Side by side

Marathon GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field WatchvsPhoibos Wave Master

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
Wave Master
PhoibosWave Master
MSRP $309

At a glance

13 of 29 specs differ
Diameter
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch34mm
Wave Master42mm
Power Reserve
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch40h
Wave Master40h
Water Resistance
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch30m
Wave Master300m
MSRP
GPQ (General Purpose Quartz) Field Watch$420
Wave Master$309

Full specifications

Case

7 specs
Category
Field
Diver
Diameter
34mm
42mm
Thickness
11.5mm
14mm
Lug-to-Lug
41mm
48.5mm
Lug Width
16mm
22mm
Material
Fibreshell Composite
Stainless Steel
Water Resistance
30m
300m

Crystal & Dial

3 specs
Crystal
Acrylic
Sapphire
AR Coating
Inner
Yes
Lume
None
Super-LumiNova

Movement

2 specs
Caliber
Swiss High-Torque Quartz (3J, EOL)
SII NH35A
Type
Quartz
Automatic

Pricing

1 specs
MSRP
$420
$309

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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.

Phoibos Wave Master

Owners widely praise the Phoibos Wave Master for its attractive wavy dial, bright lume, and comfortable engineer bracelet, with many considering it one of the best-looking watches under $300. The watch features a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel, and owners report good quality for the price, with a subtle wave pattern on the dial appreciated for its unique style. While some minor finishing flaws like slightly crooked hour markers or an off-center outer ring have been noted, these are generally considered not visible during wear. One owner experienced a clasp breakage after four years, but Phoibos replaced it free of charge. Some owners wish the watch were larger than 40mm, and one notes the GMT hand and other details may not hold up under extreme close-ups. Overall, owners rate the Phoibos Wave Master highly for its distinctive dial and value, especially considering its build quality and features.

From video reviewers

The unidirectional ceramic bezel action is praised. The lume brightness is noted as a weakness. Reviewers disagree on the water resistance rating, with some stating 300M and others 200M.

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