Who did it better?
I fell in love with the assymetrical case and no-nonsense layout of the Benrus Type-1 as soon as I saw it.
But now the Marathon Navigator has come out in steel (with the "Type-2" dial layout) and now I can't decide whether I want it, too.
Would owning both be redundant? Which of the two designs do you prefer? What do I do with the Navigator (composite case material) I already own? And do you think $800 is too much for a Swiss-made quartz?
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Miguel
Watch hobbyist and collector from Singapore. More watch photos on Instagram @twolfwatches
Singapore
Member since
Last active: 8 hrs ago
6.50” / 16.51 cm
First off, super refreshing to see a Marathon other than the Artic MSAR. Love Benrus for its history with our military and Marathon is no slouch either. That said, I’d be proud/happy to own both and believe they are different enough aesthetically. $800 for Swiss quartz movement isn’t extortion considering Tag charges > $1k for Formula 1 quartz, Omega > $2500 for Constellation, Cartier sells certain Dumont quartz > $5k, all relative but all in all $800 is fair imo. Between the two, I like the Benrus for its complete minimalism, uncluttered/devoid of all texts … just a gorgeous “naked” dial. This is a good problem to have 😆
Marathon, for two reasons.
Marathon is still the same company founded by a single family in Montreal, not just a name bought by someone looking for legitimacy.
Marathon still makes military watches. The new Navigator has a NATO Stock Number(NSN), and is made for actual military use.
Between the two Companies, the are both great. Between those two models, the Marathon Navi due to it's broader utility in low light, with the bezel dual time, and actual numbers on the dial.
I'm not certain if it is because the lighting is better in the picture of the Marathon but that is the one that appears to be much more legible to me.
I would choose the Marathon out of the two, I like the dial better and the seconds hand is pretty prominent, but I don't know if I would want to pay 800$ for a quartz, Swiss, German, Indian... it doesn't matter where it's from, that 800$ is quite a lot for me and to know that a quartz movement can be bought freely on the market for 5 euros (better ones 20$/€ perhaps) and I will pay another 795 for the rest, which didn’t appeal to me that much, is IMO excessive and besides if I would already own one of them then owning both would be redundant for me. 🍻
Regarding the quartz movement, it’s a high end Quartz that is accurate up to 10 secs/year. These are thoughtfully engineered movements and often cost more than $800 as @VuTang noted above. A Blog to Watch did a great review of this watch and went into detail about the movement. I think it’s worth a read.
Go with the Marathon 👍
To me, the Benrus is more attractive because the Type 1 appears more understated, which I enjoy more. I love both, but I have endorsed the Marathon Steel Navigator with my own money.
I question Benrus' ability to service or supply spare parts in the future. Marathon has a long established support (service and parts). In fact, I recently had my GSAR from 2010 serviced and they were able to replace the case assembly, dial, and hands for me. I feel like I could also take it to any watchmaker to have it serviced, whereas the case assembly of the Benrus (lack of removable caseback) may require specialists.
The other issue (for me) is that the Benrus seems unnecessarily thick. The Marathon wears very well and is comfortable on the wrist due to its lightness and thickness.
My money is on Marathon. I own a GSAR and will be adding the Navigator soon. Swiss quartz... well this is where Seiko kills it. That said, have you checked out the price tag of a Cartier even dare I say Patek Philippe quartz? Good God the Marathon is a reliable theft at this price 😆
Owning both would be redundant - and out of the two it would be a clear win for the Marathon
I have the Benrus type 2 and I think it kind of fits in the middle of those 2 . I like to Arabic numerals on the dial . I like that it is so functional and doesn’t even have the name on the dial . Engineering quality is the best I’ve come across
For me, #benrus did it best because of it’s historical significance. I understand why many people love the #marathon navigator but if I were to purchase a #marathon navigator, it would be the mechanical version. I have a rule for myself that if I would purchase & wear a quartz watch, I’d choose a solar quartz watch. That’s just me though, I totally see the appeal of the quartz #marathon navigator but, for me I wish they made it a solar quartz, solar quartz would definitely work in favor of the watch being a workhorse military watch