Marvin is one of the most interesting brands out there that common people can afford. This is in large part due to the brand’s leadership – a spunky and creative woman named Cecile Maye. Her view of design is highly emotional which lends to theme and philosophy being one of the main driving forces behind the design. Plus talent, of course. On Marvin’s current list of designer credits are the famed Jean-Francois Ruchonnet and Sebastian Perret, both of whom worked on the newer Marvin Malton 160 collection.
I first wrote about the Marvin Malton 160 collection of watches here. After that I went on to discuss the Malton 160 Cushion collection which includes this Marvin Malton 160 Cushion Khaki timepiece which is an automatic three-hander in green. Rather than take a military approach to advertising the khaki green colored watch, Marvin opted for a more fairy tale theme by suggesting that the watch was akin to a frog prince. Interesting, right?
A watch in the $1,000 range (give or take), this timepiece has a lot of style and character. The steel case is 42mm wide with both brushed and polished surfaces and is very comfortable on the wrist. It is actually thinner than you’d think by seeing images of the watch. I would say that for the cushion shape the watch is a really good size, especially with the short lugs helping it feel proper on most wrists. The underside of the case has a sapphire crystal exhibition window for seeing the automatic movement with the Marvin rotor.
The dial is quite fashionable with its metallic green hue and textured face. There are applied, polished hour markers that are a mix of Arabic numerals and baton markers. Note the small red mark for 8 o’clock which is a signature element in all Marvin watches. On the side of the case is a historic Marvin logo engraving. The angled, geometric crown is a nice touch with the Marvin crown logo in relief.
A white minute ring around the dial gives the watch a more purposeful sport look while the hands are totally retro inspired. However, the hands tend to blend into the face in some lighting situations. But, overall, the dial is a handsome and fashionable “green” look. In this instance, I don’t even mind the “open” date window.
Inside the watch is a Swiss Sellita SW200 automatic movement which is basically the same as an ETA 2824. Marvin always tends to do straps rather well and the one on this Malton 160 Cushion is no different. It is a perforated leather, in green, with a red lining. When is a watch like this a good idea aside from St. Patrick’s day? And when you want to be a frog prince? Green has been working its way back “in” and I think that you could pull this watch off in a number of casual occasions.
This timepiece is a bit of a hybrid as Marvin has taken the classic look it constructed with the Malton 160 Cushion and added a high style fashionable look with the green tones. You could even think of it as a military inspired watch once in a while. Overall, a timepiece with a lot of character that you’ll want to revisit on your wrist from time to time. Priced at $1,260, you can buy them online directly from Marvin right here.
