Jeep is proud of its military heritage and has honored it over the years with special-edition models. So it’s only fitting that it collaborated with the Marathon Watch Company (which has a military connection of its own) on the Jeep x Marathon line of watches inspired by the Willys MB and Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
In 1939, Morris Wein founded Marathon in Canada. Two years later, Marathon secured its first military contract to make watches for the British and Canadian armed forces. More than 80 years later, Morris’ grandson Mitchell Wein serves as the president of Marathon, which continues to supply watches to various governments. Marathon builds its timepieces at its factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, a major hub of the watchmaking industry and the home of the International Museum of Horology.
Marathon 41mm Willys SSGPM (Photo courtesy of Marathon)
The Jeep x Marathon series consists of two core models: the Willys and Rubicon, both of which have 41mm cases and are available with mechanical or quartz movements. The Willys models are part of Marathon’s General Purpose (GP) collection, which are “Built to U.S Military Standard MIL-PRF-46374 G with direct lineage to the legendary GG-W-113 Spec of the 1960s.”
Marathon 41mm Willys SSGPM (Photo courtesy of Marathon)
From the outside, the Willys SSGPQ quartz and SSGPM mechanical watches look the same, with the exception of the former’s rear battery hatch and the latter’s more segmented minute track. Both have a brushed 316L stainless steel case that’s been “parkerized” to make it less reflective and more resistant to corrosion. Under the sapphire crystal, the black dial features Arabic numerals “inspired by the Jeep Wrangler 1941 Limited Edition” and finished in a color called “Aged Radium.” MaraGlo lights up the hour hand, minute hand, and hour markers in the dark. A brown Crazy Horse three-piece leather strap further adds to the vintage look.
Marathon 41mm Willys SSGPM (Photo courtesy of Marathon)
Inside, the Willys SSGPQ contains a Swiss-made ETA F06.402 HeavyDrive-PreciDrive quartz movement that’s accurate to ±10 seconds a year. Its SSGPM mechanical sibling is powered by a Swiss-made Sellita SW210-1 18-jewel hand-wound mechanical movement, which has a 45-hour power reserve.
Marathon 41mm Rubicon GSAR (Photo courtesy of Marathon)
The SAR in the Marathon’s 41MM Rubicon diver’s model names means they’re made to the Canadian Government standards for use in Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. Like their Willys cousins, they’re visually similar: brushed 316L case engraved with Jeep’s seven-slot grille, 120-click unidirectional dive bezel, knurled screw-down crown with the Willys star, caseback engraved with “Go Anywhere, Do Anything,” and a black dial with a date window at 4:30 and tritium gas tube and MaraGlo illumination. Both are also water-resistant to 300 meters (1,000 feet) and come attached to an OD Green three-piece rubber strap.
Marathon 41mm Rubicon GSAR (Photo courtesy of Marathon)
The similarities extend to the companies that manufactured the internals of the Rubicon models. An ETA F06.412 HeavyDrivePreciDrive quartz movement that’s accurate to ±10 seconds per year powers the Rubicon TSAR. Thanks to its 26-jewel Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement, the Rubicon GSAR can run for up to 41 hours without being wound.
If you want to flash one of these Marathon watches every time you do the Jeep Wave, now is a good time to buy as all four models have been marked down by 10 percent: Prices for the Willy’s line start at $540 for the quartz model, and the Rubicon models have an entry-level price of $1,485. As a bonus, each watch comes with a special Jeep x Marathon duck to put on your dashboard.
