Hi readers, its been awhile really, with my previous entry being dated some twelve months back. Since then, I've changed employment (twice actually), went on a vacation to Vietnam and just generally been trying to make progress in life. Boy, do I miss the amount of free time I had back in my college days; to be able to update this blog on a weekly basis, to think of interesting content to update this blog with. That's just life though, we're all trying to do our best in whatever stage of life we're in and sometimes that means sacrificing some things in life.
Nostalgia aside, I'm writing today to bring you a fresh update. If you've read some of my previous posts, you might remember that not too long ago, I posted a review of the Seiko SBDN025 (OK, come to think of it, it was a heck of a long time ago) where I acquired a Marathon GSAR on a whim and flipped it away just as quickly. At the time, I didn't like the amount which I had paid for it and also, the watch didn't really speak to me.
Today, I reacquainted myself with that old flame of mine, the Marathon Government Search And Rescue (GSAR).
The GSAR holds a special place in my heart, as I wanted one since I was back in college. Of course, the thousand dollar price tag was something I couldn't afford as a college student, so I mostly looked at pictures of it, in hopes that I would someday acquire one. And I finally did, nearing the end of 2016, before promptly selling it off just as quickly as I had got it.
So, why in the world did I reacquire something that I had previously declared I had no chemistry with? For one, this GSAR was acquired at a far better price, which makes it a lot easier to stomach even if I eventually decide that this piece isn't for me. Second, and by far the more important reason; would you just look at that bracelet? The GSAR is meant to be worn on the bracelet. That's how it should come by default.
I had the GSAR on the rubber strap previously, which is a good rubber strap all things considered, but aesthetically it just wasn't doing it for me. The GSAR bracelet is where it's at; you have to pair the GSAR with the bracelet in order to appreciate the aesthetic that this watch has going for it. The industrial aesthetic that the GSAR has can only be realized when it is on the bracelet.
Now that we've covered the history of how I came to own a GSAR, let's get into some specifications:
Crystal: AR Sapphire
Case/bracelet material: Stainless steel 316L
Illumination: MaraGlo (lume pip), tritium (markers, hands)
Bezel: Unidirectional
Water resistance: 300m
Lug width: 20mm
Bezel diameter: 42mm
Case diameter: 40mm
Case height: 14mm
Lug-to-lug: 48mm
Lug width: 20mm
Weight: 116 grams for watch head
Right off that bat, the GSAR gives one the impression that it's here to get down to business. Everything about it seems like the designers were going for function over form, and there are no fanciful details such as a decorated chapter ring or a picture engraved on the caseback. Thus, there is a very industrial look to it which actually looks great.
I previously found the dial to be very busy, which I still do. Upon pairing it with the bracelet though, I sort of feel that the GSAR is able to pull it off as the rest of the watch is rather sparse, such that the details on the dial is able to disperse itself throughout the watch, if that makes sense. The highlight of the watch has got to be the tritium. Marathon does away with the usual luminous material and instead opts for tritium, making the GSAR the first tritium watch that I own (or second, technically).
Tritium tubes adorn the dial, serving as the markers for the hours and also the three hands. It's nice to have the tubes serve as the hour markers since the rest of the dial is flat anyway, and the tubes serve to give the dial some texture. However, the GSAR only features T25 worth of tritium, which makes it rather disappointing if you're a lume junkie (which I am); it's not easy to see the tritium at work unless it's pitch black, and even then you'd have to squint to see the time. The tritium will most definitely not be lighting up the dial. If you're a tritium junkie then you might want to look elsewhere, there are pieces out there which have T100 worth of tritium which should be considerably brighter, especially if they have flat tritium tubes.
Flanking the dial is the bezel, which has a very industrial look (take a shot every time you come across the word industrial in this article) to it. It features these great big notches cut into it so that you can easily get a good grip on it. I imagine this is very useful when wearing this watch underwater. The bezel action is perhaps one of the best I've ever come across; it makes a sharp, well defined click with every increment, is very precise (120 clicks) and has minimal play once it is locked into a click. Truly, the GSAR is the gold standard of bezel action as of now, perhaps till the day I get my hands on a Grand Seiko.
The crown action is along with the bezel, some of the best which I've ever come across. The knurled crown gives it a very rugged feel and threads on the crown tube are some of the most solid I've came across since the Kemmner Turtle. As always, you want to avoid the risk of cross threading no matter how chunky the threads are, so always turn the crown backwards while putting pressure on it to find the point where it engages, and you can greatly preserve the life of the crown tube like that.
Marathon has chosen to use a flat sapphire crystal with AR coating (unsure if both sides or underside only) that should serve nicely against everyday life, including accidental scrapes and bangs against a watch's archnemesis; doorways (my heart dies a little remembering how I scraped my Seiko SBDN025 against a metal doorway, the mineral crystal stood no chance against the metal and I was left with a nice memento). Legibility is very good, since the AR seems to be doing its job really well. Sometimes it seems that the crystal just isn't there at all.
The watch head itself already weighs in at 116g, making the GSAR a hefty piece. With the steel bracelet, it approaches 200g (depending on how you sized it) which is pretty substantial. Put it on the wrist though, and the weight of the watch head and the bracelet cancel each other out, resulting in a very even distribution of weight along your wrist. As a result, the GSAR on the bracelet is one of the most comfortable watches I've even worn.
There are lug holes on the watch head which makes it easier for you to remove the bracelet, if you so wish. While some feel that lug holes detract from the aesthetics of the watch, it personally doesn't bother me as they're really small anyway, and they can be really useful if you don't want to scratch your lugs to oblivion when removing the bracelet.
Now, the bracelet is just a work of art. It is very nicely machined, and the links are seriously chunky. This is the best bracelet I've ever come across since getting into watches. If you happen to come across a GSAR, you'll understand when you put it on for the first time. The links and end links are all completely solid (as opposed to hollow links commonly found on cheaper watches), with a double screw system used to secure the links to each other; very different from the link system I've came across on Chinese manufacturers (Longio, Fullswing Industrial).
Basically, with the single screw system that I've seen on Fullswing Industrial bracelets, there is a possibility that the screw may come lose from everyday use, since the links of the bracelet are moving around as you have the watch on and go about your daily business. They may slowly be loosening themselves. With the double screw system, this possibility is negated as the tightness of the screws are independent from the movement of the links. The result is that the links of the bracelet are very relaxed (i.e. the tension from tightening the screws does not affect the movement of the links, as they sometimes can in a single screw system), and will fit on your wrist comfortably without any awkward tension between the links.
The bracelet is topped off with a double clasp bracelet, which unfortunately doesn't match the quality of the rest of the bracelet as it is stamped instead of milled. In this regard, it is sort of disappointing since the clasp seems tinny compared to the rest of the watch. The clasp does features a simple divers extension (which is a long ways away from Tudor or Seiko diver extensions which are leagues above), and my particular clasp was adorned with a US Great Seal which just makes the watch that much more interesting.
Timekeeping is made possible with the venerable workhorse movement, the ETA 2824-2. Not much to be said here, since I don't think that Marathon did any modifications to the movement, therefore you can expect a similar performance as you do with any other watch that runs a 2824-2. As always, I really like the instant date change on the 2824-2 movement, and my GSAR snaps to the next day at 12 sharp so I've got that going for me. Timekeeping has been very good on my piece; I'm gaining just five seconds a day, which I am very pleased with. As usual, it's a luck of the draw but fret not, movements can be regulated to run faster or slower. The more important thing to me is the precision as opposed to the accuracy.
The GSAR, upon revisiting it, turns out to be an awesome watch with one or two drawbacks.
Something that didn't live up to expectations was the illumination, which certainly does not do tritium justice. Beyond that, it would be nice if the GSAR was cheaper, but I certainly like the quality that I got with the GSAR, which is a definite step up from Chinese manufacturers such as Fullswing, so that should be taken into account of the price. It clearly places a focus on function, which results in a very industrial look that ends up being aesthetically pleasing as well.
In closing, one really get this sense of being a government agent when wearing this watch, which is really awesome since these watches are actually standard issue at several US government agencies. While it is far from what I consider to be a luxury watch, I find that this watch is potentially far more interesting, conversationally or otherwise. It is rarely seen in the wild (Rolexes and Omegas are everywhere, though it's supposed to be part of an exclusive club) and the interesting heritage behind it just makes for such a fascinating conversational topic. Whether you're protecting the President of the USA or just a watch enthusiast, rest assured that the GSAR has you covered.
PS In other matters, its been so long since I last made a post and I thought I might give you guys a short update, so you know that I'm still alive and what to expect from the future of The Watch Post. I started this blog in my early twenties and unbelievably, I'm already in my late twenties now, with the thirties not too far away.
My interests have shifted considerably, be they in watch preferences or making content updates. For one, my sartorial choices are now mostly relating to things which I may bring to an office (i.e. my bag, watch and shoe choices are now made in terms of whether they're OK to use in an corporate environment). My latest fixation; duffel bags, and I do actually have one in the mail right now (hint: it's the Thule Subterra Duffel) which I intend to review when it arrives. Second, my hours spent at work means I have much less leisure time, which used to be in abundance while I was in college. Naturally, the frequency of updates has plummeted.
I just want all readers (which I am thankful for) to know that there will definitely be updates to The Watch Post, I aim to get a post out every few months reviewing a new piece of gear or share with you some of my thoughts and observations of the world. Until then, thanks for reading.
