Introducing: The Marathon OSAR-D — For The Love Of Legibility
Marathon Watch Company is well known for supplying several armed forces with tool watches since 1939. One of the most sought-after models is the SAR-D from the early 2000s. The Canadian brand now brings back an evolved version with the Marathon OSAR-D.
The first thing to stand out? Those massive hour markers! Consider them a statement of intent: this watch is a tool, and it means business. Let’s have a closer look!
The new Marathon OSAR-D
OSAR-D stands for “Original Search and Rescue with Date.” Marathon started providing dive watches for Canadian and US Search and Rescue units in the 1990s. Several versions in several sizes exist, from 36mm to 46mm. You can also opt for unit-signed versions or sterile dials.
Recent versions all featured numerals and applied tritium gas tubes for lume. I own a Marathon watch with such tubes. They might not glow as brightly as Super-LumiNova, but the upside is that they always emit and don’t require charging with ambient light. However, the early 2000s version I mentioned before came with a more traditional dive-style dial. This is the variant we see returning today.
The new model is technically the same as the existing GSAR but with a new dial and handset. You get your typical triangle at 12, bars at 6 and 9 o’clock, and dots in between. The markers on the Marathon OSAR-D are oversized for legibility. And I do mean oversized; they are positively massive! Additionally, the date moved from between 4 and 5 to 3 o’clock, and it gained a magnifier on the crystal.
Marathon OSAR-D specs
The new Marathon OSAR-D measures 41mm across by 48mm from lug to lug and 14mm thick. The lug spacing measures 20mm, which is filled with your choice of a rubber strap or a simple steel bracelet with a stamped clasp. Up top, we find a sapphire crystal, while the case back is of the steel screw-in type. Water resistance is rated at an ample 300 meters.
Inside ticks an automatic Sellita SW200-1 caliber at 28,800 vibrations per hour. The movement has an autonomy of up to 41 hours in this Marathon guise. I always like seeing Sellita SW200/300-series calibers, especially in tool watches. They are about as solid, reliable, and easily serviceable as they come. They became the industry standard for a reason, although the current in-house craze means we see them in bigger brands’ watches less and less. For a watch like this, the SW200 makes perfect sense.
On the dial, we find MaraGlo lume in ample amounts. The military-style pencil handset and the triangle at 12 also light up in the dark. Beyond the oversized markers, this is quite a clean dial. Three lines of text, one of which is in red, fill the space nicely. The tip of the seconds hand echoes the red detail, bringing it all together.
Initial impressions
When I first saw images of the new Marathon OSAR-D, I thought the hour markers were way too big. Now that I have spent a little more time looking at the watch, it has started to make sense. I have to say I did not get hands-on time yet, so I am writing from images combined with my experience with prior SAR models. I remember them looking and feeling more brutalist and rugged than I gather from Marathon’s photos. The bezel, for instance, is taller and much more coarsely knurled than typical. I can imagine smaller markers would have looked dainty in scale with the watch.
Simply put, this watch is unapologetic about its purpose. It is supposed to operate in life-or-death situations, take a beating, and be ultimately legible while doing so. So if you are looking for a versatile diver to suavely slip under your cuff, look elsewhere. This isn’t it. The dial drives that point home perfectly. It is about clarity, not elegance. I like it a lot!
The bracelet is similarly Spartan. It has no fancy features like quick-release or toolless micro-adjustment, but it does what it is supposed to do. Again, look for refinement elsewhere. Honestly, I would wear this on the rubber strap as I love the combination with the matte black dial. While on the topic, I think more divers should have matte black dials. I will take those over sunburst, vignette, or glossy ones any day of the week.
The new Marathon OSAR-D costs US$1,680 (€2,016) on the bracelet or US$1,380 (€1,656) on the rubber strap. What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!
