The Last Great Issued Diver's Watch: The Marathon GSAR

Nowadays, some of the most collectible and valuable watches in the world are those with military provenance.  The best example is of course the British Rolex Mil-Sub with the most pristine models hammering for $100,000US at auction. This is a more recent swing in the world of watch collecting where auctions of years past dealt with more complicated or fancy (think Patek or fancy chronographs or multiple complications) watches.  The world of collecting, fueled by a new, younger generation of collectors, has become obsessed with the story of the watches themselves.  People now care about how and when the watches were worn and used and not only about the piece itself.  The coolness matters and recent prices are proving there's nothing cooler than military issued dive watches and the stories of their wearers.

Without a doubt the Rolex Military Submariner is the most badass issued diver of all time but with prices around $100k, I'm out.  

However, the watches we're talking about belong to another generation.  The issued Rolex and Tudor Submariners, the Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms, the closely related Tornek-Rayville, and even the Benrus Type I and II's all belong to a different time for the militaries of the world, an analog time (watch pun).  In fact, the arrival of the digital watch and specifically the venerable Casio G-Shock fortold the end of a great era of military watches by doing just about everything as well or better and being well, cheap.  The US Navy for example, once the buyer and user of many high-end, Swiss-made, automatic watches, has completely and totally shifted their focus to the mighty, digital G-Shock.  In many ways, the automatic watch in military use is dead.  Even the British, with a very strong history of military watches, seem to have kept the analog flame alive but moved on to quartz models like the CWC RN Diver's and the Citizen Eco-Drive 300m.

All business.  

There is, to my knowledge (and I could be wrong and would love to cause a heated discussion), only one Swiss automatic diving watch being currently issued by a military and it is the Marathon GSAR issued by the Royal Canadian Air Force to their Search and Rescue Technicians.

RCAF SAR Techs being lowered hoisted from a perfectly good helicopter.  Apparently, you need a pretty solid watch for this sort of thing.  Enter the Marathon GSAR.  

These guys are intense.  Trained in parachuting, rescue diving, survival, first aid, navigation, skiing, mountaineering, and probably other stuff, the SAR tech deploys from either a fixed or rotary wing aircraft to provide aid to people in need all over Canada's vast wilderness.  As one can imagine, the going is hard and a burly watch was deemed necessary.

The first version of the SAR watch from 2001 with a traditional SuperLuminova dial.  This one has had the obnoxious cyclops removed.  

The Marathon SAR series was, in an unprecedented and very cool move, designed and built with input from watch collectors (nerds like us).  The Canadian government contacted the also Canadian Marathon Watch Company and asked for a new, robust diver's watch and Marathon in turn contacted the owner of the Military Watch Resource forum and a government machinist.  Together, they came up with the first in a series of watches built specifically for hard use in the world of search and rescue which was initially issued in 2001.  Though updated a number of times over the years, most prominently with a tritium gas illuminated dial, the watch case and style has remained basically the same.  This watch is also available for unit purchase in the United States military although there's little evidence it was ever "officially" issued.  The US model is even marked with "US GOVERNMENT" on the dial.  

Sometimes, you need or want a quartz.  Marathon has you covered with the TSAR, supposedly issued to NASA divers.  

Over time, the watch became popular and it was made available in the civilian market where collectors grew interested.  As a result, there's now a selection of variations within Marathon's line.  There's the automatic, 42mm GSAR (ETA 2824), the quartz powered TSAR (ETA F06), a humongous 46mm JSAR quartz, and the also huge 46mm CSAR chronograph (Val. 7750).  All of the original size SAR watches feature a custom machined 300m case, a tall and easy to grab rotating diver's bezel, a thick sapphire crystal, tritium illuminated dial, screw down crown and caseback, and a  Italian rubber strap. It's probably the most purpose oriented designed diver's watch on the market, pure tool watch.  It's pretty clear the watch was intended from day one for hard use by highly trained military members and not Madison Avenue style.  

The GSAR seems to work well for a little parachuting. 

More than anything, what I like about the GSAR is how attainable it is.  I'll never have a Military Submariner.  Though I'd stupidly probably spend that much if I had it, my wife would kill me.  The GSAR at full gas retail is $1150 or so but you should never pay that much.  Barely used models go for between $6-800 on the watch forums and with a watch this tough, being slightly used is no big deal.  Further, the GSAR is insanely wearable.  At 42mm,  it wears just a hair larger than the Submariner, mostly because it's tall.  The supplied rubber strap is awesome and Marathon even makes a super high end bracelet for the watch as well.  With its military styling, the watch looks amazing on a NATO or other nylon strap.

Ok, so you might not do this but if you did, the Marathon GSAR could provide time telling services.  

As a serial watch owner and flipper, I somehow always come back to the Marathon watches, particularly the GSAR.  As a former Coast Guard search and rescue boat operator, I've used the watch for it's intended purpose and it is insanely capable.  The nighttime visibility of the tritium is perfect for the maritime environment and intense durability meant I never gave the watch a second thought.  In my new life of diving, the watch is a reliable brick shit-house as well.  The bezel operates well no matter what gloves I'm wearing and the underwater visibility is perfect.  In short, get one.  You won't be disappointed.  It's Swiss made, will do everything the Rolex Submariner will do, and looks a hell of a lot more interesting. 

Oh, here's a bunch of cool photos.  Thanks for reading.  

At the helm of my ol' Coast Guard boat.  Man, do I miss that job.  

Works even when wet!  

The original did have an awesome dial layout.  

Just the essentials, a GSAR and the .357.  Life is good on my Father-In-Law's farm in Wisconsin.  

By the way, if there was any doubt the GSAR is still issued, here it is with all of the SAR Tech's initial issue.  What a nice bunch of kit they get!  I guess they need it.  

Bam, issued diver's watch gold.  Way to go Canada.