Marathon Watch, the family-run Canadian maker of military-issue timepieces, posted a new version of its most sought-after diver to its store today: the 41mm Titanium GSAR. GSAR stands for Government Search and Rescue, and for the first time in Marathon's history the watch has been re-engineered in grade 5 titanium that is compliant with the TAA, the United States Trade Agreements Act that governs government purchasing. The product page lists it as Coming Soon, with orders opening on November 17, 2026.
What changes with titanium
Marathon calls the new case its first lightweight titanium case and says the GSAR is now the first standard production model in its lineup to be offered in titanium. According to the maker, the metal delivers roughly twice the tensile strength of stainless steel along with better corrosion resistance, and the finished watch takes 30 percent of the weight off the wrist compared with the stainless steel GSAR it builds on.
Marathon frames the move with a reference to the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance jet of the 1960s, which relied on titanium to stay strong and light in extreme conditions. The pitch is the same here: a material chosen for capability, not convention.
Inside and on the dial
The Titanium GSAR runs on a self-winding Sellita SW200-2 Top Grade movement with an Incabloc shock absorber and 26 jewels. Marathon says the movement brings an increased power reserve of up to 65 hours and an enhanced accuracy range.
The Standard-Issue Type II black dial looks familiar at a glance, but Marathon lists a few quiet tells. The date wheel is now black, the typeface has been updated, and the letters "Ti" in the word AUTOMATiC are set in red, a nod to titanium's symbol on the periodic table. Hour markers and the full hand set glow with tritium gas tubes, and the marker on the bezel uses MaraGlo, Marathon's own luminescent material. The dial carries both a 1 to 12 and a 13 to 24 hour scale, with the date at 4:30.
The numbers that matter
- Case: 41mm across, 13.5mm thick, 48mm lug to lug, 20mm lug width, brushed grade 5 titanium
- Crystal: scratch-resistant sapphire
- Crown: screw-down
- Bezel: unidirectional 60-minute dive bezel with 120 clicks
- Water resistance: 30 ATM (atmospheres), or 300 meters (1,000 feet)
- Strap: a black Swiss-made 3-piece rubber strap kit in FKM, a fluoroelastomer rubber, fitted with titanium hardware
Full details are on Marathon's official spec sheet, and the official price is listed on the product page.
Why the GSAR is the one to change
Marathon's Search and Rescue (SAR) dive series was developed to Canadian government requirements for professional search and rescue work. The series first appeared in the early 1990s, and Marathon says it remains an essential kit element for elite members of both the Canadian and US militaries. The 41mm GSAR was the company's first Type II automatic SAR watch, which makes it the natural candidate for a new material.
The company itself goes back further. Its official history traces it to Weinsturm Watch in 1904, later Wein Brothers, before Morris Wein founded Marathon in 1939. Marathon has made timing instruments for the Allied Forces since 1941, and the fourth generation of the Wein family runs it today.
How to get one
Orders open November 17 on Marathon's store, and the current steel versions sit in the 41mm SAR collection if you want to compare sizes now. Marathon posts updates on Instagram. If you are building a tool-first kit, our field watch guide and everyday carry essentials are good places to pair it, and the blacked-out Buck 120 General from this morning makes a fitting companion on the belt.
