The brand Marathon might be new to some, but not for Canadians, Americans, and especially military watch fanatics like us. The moniker is better known to watch collectors be among the few that, until today, officially offers no-frills timepieces to the military. Those regimes include the United States and Canadian army since circa 70 years ago.
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Marathon Pilot’s Navigator NGM Black Maraglo Ref. WW194013BK-2101
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Let’s dive a little deeper. The company that was to become Marathon Watch was founded in 1904 as Weinsturm Watch, later to be named Wein Brothers. In 1939, Morris Wein founded Marathon Watch, supplying fine precision timepieces throughout North America. Since 1941, Marathon has been manufacturing timing instruments for the Allied Forces, and today the fourth generation of the family continues the tradition with a wide range of tools measuring time, temperature, and distance. Marathon watches combine military durability with Swiss engineering and craftsmanship to ensure the highest level of quality and precision. All these traits unveiled on their take of the 1960s MIL-PRF-46374G military watch- the Marathon Pilot’s Navigator NGM Black Ref. WW194013BK-2101 that we are going to introduce today.The Pilot Navigator started from a request from Kelley Air Force Base in US. In 1986, Texan’s Air Force base needed watches that could endure extreme changes in pressure when used at high altitudes, while remain legible and accurate. Therefore, Marathon manufactured this watch was created to meet those demands. The Pilot’s Navigator is mend for pilots and para-troopers during mission, like for instant, been issued to those troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for their missions.
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Made in Switzeland, Approved by US Government
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Since this specific model built to be taken mostly for aviation sectors, it fits appropriately for the military trooper’s branch all round. The Marathon Pilot’s Navigator celebrates form over function, a non-flashy watch for sure, but builds with a purpose to aid the army with their missions. This particular reference differs from its sterile dial sibling with its “US Government” signed dial; having these additional credentials on its face.
Entering the navigator watch realm, Marathon has based on the MIL-PRF-46374G specifications and manufactured for the US army ill today with several revisions, lending them to be the longest-running specifications required by the US government. This particular model follows the type III / class 1 variation and summarizing what it is all about; it needed to have a rotating bezel equipped with elapsed time ring, and electrical quartz movement that able to maintain long life that able to withstand magnetic, water and corrosion resistance along with high altitude. Further, the watch needs to have nylon strap attached to it, and to use MaraGlo™ for its luminous hands and markers that have to glow for 8 hours or more in total darkness. The case made out of fibershell high impact case with steel back, allowing to be durable while staying lightweight. The unique asymmetrical case with the military 24-hour dial indication proved to be the military issued watches back in the 1970s. All these traits can be seen on MIL-W-50717 mil-spec watches for the US military, and Marathon keeps all there in check.
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Tribute to MIL-W-50717
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The Pilot’s Navigator NGM sets forth as an excellent tool watch with a unique personality. It starts with its unique case shape entirely made with high-impact fibershell in matte black tone, that measures 41mm wide, with a height of 13mm thick and 48mm lug to lug. Further, the finishing of the bi-directional bezel gets the same fiber shell material, removing any source of inessential reflections in this case, while still being immaculately executed. The matte stealthy case pays tribute to the original MIL-W-50717 mil-spec with matte finishing that also serves to be anti-corrosion for that period. The dimension of the timepiece stays true to military watches of yesteryears, which enables one to feel its sturdiness and with all sense of purpose, to be out in the field.Moving to the case profile, The Pilot’s Navigator has from a sleek and a sense of masculine attractiveness to it, to its unique tactical color choice that you do not see much in the market. The case has an asymmetrical shape, where it gives full crown guard architecture, from the lug sides on the right to the matte grey crown. This in which allows one to feel the case has a winder side from the other, which made it pretty darn cool and tactical feel. When the watch viewed from the side, it lets off only as a no-frill tool watch, only to be complemented by its short lugs and hour bezel. However, when one views it from the top, it is where it shines with its unique case profile, with the lugs streamline together as a whole with its masculine yet unique side profile. This results in a striking profile, letting the wearer feel substantial with its unique asymmetrical case.
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Asymmetrical case design
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Its L-shaped lugs are flushed together with the overall case, and further features the drilled lug holes to allow easy strap change. Flipping it over, we get the case-back, allowing it to withstand high altitude 35000 ft that satisfy military-specifications. Right on the case-back, we get the essential government markings and specifications engraved. These provide credentials on the Pilot’s Navigator as manufactured following US Government specification. All that said, we assure it is safe to say that both us watch collectors and the US military for use in operations.
As you’d expect in a military-style watch, the dial needs all the right ingredients to live up its livery. Underneath its flat sapphire crystal, Marathon has applied MaraGlo™ luminous on its minute markers and syringe-style handset, allowing one to view the time with maximum legibility even when you are in the dark for 8 hours. The dial features Arabic hour markers right beneath the minute markers, only to flange further a set of 24-hour markers reading inside.
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Tritium gas tubes and MaraGlow™ that glows 24 hours
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Inside its heart lies the traditional Swiss ETA Quartz movement. Powered by a Swiss made, high torque, 3 jewel ETA FØ6 quartz movement, the Military Navigator guarantees you a high degree of accuracy in timekeeping. The ETA FØ6 movement is accurate to -0.3/+0.5 seconds per day and also includes an End of Life (EOL) indicator that will advance the seconds hand once every 4 seconds to inform you that a battery change is needed. Replacement battery is a 371 cell.Attached to the Pilot Navigator is a matching 20mm high-quality black nylon textile strap. It further allows one to strap on the field watch like it supposed to, feeling sturdy and waterproof if it gets wet. The nylon strap matches with the adventure theme, elevating its sportiness and ruggedness as a whole.
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Essential Govt Markings on Case-back
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In all, Marathon products are manufactured with the utmost care and go through various quality control measures. This attention to quality presented in the Marathon Pilot’s Navigator NGM Black Maraglo Ref. WW194013BK-2101, combining military toughness with refined craftsmanship from military watches of yesteryears. The world of military-style tool watches ever populated in the industry, where consumers have the options to choose from. Still, not all have the right to get approved by the US Government even until today and able to stand out with its unique design that not seen on the market. The Marathon Pilot’s Navigator stands out from the rest in this way since day one, and besides that, their watches always built with a purpose in every aspect that offers startling value for money for us watch collectors.
