Today, Canada-based Marathon debuts the reference WW194026-WD (WW194026-BRACE-MA-WD on the bracelet) Arctic Version Medium Search And Rescue Computerized with Date and Tritium 36MM Arctic (MSAR Auto for brief), and aBlogtoWatch has the inside track. That is the automated movement-based model (with just a few different tweaks) of the earlier Marathon Medium Diver’s Quartz watch (aBlogtoWatch hands-on right here). The Medium Diver’s Quartz was the primary white-dialed watch from Marathon, and the 36mm Arctic MSAR Auto is the second. Each watches function the identical 36mm-wide stainless-steel case, which is waterproof to 300 meters.
Marathon thought of the Medium Diver’s Quartz mannequin as a kind of experiment, and fewer than a 12 months later returned with a refined Swiss Made automated model of the Swiss Quartz motion mannequin. One change, as you could have been capable of decide, is the identify of the watch, which now brings the gathering again to the Marathon Search & Rescue assortment. “MSAR” simply stands for “medium search and rescue.”
“Arctic” as a result of the dial is white, and no, not as a result of ice is white. Although the polar areas are very chilly, they’re additionally very shiny. Snow and ice mirror an unlimited quantity of sunshine in comparison with different terrain, and therefore the time period “snow blindness.” That is brought on by the overload of UV rays, which bounce off the ice and hit your eyes. This blindness additionally makes issues like devices and dials tough to see. A white-colored dial with high-contrasting black palms and hour markers is a sensible thought for such terrain. One of many seminal watches to current this dial coloration theme to fashionable audiences is the Omega Speedmaster Skilled Alaska Venture (aBlogtoWatch overview right here).
For me, an important refinement Marathon makes within the 36MM Arctic MSAR Auto is the removing of the Marathon graphical brand from the dial and its placement on the bracelet deployant clasp. The model experimented with having a graphical brand on the dial, however it didn’t make an excessive amount of sense (they’re one among many manufacturers to be taught that) and ended up eradicating it after only one era of product. The truth is that, for no matter motive, graphical logos are likely to by no means look pretty much as good as textual content logos on watch dials. Until a model is slick sufficient to have their brand work actually properly as a 12 o’clock hour marker.
Trying on the comparatively bare deployant on the metal bracelet of the Medium Diver’s Quartz and the model on the Arctic MSAR Auto, I feel the one on the Computerized is the clear winner. Although the case is a modest 36mm-wide, it’s tall at about 14mm-thick and has a 43mm lug-to-lug distance. The tall unidirectional rotating bezel (with a contrasting black insert) is a Marathon icon, at this level, and over the dial is a flat, AR-coated sapphire crystal. As that is an MSAR assortment timepiece, the hour marker and palms are fitted with tritium fuel tubes for darkness illumination. Word that the Quartz model of this watch didn’t have a tritium fuel tube within the seconds hand (it used commonplace light-charging lume), however the hand on this automated model does. Why? As a result of usually quartz actions can’t carry palms of a sure weight and, on this context, the tritium fuel tubes are heavy.
Case high quality is improbable and, general, this can be a lot of look ahead to the cash. I like that, regardless that it’s meant to fulfill navy timepiece requirements (Marathon continues to be an official provider of timepieces to armed forces akin to the USA, Canada, and the UK), the watches are “nicer than they have to be” for mere navy utility. The rear of the watch is the largest trace that it’s a military-spec system given the plethora of data (which I discover fairly cool, truly). Contained in the watch is a Swiss Made ETA 2824-2 automated that operates at 4Hz with about two days of energy reserve when totally wound.
There are lots of people who wished an automated model of the white-dial 36mm Medium Diver’s Quartz watch, and now it’s right here. Subsequent, Marathon will in all probability experiment with a white dial for its bigger timepieces, such because the 40mm-wide GSAR (Basic Search & Rescue) watch. I feel Marathon acquired all the small print right on the 36MM Arctic MSAR Auto and, for anybody wanting an actual skilled/military-grade device watch with a Swiss Made automated motion inside, isn’t going to discover a higher worth elsewhere for this measurement watch. Value for the Marathon 36MM Arctic MSAR Computerized reference WW194026-WD within the strap is $850 USD, and worth for the reference WW194026-BRACE-MA-WD on the matching metal bracelet is $1,070 USD. Be taught extra on the Marathon web site right here.
