I bought my Marathon in 2008 in Doha,Qatar when I was a contractor. It's the high torque quartz version with the stainless steel bracelet and the US embassy seal on the clasp. The illumination is still brilliant and it runs flawlessly. I really got my money out of it .
I have the white in a 36, I love it, and the Tritium is awesome. I will add that the SW 200 ate its winding gears, and I barely hand wound the thing. Marathon repaired it at no cost, even sending back the defective gears for me to see, and didn't make me feel like a dick. They were extremely professional and courteous. Because of how they treated me, I will buy another.
Just ordered the blacked out version from you. Really excited for it, especially since you've said how good the bezel action is. The consensus also seems to be that the rubber strap is very comfortable. This seems to be exactly the watch I have been looking for. Thanks for giving us such a good look at the watches you sell on TH-cam too.
I'm not usually a fan of date, or day/date watch faces. I like a dial as simple as possible. But I find this 4 : 30 date position much less visually annoying than the 3 o'clock ones. Great looking watch face.
Very nice. I figured they would release the white in 41mm, very nice. Really like the red second hand. Well, they decided not to put the butterfly clasp on there Stainless Bracelets. Not a big deal, but it seems like a lot went into the black version, so a Stainless Version does not seem like a stretch.
Awesome watch! Question for you, Marc: On such a robust, overbuilt watch with a well-engineered bracelet, why do you think Marathon chose to use a pressed clasp? Is there some mil-spec reason for doing this? It wouldn't bother me personally if I owned the watch, but it does seem kind of mis-matched. Thanks!
That's one thing I don't like about these watches, especially since the bracelet alone is a $200 option. They might try to justify it with any number of excuses, but at the end of the day it is just like when companies that produce diver's watches try to justify the use of mineral crystal over sapphire because "it's more impact resistant" or something like that... In reality, it's just cheaper for them, and that's it.
I don't think they care what you think. Truly. Its an extremely well engineered bracelet. Watch geeks are the only people that care about this stuff, and that is not their core market. Remember, they will sell 10,000 pieces under one contract to the USG. Or more.
If they don’t like it, get it on rubber. The rubber is extremely high quality. My dads been wearing his on rubber the last 6 years and he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t take his watch off. His Strap still looks and functions as it did on day 1.
It is the only watch that I have that I can read at night without me having to put on my glasses ! Remarkable! and of coarse Built like a tank ! Cheers 👍
These watches are practically indestructible. I have a 5 year old GSAR that shows almost no sign of wear, and still keeps great time despite having never been serviced.
Awesome legibility from the design of the hands, with black on white, red seconds hand, and clean design of the numerals. Would that more watches had these features! Plus tritium--wow!
Hello Mark. I have 2 Marathons and love them both (GP and GSAR). My comment is about the GSAR bracelet. It looks fantastic and is my favorite strap (I have both the Marathon silicone strap and the leather nato). The clasp is ok but I much prefer a double trigger design. But the thing that really bothers me is that the center links are not rounded or beveled to my satisfaction (maybe not at all?). So I often notice a sharp edge that I imagine could lead to fraying of a shirt sleeve cuff. This particularly bothers me because the bracelet is not inexpensive. I paid about $240 from your store a few months ago and I see that since the beginning of the new year the price is well over $300. I’m glad I bought the bracelet because for me it’s the perfect complement to the watch. But I am disappointed that it lacks that bit of finished machining that elevates the wearing experience. Your thoughts?
Are they still held in high regard? I’ve never had one but always thought they were so unique with that canyon depth dial!😱 is there another version with super lume?? 20mm lugs??
Awesome GSAR tool watch! When I saw the tritium, what 1st came to my mind, it was my Luminox Black ops :-) This is really nice arctic model. All play well together. And the automat Sellita SW200, it has 38 Hrs power reserve? Wish it has more, but in daily wear, does not really matter much right. Thx for this review! Cheers
Mark you should release a Marathon-homage model through the Island Watch brand! As much as I love the look of the Marathon search and rescue series, the price is not exactly affordable, and there are no viable lookalikes i think.
You gotta get over that fact. You can also say "why no AR". You can say "why don't they lume the whole bezel". Fact is, its a beast of a watch, and worth every penny. The bracelet is amazing.
Excellent!! White dials, they flower in front of you with contrasting hands that tell you the time.. no need to read.. also the proportion of the bezel's thickness .. maybe no more than 4 mm? .. it looks like a nice detail outlining the dial... minute 3:22 I'm scared about the price that you are about to mention... BH.. lets see... :)
Ok Mark, I gotta ask. Why has your site always had a list price and then an “Island Watch Price”? Specifically on the Islander brand. I understand with outside brands but you set your own list prices for your own brand. Is it just a marketing tactic?
Hi Marc. You talked about the life of the tritium tubes ... how does that compare to the longevity of C3 and BGW9 lum - can the C3 and BGW9 be renewed or reapplied?
Would you ever collaborate with Teddy Baldassarre? I only ask because you’re both TH-cam personalities and watch retailers. I think it would be interesting to see you sort of compare notes if you will. And before you ask, I’d go L.I.W. all day. I enjoy buying for such an up standing, reputable dealer.
Real nice watches. Hey Mark quick question about those elastic watch straps. Would the 22mm size fit on the Seiko Flightmaster aka “Flighty”which has a 21mm. Thanks
Whats the maker of the the genuine search and rescue watch... I think Breitling springs to mind with the GPS signal if you press the button?Mind you it comes with a bill if you ever need to use it.I guess search and rescue in this watch means jack.Great looker though.
I like the white dial and red seconds hand. The Marathon GSARS, however, are not high quality. The weakness is the crown stem. Looks very cool, but not a robust tool watch as one would expect. The tritium vials are excellent.
I mean what makes them not robust? Everywhere I'm reading is they're built like tanks and can take a.beating... might not be as hard as say titanium bezel or hard as sinns submarine steel but still... how or what do you mean by the crown stem? Just a lil confused.. looking at buying this or a sinn 556I... thoughts?
Why are Marathon watches over 1200 US dollars? Is Tritium that expensive? I can't see paying more than $500 for a watch with a selleta movement, it's just a copy of the ETA 2824. I don't know anyone who owns one. So I don't really know the quality without it being in my hands. I remember some older tritium watches that said T Swiss on the bottom.
By far the most disappointing watch purchase I ever made was a Marathon JDD. Full disclosure: I did NOT buy it from Long Island Watch. Rather, I bought it directly from Marathon. You'd think that might mean less chance of getting burned, but no. The watch never functioned properly (all manner of crown issues). Twice I paid to have the cursed thing insured and sent to Canada for repair, and twice it came back still broken. To be sure, by most accounts my experience was a gross outlier. Even so, I'll never buy anything with the Marathon name on it again.
I’d love to know what governments pay for these. Yes they buy in bulk so that lowers the cost and no way are they paying $1500 each BUT no way is Marathon not making a grand minimum on each “civilian” watch. With that said I love Marathon watches.
Major Marathon fan. I have worn this brand ever since I was on active duty in the Marine Corps. Semper Fi 🇺🇲
Fellow vet here thank you for your service 👍 🇺🇸
@@paulx7620, got you 5X5👍😉
@@paulx7620 Thankyou both for you’re service!
Thank you for your service!
How in the world did you get this issued? I’m a usmc infantry veteran 15-19 and I’ve never heard of this getting issued.
Once I got my first Marathon I fell in love with this brand. Amazing time piece!
I bought my Marathon in 2008 in Doha,Qatar when I was a contractor.
It's the high torque quartz version with the stainless steel bracelet and the US embassy seal on the clasp. The illumination is still brilliant and it runs flawlessly. I really got my money out of it .
How do you like the quartz movement? Does the second hand hit the markers or is it off?
Those elastic straps are the best, I've replaced all my NATOs last year and there's no way back.
True!
How do you install them? Might have to send mine back if I can't figure it out.
@@Valvey789 Yay ! A reason for another great video from L. I. W. ! !
I have the white in a 36, I love it, and the Tritium is awesome. I will add that the SW 200 ate its winding gears, and I barely hand wound the thing.
Marathon repaired it at no cost, even sending back the defective gears for me to see, and didn't make me feel like a dick. They were extremely professional and courteous.
Because of how they treated me, I will buy another.
Cool. Great service!
Super functional. Blows away the more expensive/more well known brands.
Couldn't agree more!
Just ordered the blacked out version from you. Really excited for it, especially since you've said how good the bezel action is. The consensus also seems to be that the rubber strap is very comfortable. This seems to be exactly the watch I have been looking for. Thanks for giving us such a good look at the watches you sell on TH-cam too.
How did you find your new watch!?..Im jealous!..very much want a blacked out Marathon
Love a nice elastic paratrooper strap .. just picked my first one up as well.
Right on!
I'm not usually a fan of date, or day/date watch faces. I like a dial as simple as possible. But I find this 4 : 30 date position much less visually annoying than the 3 o'clock ones. Great looking watch face.
Cool watches! A little pricey but you get what you pay for. Thanks for sharing them. Have a great weekend! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸
Thanks, you too!
Very nice. I figured they would release the white in 41mm, very nice. Really like the red second hand.
Well, they decided not to put the butterfly clasp on there Stainless Bracelets. Not a big deal, but it seems like a lot went into the black version, so a Stainless Version does not seem like a stretch.
Thanks for watching.
Funny you bought these up i was only just looking at them yesterday! Awesome looking tactical brut....
Those white dial Marathons are gorgeous 👍 also really like your blue dial Islander Mark! Really looks great with the textured dial too.
Never thought to research how tritium works. Thanks.
Thank you
Awesome watch! Question for you, Marc: On such a robust, overbuilt watch with a well-engineered bracelet, why do you think Marathon chose to use a pressed clasp? Is there some mil-spec reason for doing this? It wouldn't bother me personally if I owned the watch, but it does seem kind of mis-matched. Thanks!
That's one thing I don't like about these watches, especially since the bracelet alone is a $200 option. They might try to justify it with any number of excuses, but at the end of the day it is just like when companies that produce diver's watches try to justify the use of mineral crystal over sapphire because "it's more impact resistant" or something like that... In reality, it's just cheaper for them, and that's it.
I don't think they care what you think. Truly. Its an extremely well engineered bracelet. Watch geeks are the only people that care about this stuff, and that is not their core market. Remember, they will sell 10,000 pieces under one contract to the USG. Or more.
If they don’t like it, get it on rubber.
The rubber is extremely high quality.
My dads been wearing his on rubber the last 6 years and he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t take his watch off. His Strap still looks and functions as it did on day 1.
stamped?
Oohhhh I’m getting that funny feeling in my belly & my credit card!
LOL
It is the only watch that I have that I can read at night without me having to put on my glasses ! Remarkable! and of coarse Built like a tank ! Cheers 👍
Thanks John
oh and these Marathons are real beauties. thanks for sharing.
Glad you like them!
These watches are practically indestructible. I have a 5 year old GSAR that shows almost no sign of wear, and still keeps great time despite having never been serviced.
Awesome
Hah! I love the shameless plug. The Islander Ice is definitely a beautiful timepiece!
It really is!
Hi mark just wondering the white dials visibility are good for winters but is it the same for sunny days ? I never owned a white dial watch
Great video, i really like the Marathon GSAR watches, certainly on the radar
i have a couple of Ball watches and love the tritium illumination. And i don't mind the butterfly clasp! ;-)
Sweet
this watch is sooooooo underrated!
Can the tubes be replaced in time?
I like the all-brushed finish! 👍
Yup.
Awesome legibility from the design of the hands, with black on white, red seconds hand, and clean design of the numerals. Would that more watches had these features! Plus tritium--wow!
Thank you!
I'm hoping for an Islander version of this watch, ideally with a compass bezel insert. 🤞🙏
Tritium? Hmmmmm
@@islandwatch Yes T100 Tritium and Flat Tube... not the T25
Huge respect to Marathon watches.
Right on
Are there replacement/mods bezels available?
Thanks for all your videos!
marathon makes a very durable watch
Hey Mar, got a question! How is the legibility verses the black dial? I own the black dial, but would love to have the white dial too!
Thanks Mark. Great video. A bit of a grail watch for me. Was always wary of the 36 so this is perfect.
Hello Mark. I have 2 Marathons and love them both (GP and GSAR). My comment is about the GSAR bracelet. It looks fantastic and is my favorite strap (I have both the Marathon silicone strap and the leather nato). The clasp is ok but I much prefer a double trigger design. But the thing that really bothers me is that the center links are not rounded or beveled to my satisfaction (maybe not at all?). So I often notice a sharp edge that I imagine could lead to fraying of a shirt sleeve cuff. This particularly bothers me because the bracelet is not inexpensive. I paid about $240 from your store a few months ago and I see that since the beginning of the new year the price is well over $300. I’m glad I bought the bracelet because for me it’s the perfect complement to the watch. But I am disappointed that it lacks that bit of finished machining that elevates the wearing experience. Your thoughts?
Are they still held in high regard? I’ve never had one but always thought they were so unique with that canyon depth dial!😱 is there another version with super lume?? 20mm lugs??
Awesome GSAR tool watch! When I saw the tritium, what 1st came to my mind, it was my Luminox Black ops :-)
This is really nice arctic model. All play well together. And the automat Sellita SW200, it has 38 Hrs power reserve? Wish it has more, but in daily wear, does not really matter much right.
Thx for this review!
Cheers
Hi Marc great job, I was checking your new home page very easy to access watches , parts I really like the samurai islander
Nice watch, but that 4:30 date window is a curious choice that gets a bit lost in the overall design.
Mark you should release a Marathon-homage model through the Island Watch brand! As much as I love the look of the Marathon search and rescue series, the price is not exactly affordable, and there are no viable lookalikes i think.
Okay, thanks.
@@islandwatch Thanks for taking the time to respond. Even at its price point, the watch is still a great buy.
I have a tough time getting with the fact that $1200 watch has a pressed clasp...Nice watch though.
Exactly!
I have a tough time getting with a $1200 watch...period. Maybe after I win the lottery.
Buy it without the bracelet, it is after all a dive watch.
You gotta get over that fact. You can also say "why no AR". You can say "why don't they lume the whole bezel". Fact is, its a beast of a watch, and worth every penny. The bracelet is amazing.
i agree, the whole clasp mechanism and diver's extension is garbage for a $1200usd watch.
How big of wrist for jumbo?
Will a strapcode skx fitted bracelet fit on this one?
Such an awesome tool watch
Is Marathon part of the Timex company? Or bought by Timex?
The crown tube on these is super cheap and strips really easy. I’m surprised they don’t put a beefier crowned tube on them.
What a beautiful watch.
Thank you.
super watch my dream
Excellent!!
White dials, they flower in front of you with contrasting hands that tell you the time.. no need to read.. also the proportion of the bezel's thickness .. maybe no more than 4 mm? .. it looks like a nice detail outlining the dial... minute 3:22 I'm scared about the price that you are about to mention...
BH.. lets see...
:)
Very legible.
Nice!! Been waiting for the whit Gsar.
Hope you like it!
I thought these rubber straps came without holes in them?
Only on the 18mm MSAR watches
Ok Mark, I gotta ask. Why has your site always had a list price and then an “Island Watch Price”? Specifically on the Islander brand. I understand with outside brands but you set your own list prices for your own brand. Is it just a marketing tactic?
More of like a "compare at" price.
They look great
Thanks.
Hi Marc. You talked about the life of the tritium tubes ... how does that compare to the longevity of C3 and BGW9 lum - can the C3 and BGW9 be renewed or reapplied?
Superlum has no life span
@@islandwatch thank you.
Friend , too many videos recently ))) What about new Islander Monster ? Ang Islander on ETA ? Thanks !!
LOL. Working on it. ..
Great looking watch but Marathon needs to add a 12 Hr bezel version. That would be sweet!
Thanks Marc..Very interesting lum tes!
Glad you liked it!
Would you ever collaborate with Teddy Baldassarre? I only ask because you’re both TH-cam personalities and watch retailers. I think it would be interesting to see you sort of compare notes if you will. And before you ask, I’d go L.I.W. all day. I enjoy buying for such an up standing, reputable dealer.
Real nice watches. Hey Mark quick question about those elastic watch straps. Would the 22mm size fit on the Seiko Flightmaster aka “Flighty”which has a 21mm. Thanks
It should
@@islandwatch thanks Mark
Whats the maker of the the genuine search and rescue watch... I think Breitling springs to mind with the GPS signal if you press the button?Mind you it comes with a bill if you ever need to use it.I guess search and rescue in this watch means jack.Great looker though.
This watch has been around for quite a long time, but I don't know.
I like the one the with SS band.
Thanks for telling us what ‘H3’ means.
You bet!
That new blue Waffle model would be another step up with stainless steel bezel insert....👍
Good call!
Have you googled blue waffle 😆
Any idea what aftermarket straps will fit that endlink?
None.
cool watch!
Beautiful!
I like that.
I'm waiting for a JDD in Arctic and I'll have my 4th Marathon...
I like the white dial and red seconds hand. The Marathon GSARS, however, are not high quality. The weakness is the crown stem. Looks very cool, but not a robust tool watch as one would expect. The tritium vials are excellent.
I mean what makes them not robust? Everywhere I'm reading is they're built like tanks and can take a.beating... might not be as hard as say titanium bezel or hard as sinns submarine steel but still... how or what do you mean by the crown stem? Just a lil confused.. looking at buying this or a sinn 556I... thoughts?
Are the tritium tubes t 25? I addume they would be bragging about the tubes if they were t 100.
Yes.
If they were t100, I would not be able to resist!
41mm??? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yup
The islander looks like the more expensive of the three watches in this video lol.
Need a steel navigator ! Udt type homage hoo rah ! Viet maam bring it awn!! Baby yeah made in chynah!!
this is the Toyota Hilux of trucks... indestructible
buy the rubber strap version and then upgrade to a premium oyster like steel bracelet
Wow talk about increase in price. This is $1800 from Marathon now straight from the company.
How thick is the crystal ? 12mm !?!?!!
Nope.
Just so thick, though. A beast, nevertheless.
Yup
Ngl but the first thing that came out of my mouth when u showed the marathon's was, "uuffff"
ok
Why are Marathon watches over 1200 US dollars? Is Tritium that expensive? I can't see paying more than $500 for a watch with a selleta movement, it's just a copy of the ETA 2824. I don't know anyone who owns one. So I don't really know the quality without it being in my hands. I remember some older tritium watches that said T Swiss on the bottom.
Swiss made. Tritium. Auto. You need to hold one to appreciate it.
Nice watches. Now my decision is more difficult (I was leaning toward the White Mid-size and I have a 6 3/4" wrist). Good vid. Keep at it!
Thanks!
The lume is very cool though!
sure is!
By far the most disappointing watch purchase I ever made was a Marathon JDD. Full disclosure: I did NOT buy it from Long Island Watch. Rather, I bought it directly from Marathon. You'd think that might mean less chance of getting burned, but no. The watch never functioned properly (all manner of crown issues). Twice I paid to have the cursed thing insured and sent to Canada for repair, and twice it came back still broken. To be sure, by most accounts my experience was a gross outlier. Even so, I'll never buy anything with the Marathon name on it again.
Sorry about your experience.
I’d love to know what governments pay for these. Yes they buy in bulk so that lowers the cost and no way are they paying $1500 each BUT no way is Marathon not making a grand minimum on each “civilian” watch. With that said I love Marathon watches.
Radio radio radioactive, don't you stand too close. You might catch it.🙄😁
ha!
I'm just gonna mention green waffle dials every time I drop by
Turquoise please! 😂
@@sdot13tube An excellent plan. Marc - you seeing this? Turquoise too
@@ozludo thanks man, green is cool and that baby blue is fire already. Just think turquoise is underrated and rarely used
@@sdot13tube no worries - turquoise or burgundy would be next on my list
LOL
Plain chapter ring is a downside.
haha, "mentioned everything about it that I would want to". I guess glazing over the pressed clasp is one of the things you didn't want to cover.
This is an amazing watch that boggles the mind. It’s either a micro watch for mini men or a tank of a watch for massive men. Weird.
I get that.
Marathon make real tool watches.
They sure do
Tool watch and automatic don't really belong in the same sentence.