The Marathon GPM Steel Reissue is a compact, stylish, military-themed piece that makes for a great everyday companion. In-person, this one looks awesome, defined by its square lugs and graduated, sloped case; it continues to charm its way onto my wrist to this day.
I first encountered the GPM Reissue during my small field watch roundup, where I also looked at its smaller 34mm brethren. While more expensive, I immediately gravitated to this one, as it’s far better constructed, and the incredibly deep, reflective rehaut draws your eyes in at any angle. The tritium tubes, which perform better than those we tested on the Luminox Sea Turtle, and special dial marking also add to the combat vibes exuding from this unusual timepiece.
Initially advertised as a ‘39mm’ watch (which we pointed out wasn’t true), they’ve since revised their listings to 36mm, which is more representative of how this watch fits. Given the straight lug style, this watch will fit just about anyone, so don’t be put off by the low diameter.
The main downsides of this watch are the sub-par water resistance rating and the underwhelming nylon strap. Nevertheless, Marathon has since edited the GPM to have a 5bar rating to cover you in more scenarios. As with the Bulova Hack, don’t buy this Marathon for pure specifications; you buy it because of its well-considered design.
Marathon GPM Steel Reissue Specifications:
35.5mm diameter
44mm lug to lug
10.7mm thickness (including crystal)
Stainless steel case
ETA 2801 manual-wind movement
5bar water resistance rating
Sapphire crystal
Nylon band
Swiss made