Pilot’s Navigator Desert Tan Sterile Dial Ref. WW194001DT-0802

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. Marathon Pilot’s Navigator Desert Tan Sterile Dial Ref. WW194001-S-DT-D 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 Desert Tan Sterile Dial Ref. WW194001-S-DT-D that we are going to introduce today. The Pilot Navigator started from a request from Kelley Air Force Base in the US. In 1986, Texan’s Air Force base needed watches that could endure extreme changes in pressure when used at high altitudes, while remaining legible and accurate. Therefore, Marathon manufactured this watch created to meet those demands. The Pilot’s Navigator mends for pilots and paratroopers during a mission, for instance, been issued to those troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for their tasks. Made in Switzeland, Approved by US Government 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 magnetically, water and corrosion resistance along with high altitude. Further, the watch needs to have a 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 fiber shell 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 seen on MIL-W-50717 mil-spec watches for the US military, and Marathon keeps all there in check. Tribute to MIL-W-50717 The Pilot’s Navigator Sterile Dial sets forth as an excellent tool watch with a unique personality. It starts with its unique case shape entirely made with high-impact fiber shell in desert brown-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 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,