Getting Hands-On with the Marathon MSAR
So, I’d been through a few watches, you know? Some looked nice but fell apart if you breathed on them wrong. Others were just too bulky, always snagging on stuff. I needed something tough, something I didn’t have to baby, but also something that wasn’t like strapping a dinner plate to my wrist. Heard some guys talking about Marathon watches, the ones built for rough use. Did a bit of digging.
Ended up landing on the Marathon MSAR. They called it the ‘Medium Search and Rescue’. Sounded serious, maybe a bit much for me, but the size seemed right. Not huge, not tiny. Decided to pull the trigger. Finding one wasn’t too hard, ordered it up. Felt a bit weird spending that much on a watch again after the last few disappointments, but I had a good feeling.
First Look and Feel
When the box arrived, gotta say, it felt solid. The watch itself? Heavy for its size, in a good way. You could feel the steel. It wasn’t fancy, not trying to be jewelry. Just looked like a tool, plain and simple. The bezel clicked nicely, firm. Didn’t feel sloppy.
Put it on the wrist. Yeah, the size was spot on. Didn’t feel awkward like some of the bigger dive watches I’d tried. The rubber strap it came on was okay, functional, smelled like vanilla for some reason. Weird, but whatever.
Living With It
Okay, so wearing it day-to-day. That’s where you really find out. Took it hiking, camping, did some work around the house, banged it against door frames (accidentally, mostly). Thing just shrugged it off. Scratches? Sure, eventually got some tiny ones on the metal, but the crystal stayed clear. That sapphire stuff, I guess.
What I really started to appreciate:
- Readability: Those little glowing tubes, tritium they call it? Always on. Didn’t need charging by light. Pitch black, middle of the night, glance down, boom, there’s the time. Super useful.
- Toughness: Like I said, it took hits. Got it wet plenty of times, washing hands, rain, no big deal. Never worried about it.
- Size: Just worked for me. Big enough to read easily, small enough not to be annoying.
It wasn’t all perfect, mind you. The bezel edge is pretty aggressive, good grip even with gloves I bet, but could chew up shirt cuffs sometimes if I wasn’t careful. And that vanilla smell on the strap? Never really went away. Swapped it for a nylon strap eventually, much better for me.
Why This Over Others?
Look, there are tons of watches out there. Flashier ones, smarter ones, cheaper ones. But I wasn’t looking for flash. Smartwatches? Another screen to charge and worry about, no thanks. Cheaper watches? Been there, done that, got the pile of broken ones to prove it.
The MSAR just felt… honest. It does one job – telling the time, reliably, under pretty much any condition I’m likely to be in – and it does it well. No fuss. It’s built with a purpose, and you feel that when you handle it and wear it. It’s like buying a good solid hammer. It’s not exciting, but you know it’ll work when you need it.
So, The Verdict?
Yeah, I’m sticking with this one. It’s been on my wrist pretty much constantly since I got it. Does the job, takes a beating, easy to read day or night. It’s not trying to be anything it’s not. Just a solid, reliable tool. For what I needed, it hit the nail right on the head. Probably the last watch I’ll need to buy for a good long while. Suits me just fine.
