When you don't need to be pretty in order to win someone's heart.
My Marathon Arctic MSAR is the least elegant or fancy watch in my collection and it's also the one that I would not sell or trade, despite or because of how it looks.
And that's mostly due to what it is and what it doesn't try to be.
It's easy to see what the MSAR isn't trying to be. The monstrous bezel, together with the crosshatched crown and uncommon depth of the dial are dead giveaways that the MSAR is not even trying to be a desk diver. This is not the watch you want to wear at a formal tie and jacket event.
But the same cog like bezel, together with the machined crown and the deeply set tritium tubes on the handset makes it the perfect watch to wear when your fingers are numb with cold, your body is over reacting with adrenaline flooding your blood, or you are just stuck in the mud in pitch darkness. This is the watch you want to wear when you lost the fine control of your muscles.
The question I'm facing this morning is whether this is the watch I want to wear today, and the answer is a resounding yes. What the pictures are unable to convey is how the MSAR is comfortable to wear on my wrist, despite its heft and depth.
Marathon is to be credited for creating a watch that is definitively not a YABBDDW (Yet Another Boring Black Dial Dive Watch) and manufactured to very high standards of functionality and quality.
Quality? Yes! One has just to touch and follow the curves of the case and body of the MSAR to realize that a lot of thought went into its design and plenty of attention was given during the manufacturing. There is not a single sharp edge, pointy thingy or unpleasant surface to be found anywhere. Nothing on the MSAR can be caught or snagged and the shape of the watch is leading the fingers to the only parts that requires a firm grip.
Some will disagree with me but I think that the MSAR is a masterpiece, at least this is the one diver's that I'm willing to wear even if my diving days are long behind me.
I'm a big fan of watches that are interesting because they are either unique, have interesting features, well designed or simply offer a great value for their price.
🔥
Not even remotely my thing, but your enthusiasm for it is infectious
Damn, that thing must be built like the AK-47 of watches. Survive through all conditions. A purpose built watch.
Damn, that thing must be built like the AK-47 of watches. Survive through all conditions. A purpose built watch.
I can assure you that it's not built like an AK-47 and that this is a good thing. Even the more modern AK-74 are built to terrible tolerance specs and handling one is like using a shovel. Their reputation for reliability is founded on their ability to eat sand and mud because there are so many gaps between parts than a few debris here and there don't really matter.
I had the opportunity in 1982 to compare AK-74 and AKM to my short Galil SAR (Glilon for IDF veterans) and there are simply no way to compare between them except for the general look and design similarities.
A better comparison would be between the Vostok Amphibia and the AK-74. Both are equally crude and yet manage to work despite their crudeness.
Nice summary Catskinner!
Seems to me that Marathon is a brand that you either love or hate. I'm a big fan of Marathon and I enjoy the simple, rugged looks and the everlasting (almost) tritium 👍
Gorgeous watch from a brand with a rich history!
Fellow Arctic dial marathon owner here, love the white. The design philosophy spoke to me as soon as I saw it early in my watch collecting, and it was a bug in my mind for over a year while I was sure I'd never spend a thousand dollars on a watch. I've had it for several months now, and worn it most of those days. I'm still in love with the design, everything done for a clearly discernable purpose. It's still my most expensive watch, and will be for some time. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a watch that begs to be used.
Nice summary Catskinner!
Seems to me that Marathon is a brand that you either love or hate. I'm a big fan of Marathon and I enjoy the simple, rugged looks and the everlasting (almost) tritium 👍
There are many philosophies behind watch designs, and marathon watches have a very strong regard for a single philosophy and almost none for all the rest. Most people won't find what they're looking for with marathon because it's not trying to be the kind of watch they want. However, some people are looking for precisely this kind of watch, like me, and we adore it.
I’ve been close to pulling the trigger on this watch for a few years. I love it. Maybe I just need to buy it.
I’ve been close to pulling the trigger on this watch for a few years. I love it. Maybe I just need to buy it.
Maybe you do. I found it to be very rewarding due to its legibility, comfort and unapologetic look. YMMV of course.
I also own a Marathon MSAR but the black dial version. I wholeheartedly agree with your post. Marathon is not about style as much as function and that's what I love about them. Every aspect of the watch is purely for utility from the beefy clicky bezel, the perpetual glow of tritium, the knurled crown, and the solid construction it's all for purpose. They build work watches, not to be flashy or show off. I get lots of compliments on mine as there's nothing else out there that looks like it. Its also nice that Marathon has a rich history going back to WW2, is Canadian (like myself) and their watches are supplied military/ law enforcement around the world so they are the real deal.
Marathon watches are rugged and beautiful.
Looks awesome!! Love it
A tonic for all the submariner/seamaster/black bay lookalikes!
You guys on this app are slowly convincing me to get the bracelet for my gsar.
You guys on this app are slowly convincing me to get the bracelet for my gsar.
You won't regret getting the bracelet!
You guys on this app are slowly convincing me to get the bracelet for my gsar.
Some of us do that through a PC. Anyway, the bracelet is something that took me some time to get because at first I thought that it was the weakest part of the MSAR due to its pressed clasp.
But it make sense once I realized that a milled clasp would add weight and thickness to a watch that is already blessed with plenty of it. The pressed clasp is light and thin and simply good enough as it is with five micro adjustment and a diver's extension for those who need it.
I had a feeling I'd want the bracelet, but knew I wanted the rubber strap for sure. I did the math back at time of purchase, and I think I was wasting like 60 bucks by buying them in this order. It just made it a little easier to buy the watch to begin with, and I knew buying the rubber was a safe choice for me.
The stamped clasp doesn't really bother me. Milled looks nicer, sure, but only really when it's being opened. It's kind of like a display caseback or something, and not having those bonuses doesn't contradict the idea behind this kind of watch. I have other watches for that kind of thing.
I got a 10% off coupon for their site that expires at the end of the month, so I might be either giving myself an early Christmas present or talking someone into giving me an early Christmas present, lol.