Marathon
- Founded
- 1904
- Based in
- Toronto, Canada (watches made in Switzerland)
- In our catalog
- 3 watches from $470 to $2,500
Marathon makes watches that militaries actually issue. Many of its models are built to US government specifications and handed out to soldiers, pilots and rescue divers, and the civilian versions are almost identical. They're plain, tough and covered in tritium tubes that glow without ever needing light.
History
The Wein family founded Marathon in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1904. The family later moved the business to Canada, and since 1941 Marathon has supplied watches to the US and Canadian armed forces. It is still owned by the Wein family and run from Toronto, while the watches are made in Switzerland.
Signature models
- 41mm Anthracite Large Diver's Automatic (GSAR): The Government Search and Rescue diver, made for rescue swimmers and military divers, with a thick steel case, a ratcheting bezel and tritium tubes.
- 36mm Anthracite Medium Diver's Automatic (MSAR): The same watch in a smaller size, which suits a lot of wrists better.
- 34mm General Purpose Quartz (GPQ): A simple, light field watch based on the military-issue model, with a fiber-reinforced case.
What it's known for
Marathon watches carry government markings on the dial, use tritium for lume and are built for work, not show. They have a cult following among people who want a genuine issued watch.
Price and positioning
Marathon watches cost from about $500 for quartz models to $2,500 for the big automatic divers. Luminox is the cheaper tritium option, Ball the more refined one, and Sinn the German take on the tool watch.