Marathon/Gallet Military Watch

In October of 1964, the modern U.S. military field watch was born.

Since its inception, the MIL-W/GG-W-113 series has undergone various revisions, but has remained a benchmark of reliability and utilitarian simplicity. Produced by Benrus, Hamilton, Marathon and others, it was relied upon by U.S. and Canadian forces in various conflicts around the world for its legible dial, light weight, slim profile, and no-nonsense aspect. 

While certain of the MIL-W/GG-W-113 series featured cheap, 7-jewel movements or plastic cases and were meant to be discarded, the rarer Marathon/Gallet models from 1984-1985 made use of a high-quality, 17-jewel movement with hacking. Its case also featured reinforced lugs, making for a chunkier profile that was nevertheless more robust.

This particular GG-W-113 dates to circa 1984 and features a 36mm stainless steel case with fixed spring bars, an acrylic crystal, a matte black Tritium dial with U.S. Government, 'H3' and ‘radioactive’ signatures, a matching syringe handset, and a standard issue RAF-style pass-through nylon strap with stealthy black hardware - complete the picture of a utilitarian watch made specifically for combat applications.

Powering the watch is the ETA Cal. 2801-2 manually-wound movement, hidden behind a case back engraved with the issue date and government contract numbers. Paired to a black, RAF-style NATO strap with a black PVD pin buckle, it’s in virtually NOS condition throughout — a true time capsule of a mil-spec tool. 

Whether you’re a serious collector of militaria, a watch nut, or a history buff, this Marathon/Gallet GG-W-113 is bound to elicit excitement!

The Gallets have been making watches in Switzerland since 1466, when Humbertus Gallet became a citizen of Geneva. Nearly four hundred years later, in 1826, Julien Gallet registered the name Gallet et Cie for his watchmaking company and relocated to La Chaux-du-Fonds. From then on, the company only started to expanded, even into the United States, becoming one of the best-known names in watchmaking.

Gallet is well known to hard-core vintage collectors, but they’ve flown under the radar among enthusiasts in general. Interestingly, the manufacture has long been on the forefront of horological innovation, and they’ve racked up a number of impressive wristwatch “firsts," including the first waterproof chronograph wristwatch, the first wristwatch with a 28,800 BPH escapement, first wristwatch with rotating bezel and the first chronograph wristwatch with a 24-hour GMT complication. Considering how often we see these features in watches from nearly every significant brand today, one cannot overstate Gallet’s contributions to the watch industry.

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Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.