Marathon JDD Automatic Military Diver

Truthfully, this watch needs no introduction. Marathon watches carry a history dating back to the early 1900’s, and have been a staple in the industry ever since. For those who are not familiar with the brand, allow me to enlighten you a bit on the company. For one, Marathon is the only company supplying the U.S government with watches and carries the rep of being one of the toughest, durable watches in the industry. Based in Canada, Marathon specializes in military watches for both the Canadian Military, U.S Government, and is immensely popular with law enforcement officals. Offering a wide variety of Military grade watches, the lines most enthusiasts are familiar with are the J-Sar (Jumbo Search & Rescue), G-Sar (Government Search & Rescue) JDD (Jumbo Day Date), and let’s not forget about the CSAR (Chronograph Search and Rescue). Thanks to our friends over at TopSpecUS.com, I am fortunate enough to bring you a review on the Marathon JDD Jumbo Automatic JSAR Military Divers Watch WW194021, or better known as JDD. Before we get into breaking down the watch, lets give a look at the full specs of the JDD: 

• Genuine military issue with: NSN 6645-21-886-8975 (6645218868975).
• Automatic, self-winding, 26 jewel movement.
• Luminous hands and hour markers provided by 16 luminescent tritium gas tubes with two on the 12-hour marker.
• Sweep second-hand has tritium tube on tip.
• Easy-set bilingual (English or French) day and date.
• 0 to 60 outer turning bezel with Maraglo™ luminous triangle marker.
• Stainless steel case: 46mm diameter x 17mm thick.
• Uni-directional 120 click bezel.
• Crescent shaped sapphire crystal.
• Screw-down crown.
• Water resistant to 300m/1000ft.
• Bracelet: Vulcanized rubber with stainless steel buckle.
• Space allowance on back of watch for personal engraving.
• Each watch is individually numbered for traceability and maintenance

First impressions of the JDD are what you expect from a well-built tactical dive watch: bulky and solid. When you first pick up the JDD, you’ll immediately notice this is not your typical run of the mill watch. Weighing in at a total of 170 grams on the vulcanized rubber strap, and 250 grams on the un-sized bracelet, this watch is made for battle. The case is constructed from 316L stainless steel with a nicely brushed finish and lives up to the standards of a jumbo watch. Measured from 10-4, the case comes in at 46mm in width and a total lug-to-lug measurement of 55mm. Throw the crown into the mix and you’re looking at a total width of 52mm. The total height of the JDD comes in at 17mm, so don’t expect to be sporting this watch with a suit or long sleeve shirt, as the JDD is pure chunk on the wrist.

One aspect of the case that stands out to me is the crown guards. While some may overlook this aspect, the crown guards are both prominent and solid and snugly protect 2.5mm of the 5mm crown, ensuring strong durability of the crown when put to the test. While on the subject, I find it extremely easy to grip and manipulate the screw-down crown. While the lateral aspects of the crown are well protected, both the anterior and posterior portions are easily accessible. Marathon uses a knurled crown on the JDD, ensuring the best “grip quality”. Whether underwater with gloves, or in the filed with wet or slippery fingers, the crown is designed to be gripped in any condition. Rounding off the case is the usage of drilled lugs holes, allowing those of us that like to swap straps and bracelets the ability to do so with ease.

Flipping the watch over you’ll notice the screw-down case back. Honestly, there’s nothing fancy going on here, but you really shouldn’t expect much with a tactical watch. The JDD, along with the other SAR’s from Marathon, is built to take abuse and uses a solid 316L stainless steel backing to do so. Marathon does go the mile and engraves all its specs and details into the case-back ensuring visibility through the life of the watch. Marathon also grants the owner a space to engrave their name. While not a fan of personalizing my timepieces, I understand and respect the need to do so if you’re in a Military position, especially in the field of battle.