One of the top watch brands to come out of the Great White North, Marathon Watch has carved out a niche for building robust timepieces that meet the rugged professional standards required by military and law enforcement. At the same time, it has managed to capture the interest of collectors, many of whom — how to say this politely? — appreciate from afar, the rough and tumble capabilities of Marathon Watches without actually intending to put one through its paces. But it’s thanks to this latter group that “ADANAC” watches got their fame. Prevented by government contract from adorning watches supplied to the military with any form of branding, the company instead printed “ADANAC” on the dials, the reverse anagram of “Canada.” Assured by this mark of provenance, these vintage “ADANAC” watches have become highly sought-after items by collectors, fetching a pretty penny on the pre-owned market. To celebrate 157 years of Canadian independence, Marathon has revisited the ADANAC branding, offering it on the case flanks of 157 limited edition pieces of the brand’s popular Arctic-dial GSAR watch.
The 41mm Marathon GSAR (short for Government Search And Rescue) has long been popular among watch fans thanks to its blend of powerful specs and mission-ready design. Any watch with a story is bound to be well-regarded and Marathon’s history as a key supplier of timepieces to world militaries means it gets an extra boost. This winning combo has helped Marathon expand the line, introducing a “medium” 36mm version (the MSAR) and a “jumbo” 46mm version (the JSAR). Each is available in quartz and automatic flavors and, recently, white “Arctic” dials have joined the original black dial variants. The result is a something-for-everyone offering but through it all, the Arctic dial GSAR has been a best-seller. It’s this model that gets the special ADANAC treatment, along with a special maple leaf motif that adds balance and color to the utilitarian dial design. Placed above the center post where the vintage models featured the ADANAC text, the applied red leaf is both a national Canadian symbol and one found on a handful of other Marathon watches in recent years, although this is the first time it’s been used on the brand’s white dials. It helps give the dial a more complete look —ironic, given the GSAR dial is not exactly austere. Crowded with everything from a 24-hour track to a date window to tritium gas tubes and 240 quarter-minute marks, adding another element to the dial is a tricky proposition, but here, it seems to work, giving the watch a bit of an artistic flair. It pairs well with the matching red seconds hand and, displacing Marathon’s branding, it helps eliminate the somewhat superfluous “Automatic 300m/1000ft” text found on the non-maple leaf version (although these specs still apply.)
As noted, what makes this version of the Arctic GSAR special is the ADANAC branding seen above. Engraved in a tough-looking font and then infilled with black, it’s a touch not found on many watches but might be enough to serve as a conversation starter, at least among watch fans. In the world of limited editions — especially from brands the size of Marathon — a batch of 157 pieces is pretty small. While Arctic dial maple leaf editions will continue to be available after the ADANAC variants sell out, the engraved cases promise to be rare finds. Everything else about the 41mm diameter steel GSAR case is unchanged from earlier non-maple leaf models. The black bezel insert features the same block numerals and minute markers that make at-a-glance timekeeping easy and, paired with the 24 oversized teeth on the uni-directional 120-click bezel, takes on a practical and stout look. Also prominent is the knurled screw-down crown protected by a pair of crown guards. It all sports a brushed finish to complete the military look. The solid and screwed case back contains plenty of information including official part numbers, limited edition numbering, and a large copy of the maple leaf matched to the one on the dial. The 20mm lug width fits both the solid-link bracelet, as well as the black leather DEFSTAN or “Defence Standard” strap (Marathon’s name for a NATO-style strap) included with each watch. At 48mm lug-to-lug and 14mm thick, these are not small watches but thanks to Marathon’s helpful SAR Sizing Guide found on the brand site, visualizing the watch on your wrist isn’t too hard.
Inside the ADANAC Arctic Red Maple GSAR is the true and tested Sellita SW200-1 movement found on so many watches of this pedigree. What makes this one special is its integration with the Incabloc shock absorber. Helpful in making the GSAR live up to demanding Search And Rescue standards, the patented technology is useful in ensuring the balance staff (the part of the watch most susceptible to damage from a hard shock) is prevented from malfunctioning when the watch is dropped or smacked too hard. With around 40 hours of power reserve, this watch won’t break endurance records but like the rest of its design and ability, it can live up to nearly any challenge thanks to the added shock protection. What’s also notable is the movement’s taller-than-normal hand stack, necessary because of the added thickness of the tritium gas tubes embedded in the hands. The added weight and shape mean extra attention paid to the spacing and balance of the black syringe-tipped hands driven by the Sellita caliber.
Appealing to collectors and Canadian patriots alike, this limited edition from Marathon sits safely within the bounds of the predictability and reliability on which Marathon has built its name. This is not a brand that traffics in flashy colors or avant-garde designs, so a special edition featuring unique (but still heritage-inspired) engraving along with a little red maple leaf is a safe bet and one that looks good. Add in the freebies like the leather strap, a desk clock, and a lapel pin in the shape of the Canadian flag, and the ADANAC GSAR looks like a tidy bargain even before accounting for the unique specs like shock-resistance and tritium markers and hands. With an MSRP of $1,900 USD, the Arctic Red Maple 41mm GSAR Watch is available on the Marathon website for $1,600 USD. Learn more at the brand’s website.
