In Review: The Mechanical Timex Marlin

Timex 34mm “Vintage” Marlin Mechanical – $199

Note: This watch has gone on sale/been up for codes in the past few weeks, both direct at Timex and via Todd Snyder. It’s sold out in both shops right now, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for a restock.

Some people believe that men who wear oversized watches are overcompensating for a lack of size in… other areas.

So, if the inverse is true, and the deepness of your dingle’s dangle is therefor also related to how small your wrist watch is, then wearing one of these must mean you’re hung like the jolly green giant.

Ho ho ho indeed.

Just 34mm in diameter with an 18mm wide band. Shown on a 7.75″ wrist.

This thing is tiny. Shockingly so. It’s the kind of watch Don Draper would have worn, if Don Draper was 5’4.” And if you are 5’4″? Or you just prefer more classically sized wristwatches? Then the debut of this 34mm mechanical ticker might have just shot to the top of your Christmas list.

Water resistance is just 30m. So, don’t get it wet.

It’s retro through and through. The Crystal has a tall dome to it, the dial is a mercury shaded silvery sunburst, and the font to the numerals isn’t something we’ve seen in a good long while. Lug/strap width is just 18mm, and the micro lizard-style embossing to the nice and flexible strap pulls it all together perfectly.

Case is 10mm high, thanks to the retro-domed acrylic crystal.

In terms of the movement, it’s from China (as is the rest of the watch), and it is NOT an automatic. It’s a true mechanical. Meaning, you’ve got to hand wind it. Water resistance is also a throwback… just 30m. So, try to keep it out of the rain.

Trouser snake jokes aside, it’s just gonna be flat out too small for some guys (myself included, at 5’10″/195). But for those on the less large side, or for those who don’t like much weight or mass hanging on their wrist, or… even for the ladies out there (it’s honestly a unisex watch) who want to take a dive into the mechanical watch game, it’s a welcome addition to the already impressive, and growing stable of Timex designs.

Again, it’s not big. A 44mm chronograph dwarfs it.

But good luck finding one. It looks like they’re sold out both direct through Timex, as well as over at Todd Snyder. Which, considering the shopping season, that’s a bit of a boner on their part. We’ll keep an eye out, and try not to cock-up letting you know when they’re back in stock. That way, searching for one of these things won’t be too hard on your mind.