marathon watch probably delivers these qualities equally as well, but their dive watch is the most popular for good reason.
You've got a fat, solid hunk of metal strapped to your wrist that offers the peace of mind that it might even survive circumstances its wearer wouldn't. But, ranging in price from the upper three figures for smaller quartz models and into the thousands for automatics, these are no cheap beaters: they deliver the fit and finish of a Swiss luxury watch. If you're also in need of a little sartorial flair in your civilian life, they've got an arresting wrist presence despite (or because of) seeming not to care.
| Case Diameter | 41mm |
|---|---|
| Case Thickness | 14mm |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Movement | Sellita SW200 with Incabloc™ Shock Absorber |
| Submersibility | 30 ATM |
The company's got a compelling story
When you look at Marathon watches, they appear fairly simple and straight-ahead. But there's a reason for their no-frills looks and a story that gives their watches a less tangible though very relevant texture.
We're talking about a Canadian company that's been family-owned for generations with a history of making military watches. Created in 1904 (as Weinsturm Watch), Marathon is today run by the fourth generation of the Wein family. They began producing timing instruments for Allied Forces in 1941, and the bulk of their modern watches are still made under government contract. Take a look at Marathon's website: in addition to watches and straps, their menus include the likes of binoculars and thermometers to other tactical gear.
Actual military cred makes it especially badass
It's well known among watch enthusiasts that the practice of watches being included in a soldier's standard kit is mostly a thing of the past (a thing very much fetishized by collectors). Militaries and governments do, however, still place orders with companies like Marathon for watches made to certain specifications. In recent years Marathon has become more media savvy and better known to enthusiasts, but we're still a mere fraction of its customer base.
If you need cold hard numbers about its military bonafides, Marathon confirmed with me that around 90% of its production is for government contracts — rather than for horologically hungry hobbyists like you and me. Typically, those contracts call for between 7,000 and 50,000 units. "We have at various points supplied the US Marine Corps, US Navy, US Army, US Air Force, IDF Duvdevan, IDF YAMAM, Canadian Armed Forces, and Royal Canadian Air Force SAR Techs," the brand told me.
The type of specifications these contracts would call for explains the watches' very functional features, the kind that have made military and tool watches of the past today's icons: durability, legibility and accuracy. Note the high-contrast dials, whether they're white-on-black or black-on-white. This assures legibility, an important feature in any watch, and Marathon is among a handful of brands particularly known for using tritium gas tubes for low-light illumination.
It's chonky
As noted, these watches are built like mini wrist-tanks. This 41mm version and the 36mm version are both 14mm thick (the 46mm versions are 18mm thick), and the result is a no-nonsense beast of a watch. Isn't that exactly what you want in a watch of this kind? It's rated to 300m of water resistance, after all, and its thick, flat sapphire crystal seems like it'd take shrapnel in stride.
Despite its brutal profile (and the 6.5''/17cm diameter of my bony wrist) it fits me extremely well and is even quite comfortable despite its reassuring heft. The model I tested came on a black FKM rubber strap that was very soft and pliable. In other words, even those who tend to prefer smaller and slimmer watches (I'm one) shouldn't discount this watch as too big based on its specs, nor necessarily opt for the 36mm variant.
Marathon GSAR: Alternatives
You've got a lot of choices for military or tactical, tool or dive watches in this day and age. But, compared to something like the completely unsentimental Marathon GSAR, almost all of them are going to have some kind of superfluous decoration, retro theme or other such collector or style orientation.
As one of the few companies known to actually still produce watches under military contract, the also historic CWC (Calbot Watch Company) might be considered the British counterpart to Marathon. And, if so, its Royal Navy dive watches (~$1,325) would be the analog to the GSAR with an automatic movement and similar price point (also in quartz versions for less), though only available in a 45mm case.
If you love a rock-solid tool watch like the GSAR, Sinn is known for producing such watches but with a German spin on the concept. The EZM 3 ($2,170+) is a comparable alternative with the same Sellita SW200 automatic movement inside and a 41mm case, though with a slight bump in price.
The Type I ($1,695) and Type II ($1,495) Military Reissue watches from Benrus are more examples offering a similar feature set, military air and price point as the GSAR. For more affordable quartz options, check out Luminox's many tactical watches or those from the founders of the same company's newer brand Protek.
| Case Diameter | 41mm |
|---|---|
| Case Thickness | 14mm |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Movement | Sellita SW200 with Incabloc™ Shock Absorber |
| Submersibility | 30 ATM |
