A Beloved Military Brand Just Launched a Stealthy Automatic Pilot’s Watch For America’s 250th

The compelling blacked-out timepiece offers numerous subtle patriotic details honoring the United States and this huge milestone.

Close-up of a black wristwatch with white and green markings on a leather strap, next to a patch with an American flag design.

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By Sean Tirman

Published May 13, 2026

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This year, 2026, marks the United States of America’s 250th anniversary. That’s a huge milestone by any measure.

To honor and celebrate the occasion, a brand that has been making mil-spec watches for the U.S. military since World War II has launched an appropriately patriotic, albeit still surprisingly tasteful pilot’s watch.

It’s called the Marathon U.S. 250 Anthracite Stainless Steel Navigator with Date. And while that’s, admittedly, a mouthful, the timepiece in question is pretty special.

Black Marathon automatic wristwatch with white numerals and green luminous markers on a black leather strap. — The 1776 logo, right below the 12 o’clock numerals, is the only visible special-edition branding on the watch’s front.

America, f*ck yeah!

While the watch isn’t just slathered in red, white and blue colors and eagle graphics, there are quite a few references to the U.S.A. and its history and culture hidden throughout this timepiece.

The most obvious is on the dial right below the 12 o’clock position, where there’s a 1776 logo surrounded by stars, in the same style as Betsy Ross’s iconic flag design.

Close-up of a black Marathon automatic wristwatch with white numerals, green luminous hands, and a black bezel on a textured black strap. — The tritium tube at the 12 o’clock position is done in red, referencing the “rocket’s red glare” from the National Anthem.

However, there’s a lot more than just that. For instance, the tritium tube above the 12 o’clock numerals is done in red, referencing the “rocket’s red glare” from the National Anthem. The rest of the tritium, on the other incides and hands, is classic green.

On the exhibition caseback, it’s a bit more obvious. The crystal has an American Flag print and the national motto “In God We Trust” (as appears on currency) printed on it. The watch also gets a bison leather strap, as bison is the national mammal of the U.S.A.

Close-up of a black wristwatch with a transparent back showing internal gears and "IN GOD WE TRUST" text, on a wooden surface. — The exhibition caseback features the Stars and Stripes and the national motto “In God We Trust,” similar to how it appears on American currency.

Always bet on black

Marathon states that the black colorway of this watch is inspired by “the twilight’s last gleaming,” also from the National Anthem. However, it comes from the brand’s Anthracite lineup.

Along with the black colorway, “Anthracite” also refers to the ion plating on both the 316L stainless steel case and the movement. That movement, by the way, is a Swiss-made, 26-jewel Sellita SW200-1 with an Incabloc shock absorber.

Black Marathon automatic wristwatch with white numerals and green accents on a wrist wearing a green jacket. — At 41 millimeters, the watch is on the larger side of current trends, but that makes it easier to read.

That does mean this watch is an automatic, which grants it some extra convenience. It also has a bidirectional elapsed-time bezel and both 12- and 24-hour markings on the dial for classic and military time.

Lastly, if you know Marathon and the 41-millimeter case looks familiar, that’s probably because it’s based on the brand’s SSNAV, which was originally developed in 1986 as a joint initiative with Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. And that’s another level of American heritage built right into this timepiece.

Black Marathon automatic wristwatch with luminous hands and markers on a black leather strap over a U.S. flag patch on camouflage fabric. — This watch is proof that patriotism need not be gaudy or chintzy.

Availability and pricing

The Marathon U.S. 250 Anthracite Stainless Steel Navigator with Date watch is now available on the brand’s site for an appropriate $1,776 apiece. However, only 250 units are produced, making this an extremely limited-edition offering.

Black Marathon automatic wristwatch with white numerals, luminous hands, and black leather strap.

Marathon U.S. 250 Anthracite Stainless Steel Navigator with Date

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Anthracite Sellita SW200-1 with Incabloc Shock Absorber
Water Resistance	100m

$1,776 at Marathon

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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