Great review of a Marathon GSAR...

[andrema]

This is an excerpt of a great written as well as video review of the Marathon GSAR/TSAR from Watchreport.com by Jason Morningstar:

How often do you find a watch as unique as the Marathon GSAR? Here is an industrial, machine-tooled case with a gear-like bezel twice as thick as most others bezels. Inside the near bomb-proof case is the renowned ETA 2824 Swiss automatic movement providing timekeeping on par with many very high-end COSC certified Swiss watches.

I have several watches with the swiss ETA 2824 movement, and it is quite superb in accuracy and reliability. It is a mechanical automatic (self-winding) movement featuring a sweeping second hand due to the escapement frequency of 28,800 cycles per hour, or 4 hertz. (This is same frequency as the Rolex 3135 movement.) The effect of the second hand is very elegant as it smoothly sweeps around the dial. Automatic watches have a winding rotor that winds the mainspring with the movement of the wearer's wrist. That means if the watch is worn every day, it will remain wound and will not require manual winding. It can therefore run pretty much indefinitely.

Now there is no mistaking the Marathon GSAR for anything but a tool watch. It is large, heavy, and very chunky looking. In other words, this is one serious piece of equipment. The thick, chunky shape of the GSAR tends to make it snag and catch on things as the wearer moves around. Mine already has a few battle scars and is usually too large to fit under the cuff of dress shirts. But no matter — while it sits out in the open, it begs to be stared at.

This watch comes with a standard rubber strap, which is perfectly adequate, but if you have the cash, you just gotta get the stainless steel bracelet. Besides looking fabulous, it is a very nice piece of workmanship. Bracelets are available with either a Canadian Maple Leaf, or a U.S. Great Seal insignia embossed into the clasp. NICE! It is solid stainless steel with a dive extension, and the links held together with a unique system of two-piece floating screws that act as strong pivot bars — unlike the more common system of threaded screws that fit into links with matching tapped holes. The addition of such a solidly-built bracelet certainly maximizes the equipment. I find the elegant but subdued look of the GSAR makes it a great daily wearer.

If you do order the steel bracelet, it should be installed and adjusted by an experienced watchmaker with appropriate tools. This bracelet is precision made, and fits very precisely to the watch, so it would be very easy to damage if not done properly. (Many retailers will install and adjust the bracelet for you free of charge if purchased together.)

The Marathon GSAR generally goes for $700, and the optional bracelet, for $170.

The orginal content is here: http://www.watchreport.com/2010/01/review-of-the-marathon-gsar.html

Here is the video:



I really loved my GSAR! I think it is because it didn't pretend to be anything other than a rugged tool/dive watch! Here is a picture ...