Marvin Ladies Cocktail Watch

Simple elegance with a transparent front and back

Description:

This quality Marvin watch features an elegant black and gold design with a transparent front and back, allowing you to view the tiny 15 jewel movement.

1946 Marvin Ladies' Watch Advertisement

The Marvin watch company is a small but well respected Swiss firm that dates back to 1850. They began manufacturing their own watches in 1891 under the name "Albert Didisheim et Freres". When they began exporting watches to the American market in 1893, it became clear that they needed a more marketing friendly name, so they took the name of their biggest customer and American distributor, a man named Marvin.

By 1912, Marvin had its own factory and was producing all of its movements and parts in house. They soon developed a reputation for quality and by the mid 20th century, Marvin had a workforce of about 300 people.

Che Guevara and His Marvin Watch

Marvin watches were worn by celebrities including Marilyn Monroe and Che Guevera (who also had a couple of Rolexes). Some people even think that a reason that Marvin is a relatively unknown brand in the United States is due to its association with Che Guevara.

1951 Marvin Watch Advertisement

By the 1970s, Marvin had produced over 7 million watches and was a well known brand in many parts of the world (outside of the United States). Unfortunately, the 1970s were not kind to Marvin and the company was bought out by the Swiss conglomerate, Manufactures d’Horlogerie Suisses Reunies.

In 2002 the Marvin brand was repurchased by Cecile and Jean-Daniel Maye and it lives on today, producing affordable luxury watches.

Condition:

Case: Good.
The case is in good condition with small scratches around the perimeter but nothing major.

Face / Hands: Very good.
The dial is in excellent condition with almost no signs of aging. The hands are also very good but show slight signs of age.

Crystal: Excellent.
The crystal is in excellent condition, both front and back with almost no scratches or marks whatsoever. The inside of the crystal contains a bit of dust, which shows up much more in the photographs than in real life.

Band / Bracelet: Very good.
The band is new and not the original, though it matches the style of the watch nicely. It is in fine condition.

Function / Accuracy: Excellent.
This watch winds smoothly, sets easily, and runs perfectly. It's accurate to about a minute per day.