Side by side

Marathon GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field WatchvsSeiko Astron

The numbers, the dial colors, the calibers — laid out so you can stop flipping between tabs.

GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch
MarathonGPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch
MSRP $420
Astron
SeikoAstron
MSRP $2,700
What people say

Owners + reviewers, side by side

Synthesized for each watch independently from owner discussions, enthusiast forums, written reviews, and video reviewers.

Marathon GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch

Owners widely praise the Marathon GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch for its rugged quartz movement, accuracy, and tritium lume. Reviewers and owners alike highlight its solid build, legibility, and comfortable, lightweight wear, making it particularly well-suited for smaller wrists. Some owners, however, consider the price point of $350-420 to be somewhat high. On balance, the consensus is that owners rate the Marathon GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch highly for its dependable quartz accuracy and excellent tritium lume.

Seiko Astron

The Seiko Astron is widely praised for its advanced timekeeping technology, including GPS and radio wave synchronization, offering grab-and-go convenience and exceptional accuracy, with some users reporting +/- 15 seconds per month or even 1/2 second per day for its autonomous quartz movement. Owners appreciate its well-finished titanium cases and bracelets, detailed dials with high-contrast markers, and lightweight, comfortable wearability. However, some find the price point of around $2,000 to $2,400 expensive, noting that GPS sync works best outdoors and that certain models lack screw-down casebacks, impacting water resistance. The lume is described as sparse on some models, and recessed buttons require tools to operate. Overall, owners and reviewers rate the Seiko Astron highly for its cutting-edge technology and comfortable, well-finished design, with the value proposition becoming more compelling when models are found at a discount.

From video reviewers

The watch's automatic time zone adjustment via GPS is a notable feature. The watch's solar-powered charging system can take up to 6 months to fully charge, which may not be ideal for users who need a quick power boost.

At a glance

14 of 29 specs differ
Diameter
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch34mm
Astron43.3mm
Power Reserve
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch40h
Astron40h
Water Resistance
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch30m
Astron100m
MSRP
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch$420
Astron$2,700

Full specifications

Case

7 specs
Category
Field
Chronograph
Diameter
34mm
43.3mm
Thickness
11.5mm
13.4mm
Lug-to-Lug
41mm
49.5mm
Lug Width
16mm
14mm
Material
Fibreshell Composite
Titanium
Water Resistance
30m
100m

Crystal & Dial

4 specs
Crystal
Acrylic
Sapphire
Crystal Shape
Flat
Curved
AR Coating
Inner
Super-clear coating
Lume
None
LumiBrite on hands and index(es)

Movement

2 specs
Caliber
Swiss High-Torque Quartz (3J, EOL)
5X83
Jewels
25
14

Pricing

1 specs
MSRP
$420
$2,700
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