The next Marvin watch I review and present to you is this interesting Model M112 watch. The retro roots of the brand and design are very evident here, but the modern elements of this watch are unmistakable. This is one of the most interesting modern/retro hybrid watches I’ve ever seen – and I really like it. Like other Marvin watches, the timepiece is deceptively simply – a feat that is very difficult to achieve actually. You see, the most simple watches that you are familiar with probably greatly enjoy, actually can require the most amount of design time. It is very difficult from a design standpoint have minimalism equal functionalism, as well as have an element of traditional familiarity. Good for Marvin that they were able to borrow a bit from classic watches from bygone eras.
Like certain watches from the 1960’s the silver dialed watch is devoid of numbers. Instead, you are to navigate the dial with your eyes looking at applied polished steel hour markers with polished steel hands, against a silvered dial with a thin black bulls eye marker. While you might think that the silver on silver is hard to read, that is not the case. Don’t forget that the tip of the 8 o’clock hour maker is done in Marvin’s signature red. You also get the red on the bottom of the soft leather strap that is all but black when you wear it. I love products that have features that only the owner will usually get to enjoy. Sometimes it is the fabric inside of a jacket, here is it the material color on the inside of the strap. The buckle is well crafted and has a Marvin crown logo on it in relief. Once again, you also get the nice quick release straps that are useful if you like to switch straps often. For example, this watch would also look good with a brown strap.
Unlike most watches with this style that are actually from the past, this modern Marvin watch is a modern 44mm wide. A good size by today’s standards and really cool because you get this classic look in a much larger size. This is important because if you are a fan of vintage looks, you need to make sacrifices to enjoy that look when owning an actual vintage watch. Here, with the high quality steel case, sapphire crystal, and (more) modern mechanical movement, you can have the best of both worlds.
Like most Marvin watches, the sapphire crystal is raised a bit and faceted. It makes for an interesting look and gives the watch a more substantial feeling. The rear of the watch has a K1 mineral crystal exhibition caseback looking into the manually wound Swiss ETA 2801 movement. I would have liked to see a bit more decoration on the movement, but I need to be mindful of the price of the watch. Once fully wound, the movement should have 42 hours of power reserve. The watch case is water resistant to 50 meters.
Being manually would is part of the vintage style of the watch. I might like Marvin to offer an automatic version in the future as I like the look of the dial a lot, and I also like automatic watches. The dial is well put together, and the little elements are interesting. The hands and hour markers are nicely polished, with double markers sitting at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The seconds hand is in a needle style and right out of a vintage sports timepiece in style. The bulls eye in the center helps to ground the look, while the slight sunburst finish on the silvered dial really comes to life in the light. One area I would have liked to see a bit of an improvement on is the amount of lume on the dial. This is always tricky, because luminant is often inherently ugly. So watch makers are usually juggling between function and style. The hour hands do have a thin strip of lume in them, but you’ll need to be in sunlight for a bit for them to be well legible in the dark.
Marvin character abounds from the mentioned red color tones to the distinctive logo. You see it on the crown done in relief, and on the dial. There is also the famous Marvin founder’s logo engraved onto the side of the case which is a nice touch. I like how the case has different types of polishing on it (mirrored and brushed), it shows Marvin’s dedication to fine watch making and details. For the price of $950 (US dollar equivalent), it is not cheap, but a decent value for what you get.
