Does Size Matter? Is 34mm Too Small? Marathon GPM 

Size doesn’t matter when you turn off the lights LMFAO

There's a t-shirt to wear to the in-laws.

U.S Sailor here, those marathon watches are no joke, I’ve worn one through a full deployment and the thing can take all comers, a proper watch. I love mine and will take it over many other higher priced watches simply because I can trust it

My dad rocked 36mm Datejust back in the days on his massive 9inch wrists. It looks so gangsta to see small watches big wrists, look at Tony Soprano and his daydate

Comparing this to the 44mms didn’t make the Marathon look like a toy Jody, it made the Duro and the King Turtle look Fisher Price lmao

My Rolex OP is a 34mm and it wears more like a 36. Looks perfectly normal on my 6.75 inch wrist. Plus having something that you're not going to bash on every doorframe as you walk through isn't a bad thing :D

That water resistance was the reason I didn’t get one of these, went with a G-SHOCK square, less of a marathon and more of a brisk walk

I'm 186cm too, 7 1/2" wrist, but my "office" watch is a 28mm Seiko tank. I always thought smaller watches were more stylish.

two factors for me, i have the hands and wrists of a Gorilla and age related eye sight deterioration

Anybody that has seen Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction knows that watch size matters!

I was issued a similar Marathon before deploying to Iraq in 2003, but it was a hand wind mechanical version with an acrylic crystal. No one in my unit that got one complained about the size. I wear a Turtle pretty much exclusively now as my daily watch but when I eventually buy my Rolex it’s going to be a 34mm. The thought that at 30m WR, this isn’t useful for field troops is just not accurate. This is the watch I wore before I was into watches as a hobby. Needless to say it was worn with reckless abandon. It didn’t take on water in any scenario I ever found myself in.

I just wanted to say that I'm happy for the growth of your channel Jody!

Budget tip - get the Casio MRW 200, pop off the bezel - welcome to a new $10 Marathon homage! Exact same look!

Even with the disclaimer, when I heard “let’s flip the camera and see if size really matters” I began bracing myself for JOMW’s final video.

Great video once again! After subscribing to many watch RU-vidrs it seems you are the only one I watch anymore. Well done!

It's not only about case size, it's a lot about dial size. If both dials of two watches are about 32cm and one of them is a diver with a good bezel and the other an all dial dresser, optically they'll be close.

Having had a very reliable 40mm Pulsar Chrono for the last ten years, I've recently replaced it with a 36mm Lorus Lumibrite field watch it was indeed quite a shock at first. I bought the Lorus as it's size makes it far more durable for my manual job and I wasn't sure I'd get used to it's diminutive size. But, as you quite rightly point out just one week on it's looking quite at home on my 7.5" wrist - and I've really gelled with it.

I am so happy to see you review a Marathon. I was in the military for 22 years and have an old Marathon military issue with tritium tubes and I love it. My Marathon has the ETA 2824 (that used to be the standard movement). I get it serviced every 10 years, it's a great watch. When I was a young soldier I purchased a Seiko 7002 to use as a field watch. I was in a Recon Cavalry Squadron and all Cav Troopers wore Seiko divers, it was a thing that you just did. I also still have that Seiko.

I just got mine and was initially unsure of the size. I haven't worn a watch in years, but the last time I did I wore a larger watch. Having worn it for a whole day now, I am totally used to it. Love the tritium dial. I also love the fact that it is so light. Barely feel it on my wrist which is actually nice since I'm not used to wearing a watch.

I love vintage watches, so 34mm is perfectly fine with me. I even have a vintage 31mm Prim, which I wear from time to time. It is a bit on the border, but it still looks great, if you don't mind a '50s-'60s look.

I’ve owned a 34mm GPQ 2 years now. Looks and wears just perfect on my medium 7.5 wrist. Much smaller though may not wear quite the same.

Okay. About the strap width and 3ATM WR ... Bear in mind that this watch was made for “general purpose” military personnel and *not* for watch enthusiasts. So strap width is not a concern because as long as it’s wide enough to keep them watch on wrist, the procurement officers are happy. It’s also meant to accommodate a variety of wrist sizes, with a lot of body types having wrist diameters below 7 inches. As for the 3ATM WR, the assumption is that most military people, during the course of their work routine in the field, aren’t regularly swimming. 3ATM is enough for average rainfall conditions in normal weather environments. Marathon does make models rated at 10ATM and above (see their Navigator model) for more specific operational conditions. Besides which, most military personnel prefer to have their own watches for operational duty, which is why Timex Ironman and Casio G-Shock resin sports watches are so popular as a PX item. They’re a lot more durable and have more functions (such as alarms and chronographs) than the GPM, and definitely cost less.

If I was to design my own two-piece watch collection it would be a 36mm dress/everyday watch and a 39mm dive watch 😇

Great video 👍 After having purchased a 36mm Stowa Marine and a CWC G10 in 2020, Im totally with you on the smaller sizes. I still love my chunky mechanical Chronos, but the smaller watches are just classically cool - and very very comfortable. You dont feel the weight at all. It seems to me, that the strap design becomes visually much more important on smaller watches (as you see more of the strap) - a great “excuse” for getting some more straps.....

I think it really depends on the case shape. A 34 mm rolex OP has a l2l comparable to an skx but it wears better on most wrists. I think the overall package of a watch is a lot more relevant than the case width. I typically prefer watches in the 34-38mm for their aspect ratio but they simply aren't available anymore from most firms. Great video as always Jody.

"I'm not sure who insisted on that as a standard" - that would be the US military, Jody. MIL-PRF-46374G, Table 1: Operating Environment, reads thus: "Water Resistance: Complete immersion in distilled water with approximately 1 percent by weight wetting solution under three atmospheres (44.1 psi) and at room temperature (for a period of) 5 minutes". Probably about time they adjusted the minimum spec to align with commercially available products, though...

Thanks for yet another fun and interesting video, Sir! It took me awhile to accept a watch above 40mm in size; now 40-42mm is pretty much my wheelhouse, although I still like the more traditional 36-38mm watches and have four or five. I guess it goes back to what my Dad (who had bigger wrists than mine) wore when I was a kid, which influenced what I wore for most of my adult life. On the other hand, I don't hold with the position that smaller is automatically dressier. In the end, it comes down to what I've heard so often from watch collector authorities such as Jody: It's all about what you like.

Looks better than I thought it would on the wrist. I think that the cushion case might help. Plus I personally feel that it is nice to have a variety of watch sizes - my Seiko SUP880 Tank is small like this.

In my oppinion it is not to small! I have a few vintage 34mm and i love to wear them. I and also have 7 inch wrist. And also great video as always! Keep it up! 😀👍

My grandfather's Doxa automatic from 1952 measures 34.7mm, and I would not hesitate to wear it. Earlier today I stopped by the jewelry counter at my local shoppers' club. Some Invicta behemoths in there have to be at least 50mm and are truly hideous. That's not purely a size issue, of course, but extreme size makes an gaudy watch an order of magnitude gaudier.

Also comes in sage green or desert tan (my favourite) and can also be had with a Swiss quartz movement. The quartz one in the uk on Amazon is £185.00

My father (born 1944, 7.5 inch wrist) still wears a 34mm watch everyday. When he lost his watch last fall, I was lucky to find a NOS replacement. Most current watches of that size are unfortunately overly feminine in style. It is odd that not that long ago all standard "Gent" models from Swatch came in 34mm.

This is by far the smallest watch I own but easily my favorite. Most of my watches are 20mm lugs but I’m not bothered at all by the small lug width. I will say though, they make additional Nato style straps for this watch in leather and nylon and they both drastically improve the wear of this watch and look really nice.

I have an 8" wrist and a small vintage King Seiko thats an odd small case size less that 36mm. Its my favourite dress watch. As its a manual winder it's also very thin and still very accurate. One of my goal watches is a 36mm Rolex Explorer... any of them. Cant be too picky.

Hey Jody, I'm Andy from Germany. Watching your channel for about 2 years now and loving it! 😄 This is my first comment on one of your videos, but maybe not the last. Since your friend was talking about an 34mm Air King, I can tell you that I own one. And it's NOT too small. Especially when you see this Marathon in comparison. The Rolex lug to lug is way bigger and on an oyster bracelet also appears way bigger. In direct comparison to my Tudor BB58 it's not so much smaller in appearance. So except for your already good enough reasons: No to this Marathon but YES to an Air King 34! 😉

I own several expensive watches yet I wear this one the most. Absolutely love the size and the legibility. One glance anytime after sunset is all you need. Great for those of us who sometimes wear a watch to bed as well. Highly recommended! Thanks for the video.

I have a 7.25" wrist and wear a Smith's Everest 36mm as my usual daily. I think the thing that makes a big difference is the lug width of 20mm. I've tried ~36mm watches with 18mm lugs and that seems too dainty on my wrist, especially if it has a taper. So 20mm lug width is something I personally look for as a minimum rather than watch diameter.

This is a pretty good and well explained video thank you ! 😀

Best review yet! I love all those size comparisons!

I was watching at this watch last night. Great timing!

I often wear my father's old Doxa, made in 1943 and acquired during the war. He brought it home to Canada when he demobbed, and after it quit running he put it a box where it lay for 60-70 years. I had it serviced and replaced the crystal a couple of years ago and eventually found an old stock leather band from Germany marked "Union slimline - ECHT NAPPA" to fit the fixed bars. It's small at 34mm x 18mn and just 39mm lug to lug, but if you called it a girls watch, the old boy would have quickly set you straight. I'm 73 years old, but still younger than the watch!

Watch size is very tricky. Dial diameter, bezel diameter, lug to lug, crown size, lug width, heck even bracelet taper should all be considered.

Dang Jody I don’t know what is up with RU-vid but it isn’t showing me your videos in my feed I got to search your channel, and yes I am subscribed. If your getting less views then normal probably the RU-vid algorithm.

Seems that the watch faces mostly don't get much bigger as the overall size of the case does.

You are exactly correct about the water resistance. I simply don't get it on such watches. Just doesn't make sense on an infantry watch. Not only water will ingress, but so will dust and that movement will suffer.

I have got the Navigator and love it. The lume is mental!

Very useful video Jody! Would you recommend a sinn 104, seiko sbdc101 or a squale sub 39? Oh and I highly recommend that you get your hands on a Halios fairwind apparently there's a lot of fuss about that watch 😉 Keep up the good work!

James Hunt, what an interesting life he had! Speaking of sizing, I bought a ladies 36mm Invicta and I wear it shamelessly when not using my SKX or my Promaster diver🤷🏻‍♂️ Great vid as always!!

Great episode ❤️

Great video,i have a mid-size wrist,i bought Tudor Royal 34 mm black dial,and it perfect fit on my wrist!34 mm case iz for every man and super comfy!Thank you and best regards,Dusko from Montenegro!💙

Jody. I think you were fair. My personal view. If you wear the same watch for a few days, you will get used to the size whether smaller or larger. If you wear a watch with sleeves, rather than bare arms, then the small watch can look very in keeping. My 18th birthday watch is a 34mm and I have it on a RIOS bund strap to make it seem larger in most circumstances. I do like my Seiko "Save the Ocean" Turtle, but sometimes it does feel larger, because I have been wearing smaller watches for a few days.

I bought a little Lorus Lumibrite (well worth you reviewing actually, right up your street). 37mm and 44 lug to lug and I'm amazed at how much I've worn it. I have loads of vostoks, Seikos, frankenmonsters, six, monsters, a tuna, Casio Duros....you name it. But that little Lorus...18mm strap, 10mm thick. Ultra legible and feather light....it see's as much wrist time as any of them. Pound for pound the best bang for buck watch I've ever owned.

I think lug to lug distance it's what matters the most in giving the appearance of being "too large". Thus, a very long lug can make a watch disproportionate

Thank you for the video. If the case is a matte composite, it should be easily modifiable to an 18mm strap width. Just a little file and abrasive work with protective taping. Nothing else would bother me about this watch. Looking forward to the next video.

My wife asked me, after wearing a 36mm for a while, “does it come in an adult’s size”. That was it for me...

Great video Jody, as usual !! I really like the look of this litle thing and was considering it a while ago but the 16mm strap but mostly the 3 ATM WR...that kept money in my wallet. Make it at least 10 ATM and it will bomb. Most field watches today have that, except the beloved Hamilton with its 5 ATM (i dont get the hype with Ham, to be honest). So, if they come out with these things fixed, then i m sure i ll snag one up, after their 36mm SAR.

The Marathon GSAR 41mm on bracelet is the one I've got my eye on. A bit more expensive for sure, but that 300m WR (overkill, but you need more than 30!) is great, and I really need some Tritium glow in my collection. 41mm is a great size for my 7-1/4" (18.4cm) wrist. From the owners of the GSAR I've seen post place, they've all had great things to say about the watch.

I have a VC dress watch which is 34 and I think it's absolutely perfect. Great review Jody 👍

Just bought the 36mm Marathon TSAR in white and when I first opened the box I was like no way, too small! But I decided to give it a chance and am enjoying it so far!

I wear my Rolex OP 34mm watch regularly, I’ve got a 7in wrist like you as well Jody. I think smaller watches look classy.

A 34mm Air-King Precision is my ideal birth year watch (1986 with a white dial if anyone’s feeling generous 😂). I actually picked up a couple of old Seiko 5s on eBay to see how I got on with the smaller size and I’ve got to say I really like it. There’s definitely a slight adjustment period putting on a chunky 42mm diver after wearing the Seikos rather than the other way around.

My last real watch was a 36 mm Rolex DJ and I never thought I'd strap anything larger on my 7 in. wrist, however after purchasing my 38 mm Traska, Summiteer, I realized size didn't matter as much as I thought. I just ordered a new Traska Free Diver and can't wait to see how the 40 mm watch looks on my average sized wrist! Thanks Jody for putting watch sizes into perspective... it had to be done! lol

My two main watches are a 42mm diver and a 35mm dress watch. I think people stress over the case diameter on its lonesome far too much. So many other factors can impact the wearability. Thickness, lug to lug and if you're wearing short or long sleeves for example.

Good piece, again. Tell Nick the Marathon-donor to have no fear: my wrist is nearly 8" and I proudly wear a 1989 34mm Air-King. My (small) collection includes a 40mm Orient, 44.5mm Duro, Blackout G-Shock etc, and the Rolex both looks classy on my wrist and trumps all the others for quality. I for one hope the era of the humongeous wristwatch, like the dinosaurs; is coming to an end ;-)

I have 7.3 inch wrists and I was a little hesitant before I bought my OP36 (all my other watch are between 40mm and 42mm. And no surprise, it works perfectly. Smaller watches rock.

Nailed that intro 👏🏻

Looks good. Fits nicely. It's all a matter of perspective

Hi Jodi, this watch looks fantastic on your wrist. I myself do not have a problem with the size of a watch. As i already told the big Majority of my Collection are Vintagewatches and they all have Diameters between 34-36 mm. I wear them in my Freetime and as Daily Rockers i have my Microbrands. These are between 39 up to 42 mm. I love all my Watches abd their Size really does not matter to me. My Wristsize is 18,5 cm.

That’s the genius part with the Oyster Perpetual 34 (same as vintage air king and Oyster Date), they have the 19mm lug width. I know many don’t like anything but 18 or 20, but with size of 34mm on the case, the 19 looks more right than 16 or 18 to work on even larger wrists. I have looked at the marathon to have a tritium watch, but that lug width and wr throws me off. It looks ok, but even the quartz is pretty high prize for that watch in my opinion. Good video 👍 Bring on more small watches. There are som gems out there 👍👍

These are cool, and I was interested in them for a short time. The size doesn't bother me at all, but the lack of any appreciable water resistance is a deal breaker in a general purpose field watch, especially at the price point. I prefer a watch be able to survive more than a splash of water. The exceptions in my collection are little digital Casios and Seiko 5s. I just see a robust diver as being more practical for military usage, and day-to-day general purpose. Great video though, with plenty of jokes! Thanks Jody!

I have a vintage Timex Marlin that is 34mm. Looks great! Also I love my Marathon GSAR! I always leave it bedside when I travel, because of those tritium tubes!

I have dress watches from 34mm (Guess - quartz) to 42mm (IWE Carnival - automatic) and I think they all look great.

Jody, there are lots of tritium options out there, but if you otherwise like the GPA, Marathon's Navigator is similar, but with 20mm lug width, 12-hour bezel, and 50mm water resistance

I have a similar sized wrist. I love smaller watches. 34 is on the lower limit. Most watch reviewers fail to notice that dimensions are only a part of the equation. The design, colour, dial, shape of case etc, play an important part on how a watch wears.

I got really used to larger watches like the Seiko SRP311, 7002, etc. When I started wearing my 1990’s Omega Polaris Seamaster (31MM case), it felt smaller by comparison. But with time, I got really used to it, and it wears great.

33-34 is my sweet spot for an everyday watch. This is refreshing to see!

I just got a Rolex oyster perpetual 34 mm . It was given to me so I wasn’t able to pick it out. But ...... now that I’ve been wearing it for a couple of weeks now . I honestly love it !!!! I usually buy any where from 39 mm to 44mm but I swear the little 34mm Rolex is almost perfect.

Tritium tubes are great! I've liked the Marathon in this review for years, and no, it's not to small for me. I have several vintage watches which are all under 36mm and get compliments and questions about them all the time. Back in 2017 I ordered the (now out of stock) Traser Military (MIL-SPEC) watch w/Tritium lume (P5900 Type 3) #100139 from Marc at LIW. The specs are comparable to the Marathon in dimensions (37mm) but with a Swiss Ronda quartz movement. I replaced the NATO strap with a Casio F91W-1 resin strap. It has been my super lightweight, never-wind, easy to read, bedtime watch ever since. I love it. It is amazing to wear a watch containing an element which powers the stars on my 7 inch wrist.

The British military watch commonly referred to as the G10,is 35mm and is also around the 30 meter water resistance mark with 18mm lug width.To my eyes is a more handsome creature and is all stainless steel..............................

34-38 is my sweet spot. Hate oversize dinner plate clown watches. You should check out the Traser P59 classic - very similar looking, 37mm case 18mm lug width and tritium tubes. It is a Ronda quartz tho, but arguably for a mil watch is a better choice.

"Does size matters? Yes, but only for YOU!" Well put, Sir! Bravo.

For my smaller wrists the general purpose is just right. I wear this watch more than my Rado and sport Movado. Because of the size and the extreme light weight of the watch. If you have big wrists I'd go for a bigger watch obviously, but me I love it- it's super accurate, the Maraglow works wonderfully, and my second hand hits the indicators perfectly which I don't expect for a 200 dollar watch.

Definitely agree! I really wanted one of these because of those tubes but same as you was put off by the useless water resistance and silly small lug width. Shame really because if they fixed that this would be a little winner 👌🏻

Most of mine are around 40mm but each time I see a smaller watch described as a “Ladies” I wince. I think whenever a watch company decides they need a marketing guru they place an advert in the 1950s.

Great video, just purchased an Omega Geneve 34.5 from 1964 (my birth year). As far as tritium tubes, Ball Watch Company has some great choices.

The watch is perfect on your wrist. The field watch of my collection is the 36mm plastic not-really-Vietnam Timex, McGyver's watch. I find the size perfect, but I'm used to vintage watches too. I love big tool watches, but I'm ok with small ones too. One of my loved ones is a little Poveda, 32mm, and I honestly can't find it small, it's just gorgeous.

I have seven inch wrists and I wear my grandfather’s 33mm vintage Tissot Seastar on special occasions. There‘s so much more that goes into whether a watch suits someone and looks good than the diameter.

this size fits the design. It looks unique. Very nice and interesting watch. Speaking about the strap, you can put it on something like from the movie Once upon the time in Hollywood.

I think the strap size is the real killer for me. A 16mm strap is like tying on a watch with hairy string. The 30m WR isn't great but it's the same on my SNK809 and that's a gem.

I think it looks just fine in terms of sizing. There when you want it to be, not there when you don't. I had actually considered buying one of these at some point (the quartz variant). I would say the water resistance is horrible, especially for a watch that is supposedly speced to wear in the military, I think this with a quartz, or even better that 4 tick per second quartz, and a screw down crown and caseback woukd be sublime.

Ahhhhhh the old lad James, miss his antics. Great video.

Last night I wore a 36mm Geckota and today I'm wearing a 42mm Seiko snzg13. Wherever the mood takes me. I might even try a G-Shock tomorrow. 😁✌️

Don’t get me wrong I love the chonky boi’s as evidenced by my barrel bodied Vostok Amphibia, Phoibos Reefmaster, and Casio AQS810W (which Jody, you need to review this watch!) getting heavy rotation. That said; grabbing my, now ten year old, Timex Expedition is such a treat. Easy wearing, doesn’t snag on my shirt cuff. I’m never disappointed when the 38mm mood strikes me!

Great watch, great review, absolutely agree 👍

I have one and love it, but very casual. I have 7 1/4 wrist and looks fine.

I think the case and band/bracelet make more of a difference on whether the watch wears larger or smaller. For example, a Seiko SARB on a stainless steel bracelet wears considerably larger to me than an SNK809 on a nylon strap, even though the dial is only 1 mm larger in diameter.

I wear a 34mm accutron/air king, and a 38mm SARB. And everything in between. Some wrists just can’t rock large watches. And it’s okay.

I recently picked up an AnOrdain Model 2 which is 36mm and 43mm lug to lug. I think this is an absolutely perfect size for my 7” wrist. I would happily take a 34mm over a 40mm for a fixed bezel watch

I hope you service your grandfather’s watch and make a video about the process. It is a special piece.

This one it right up my alley, I would love to have one. It's a great size in my opinion and it looks great on your wrist Jody. Awesome review as always, sir 👌🏻