Marathon Tritium Watches

[Peter Atwood]

Probably an hour long soaking in a bucket of water with a tablespoon of bleach will do it.

BTW, I have a very small wrist and I find the GSAR to be fine on it. It's a very tall watch and is quite heavy but it's comfortable.

 

[TooTall]

What do you use to clean/wash the nylon band with?

What works best for me is to run the watch band through the dishwasher. I have a basket in the top rack so it won't get loose. I have done this to Zulu bands and other NATO bands. Just make sure you take it out before the drying cycle starts.

TooTall

 

[alberto]

Yeah, I just use dishwashing liquid soap to clean the nylon band. Works great for me.

 

[darkzero]

Will bleach discolor the band? The band is black.

I'll dry the dishwasher method, sounds good.

I tried washing it (scrubbed with a brush) with Tide, tried cold and hot water. Seems to be clean but if it gets wet it has this weird foul kinda odor that smells like sweat or something but as soon as it dies, no smell at all.

 

[GarageBoy]

I think it's the nylon it self. Leave it be

 

[Jumpmaster]

I think it's the nylon it self. Leave it be

No...nylon does have a smell of its own but smells entirely different when infused with sweat/dirt and not cleaned.

I read a tip somewhere to just leave the watch on (if it's waterproof, of course...) and shower with it on. That way, the soap/shampoo helps clean it and it won't stink when it gets wet. I did this for 6 months throughout basic training and AIT and my zulu band never smelled bad...works fine...

JM-99

 

[SJACKAL]

My Natos will smell after a few months, then I would wash them with light detergent and warm water. Good as new everytime.

 

[BF Hammer]

I clean stinky nylon watch straps in my normal laundry. I just remove the strap and safety-pin it inside of a pocket of a pair of jeans or shorts. A pin on the buckle and another through a buckle-hole on a NATO strap holds it securely.

If you use liquid fabric softener on the rinse cycle it double de-stinks the strap.

Wish I could cure stinky leather straps though. 🙁

 

[SJACKAL]

Hmmm, will boiling leather straps get rid of the smell?

Leather straps starts to stinks when it got wet frequently either from sweat or water, my guess is that the bad smell comes from bacteria on it.

 

[darkzero]

Great tips fellas, thank yous! :thumbsup: (and sorry for hijacking the thread)

 

[AESOP]

had one tritium vial to come loose from a number position. .

Alberto,
I have had the same thing happen to me, how did you repair it?

Michael

 

[Canuckle]

Countycomm doesnt ships international to Singapore. But no matter, there are lotsa other places to get those watches.

Such as . . . . . . (waiting intently for an answer.....)

I'm all ears for this one....!

;-)

 

[SJACKAL]

Try Howard Max at

www.westcoastime.com

 

[bubbacatfish]

Canuckle, as SJACKAL said, there's West Coast Time, there's also www.broadarrow.net (for TSAR & GSAR maybe SAR too, don't remember) & someone named maloja sells them regularly on ebay as well. I got mine right here on the B/S/T though (Thanks again Filament!!!).

p.s. I'm in Canada too, I feel your pain...

 

[SJACKAL]

Locally in Singapore, there is www.gnomonwatches.com for some military styled watches.

 

[Sigifrith]

Countycomm sells a Marathon quartz watch with plastic case and tritium for $100 (see http://www.countycomm.com/GPDESCRIP.htm ). The TSAR and the SAR look like what I want, but that $100 model looks like the most I can afford.
Does anyone have any experience with those plastic cases? Might the case last as long as the tritium, with moderate use? The blurb says:

``Case is nylon/fiberglass composite; very durable, nearly indestructible. ''

The ``nearly'' in ``nearly indestructable'' gives me pause. I've had the pins pull out of plastic watch cases before.

Thanks,
Nels

I've got one of these. It's a Type F with an Oct 1998 date on back. The "Crystal" is the weakest link. It scratches very easily. The watch is still very easy to read in the dark, but is definately dimmer than my new Luminox.

I'd buy one tomorrow as a beater watch, but be careful of swinging your arm around in a tight space, or you'll scratch the heck out of the plastic "Crystal".

 

[cy]

been looking for a deal on TSAR, but anyone that has one in stock sells for same price.

 

[SJACKAL]

The advantage of acrylic crystals is that you can polish them if the scratch is not too deep. I had done it many times with a diamond coated jeweller's cloth.

I had seen watch servicers polish them with high grit sandpaper (like 2000grit maybe) followed by a drop of Brasso finished off with a soft cloth. The end result is like new.

 

[Sigifrith]

The advantage of acrylic crystals is that you can polish them if the scratch is not too deep. I had done it many times with a diamond coated jeweller's cloth.

I had seen watch servicers polish them with high grit sandpaper (like 2000grit maybe) followed by a drop of Brasso finished off with a soft cloth. The end result is like new.

Thank You!!! I was going to send mine back to Marathon. I'll drop by the jewelers next week, & see what they can do.