Pilot’s Navigator CeraShell® Quartz (NAV-D) Ref. WW194013BK-0101

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. 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 CeraShell® Quartz that we are going to introduce today. Marathon Pilot’s Navigator CeraShell® Quartz (NAV-D) Ref. WW194013BK-0101 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. 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 sibling with its sterile dial; having no branding or additional texts 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 tritium 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. Made in Switzeland, Approved by US Government The Pilot's Navigator CeraShell® Quartz stands out as a formidable tool watch with a distinct personality. This begins with its asymmetrical 41mm case, featuring a 11.5mm thickness and a 48mm lug-to-lug profile. The case is crafted entirely from CeraShell®—Marathon's proprietary composite that blends bio-sourced material with ceramic powder for an incredibly lightweight yet highly scratch-resistant structure. Further refining the design, this new iteration features a bidirectional aluminum bezel with an increased height, engineered specifically for an easier grip under demanding conditions. Newly enhanced, the bezel pip now incorporates a radially mounted tritium gas tube insert for reliable illumination in total darkness