Duo Marathon Field Watch: Toughest Watches for Everyday Battles

Stands for General Purpose Mechanical, Marathon GPM series is originally designed for military purposes. Today, they are more likely to be worn out on a gym training, hike, or even to work at an office. As field watches, they are built with special traits to survive a war, such as having a 15 jewels (or more) mechanical movement with at least 36 hours of power reserve, impervious to water, resistant to magnetism and damage when it is dropped (shock resistance). So, if you are looking for tough and durable watches, these top duo Marathon field watches should be on your list.

GPM Government Reissue Mechanical Ref. WW194003SS

The GPM Government Reissue Mechanical is a non-flashy watch that aims to help the army with their job. I realize that the stainless case of this watch is bigger than the usual Marathon field watch has. Instead of a 34-36mm wide case, The GPM Government Reissue is made of 316 stainless steel with 39mm wide, 11mm thick and 44mm lug to lug. I find it perfect to wear because it has a balanced proportion among the dials, hour markers, “Marathon, US Government”, “17 Jewels”, and “H3” logos, and the crown. 

What I also like about this watch is that it has drilled lug holes that let me do quick strap changes whenever I want. But still, I rarely change the strap because I don’t think I need it since the strap is a high-quality waterproof nylon textile. It won’t get wet even if I wear it to dive at a depth of 50 meters. Yes, it can endure 50 meters of water because of the screw-in case-back it has!

Last but not least, Marathon applies tritium gas tubes with MaraGloTM that makes every Marathon field watch has constant emission of light to glow where any chargers from external light sources like SuperLuminove are no longer needed.

With all these traits, I am sure not only the military, but also the hiker, businessman, adventurer, or just a person who catches the bus every day to work like me need this Marathon field watch to face the everyday battles of life. Plus, how awesome would it be to be able to have a steeped-in-military-history accessory on your wrist? Check out all the details over here.

GPM NGM Desert Tan Mechanical Ref. WW194003DT-NGM

Marathon Watch, a company that was founded in 1904, launched the GPM NGM Desert Tan Mechanical Ref. WW194003DT-NGM, a charming field watch in a cool desert brown colour-tone. Different from the previous GPM reference, this Marathon field watch has NGM on its name. The term NGM affirms the “No Government Markings” on its dial. With this design and its function to withstand extreme warfare, it sure gets me a certain thrill every time I wear it to survive a war of getting a seat on a train or just a field trip to the jungle of the office.

Marathon presents a unique personality through GPM NGM Desert Tan Mechanical Ref. WW194003DT-NGM. The metal core that is fully covered by a high-impact fiber shell in a warm colour tone always reminds me of the desert. It is 34mm broad with 11mm thick and 41mm lug to lug. Not too small nor too big, it is just perfect for a field watch. Plus, it applies dual-wind movement to hold a 41-hour power reserve.

I used to get easily annoyed by the inessential reflection on my old watch case whenever I needed to read the time, but I see it no more on GPM NGM Desert Tan. It turns out the full sandblasted finishing does the work well.

Another unique side of this Marathon field watch comes from its bezel-less design where it gets a steeped architecture from the sides to the dial opening. It allows the wearer to read the time clearly.

Let’s go back to the desert brown colour that creates its own masculine attractiveness. I, myself, do not see this color tone much in the market. It did impress me once I saw the product. From the top view, you can see that it lets off only as a no-frills compact tool watch with short lugs and smooth bezel. However, when you peek from the sides, you can see where the masculine side profile comes from.

Just like what every Marathon field watch always has, the GPM NGM Desert Tan also has those drilled lug holes for quick strap changes, even when you do not need one actually. Why? Because why would you want to change a perfect waterproof nylon textile for another strap? It would stay dry as a bone even if you bring this watch 30 meters underwater. It does match the whole theme of a field watch, doesn’t it? Go get yourself this Marathon field watch type here.