Most of the things aren’t going to last forever, but that’s not the case with the watches that are made to withstand the difficult challenges of military professionals. Not only that they’re built for the various problems, but they also come with attractive looks and amazing functions that only the military professionals out there genuinely appreciate.
Who is Marathon?
Marathon watches are the result of a creative collaboration between the oldest Swiss watch brands (Gallet) and the Canadian watch distributor, the Wein Brothers. Here’s some cool fact: Gallet origins go back to the late 1400s.
It was the middle of the 80s when the Wein Brothers began their projects with Gallet, creating unbreakable watches for the US and Canadian Armed Forces.
The name Marathon used to belong to Gallet, but it was the Wein Brothers that revived it for the projects.
What’s to say about the Marathon Military Navigator Pilot briefly?
The incredible Marathon Military Navigator Pilot is an astonishingly precise watch that is made to meet the rigorous military specifications. The first model was created in 1986 for the Kelley Air Force Base, and it would handle the challenges of pilots/parachutist in various scenarios.
Its case is made with a particular fiber shell that is water resistant (3ATM0, but also sweat and shock resistant. Therefore, the watch is both lightweight and built to take use for a very long time.
The watch comes with a nylon strap that handles excessive wear. We also notice the acrylic crystal which takes the fast changes in pressure, so that the crystal doesn’t shatter.
The three jewel ETA F06 Quartz movement is Swiss made and powers the watch. The Navigator Pilots Quartz is going to work for an impressive amount of time without disappointing on the accuracy. The ETA F06 has a -0.3/+0.5 seconds per day accuracy. It also contains an End of Life (EOL) indicator.
You don’t need to worry about not being able to read the watch in low light conditions as its dial features tritium tubes for the hour indices both the minute hands and the hour. In case you don’t know, keep in mind that Tritium is a self-illuminating gas that provides a 24/7 glow with no need for recharging whatsoever.
The watch handles high altitude up to 35.000 ft and includes Hesalite crystal which forgives excessive external pressure changes.
The high-impact case with stainless steel back is both dustproof and water resistant.
Let’s take a closer look at the details!
As there are so many exciting aspects to notice about the watch, let’s look into the specifications nice and bright:
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Case
The clock rocks a plastic case that comes in black, green or tan with black standing out as the most traditional choice. The matte finish looks great with the steel, ensuring a non-reflective surface.
The case is lighter and subtler than the PVD steel, combining great with the quartz movement, creating a robust watch that can work all day.
Due to its smart design, the case is protecting the crown without leading to jagged points. Since it has a somewhat mid-century design, the watch keeps a vintage feel to it, which is nice.
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Dial
The dial presents a mil-spec design with matte black surface with hour index for the big and crisp white numerals. It also contains smaller 24-hours index printed within. There’s an index of green tritium tubes on the outer edge for every hour, except for 12 which comes with an orange tube.
Most of the space of the dial is used for something. There are text/markings linked to the tritium tubes and the radiation symbol at 3 and “H3” at 9. If you think it’s too much info for you, you can go with the no-date version (which still includes the H3 and radiation symbol).
The hour and minute hands come as white syringe shapes with large tritium tube and are easy to read. The second’s hand look like white sticks with a red tip, and they have no lume. The red detail adds a bit of color in the light, but it’s just the right addition.
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Movement
The watch comes with an ETA F04 high-torque quartz movement, and it does make a lot of sense for the clock. The second’s hand is useful for the military dial, and the watch is highly accurate thanks to its quartz movement. Everything about the watch has durability feel to it, without compromising on the weight or comfort level in any way.
The watch looks cool, even though some may feel that they would have loved the Navigator to be mechanical.
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Straps
The watch comes with a long black nylon single pass strap. The length is excellent especially if you’re planning to wear the watch over a uniform.
It’s a basic strap that is both tough and functional, without changing for the better/worse the looks of the watch.
The contrast between the colored nylon and the profile of the case works great, and the watch is quite the looker. The rugged and aggressive watch matched its abilities and built as it’s a watch to wear with dark colors and thick fabrics. Don’t forget that it’s only the build that is rugged as the watch is nothing but lightweight.
The watch is comfortable to wear, even if its asymmetrical case looks slightly more significant than it feels. It’s a rather thin watch, and the fit is excellent for the smaller wrist due to the short lug-to-lug.
The classic military elements work great with the vintage crystal and the current resin case, turning the Marathon Military Navigator into one of a kind watch.
What’s our final take?
Once you put it on your wrist, you’re not going to want to take it off. Comfortable, robust, cool looking and unique with its appearance, the Marathon Military Navigator manages to check most boxes when it comes to build, performance, functions and overall value.
And it does all of that without emptying your wallet, which anyone likes.
RESOURCES
Pilot’s Navigator with Tritium – 41mm – MarathonWatch
Marathon Military Navigator Quartz Date Review – Worn & Wound
