It’s been a while since I got my hands on a watch from a “micro-brand.” By micro, I mean a watch company that is on a much smaller scale than those more commonly witnessed at Geneva’s big events. These watches are recognised amongst true horologists, and these dedicated followers help bring the microbrands into a bigger spotlight.
One of the said micro-brands is Marloe. I’ve been watching this name since I was introduced to them last year by a fellow watch enthusiast. I was immediately intrigued, predominantly because they are one of just a handful of watch manufacturers found on my British doorstep and also because, in just a few years, they have created an overwhelmingly large number of designs at fantastic price points.
Marloe Tay - Credit WatchGecko
I also applaud their confidence to create watches outside of the norm. We aren’t talking over-the-top and in-your-face different, but Marloe has rather effortlessly created an aesthetic for themselves that is diverse to any other watch brand out there. If you placed any of the Marloe watches in front of me with the logo removed, I’d be able to tell you exactly what it is. And that is not an easy thing to achieve in such a saturated market.
During the same month, I was introduced to Marloe, the British watchmaker that launched their inaugural Marloe Tay watch. These designs are described as being small yet robust 35mm automatic 3-handers, and for a brand that had yet to do a design with a case size smaller than 38mm, my small wrists and I were interested. It wasn’t until last month, however that I got to try the Marloe Tay on for myself, and here’s what I thought…
Marloe Tay - Credit WatchGecko
Almost immediately, my sights fell upon the case size. For a watch that is described as “tiny but mighty,” I’m not sure I would use the adjective “tiny” myself. Yes, the diameter of 35mm is nice and compact, decently sized for both men’s and women’s wrists, but it’s definitely not small enough to be called tiny – at least in my opinion. Cementing this opinion further is the height. The case is noted as 10.5mm tall, but it felt noticeably bigger on my wrist. I’m not sure if it’s the deep, two-stepped bezel, large crown, or deep lugs that make me feel this way, but the case height felt significantly out of proportion to the 35mm diameter.
The style of the case is nice, though. I can appreciate the chunkier bezel and the brightly polished finish of the stainless steel. I also really like the narrowness of the lugs; I just think they could do with being a little less deep. I also don’t mind the style of the crown, and it does ultimately ensure a water resistance of 100 metres on a women’s watch. The case also delivers sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating on both sides and a matching glass exhibition case back. Off the wrist, the case back provides some unusual, grooved detailing across the steel, outlining lettering to reinforce the Marloe Tay being designed in Great Britain.
One aspect of the Marloe Tay watch I really enjoy is the dial. I’m a huge fan of colorful watch dials, and there are some really nice display options available on this piece. Two of the more classic models are the Marloe Tay Sail and the Marloe Tay Marine. The former elects a creamy center with a black flange. The latter nominates a midnight blue dial with a blue-on-white chapter ring and subtle yellow detailing on the flange and second hand.
My personal favourite, however is the Marloe Tay Itten. It showcases a crisp white dial with a subtle embossing of a pie chart image at the center and a combination of bright primary colors across the hour markers, hands, and flange. According to Marloe, the Tay Itten is inspired by the color wheel, a tool used to explore color theory. Now I’m not someone who knows much about color theory, but I do think the use of colors here is really beautiful and an unusual sight on watches of this price. You’ll spot red on the hour markers and hour hand, blue on the minutes track and minutes hand, and yellow on the 12-hour flange and seconds hand.
Marloe Tay - Credit WatchGecko
Another huge draw of the Marloe Tay watch is the price. It’s not easy finding an automatic winding women’s watch under £500, but the British watchmaker has done that with plenty of room to spare. It is powered by the Japanese-engineered Miyota automatic mechanical movement, which runs at a frequency of 28,800vph and delivers a power reserve of 40 hours. We’re also told it has 24 jewels and an accuracy of -10/+30 seconds a day.
Truthfully, the Marloe Tay has a lot going for it. It’s incredibly priced for an automatic watch and features a really beautiful dial. The only thing stopping me from purchasing one myself is the case height. It just doesn’t feel aligned to the 35mm width, and for that, I know I would rarely strap it on for a typical day of work or adventure.
Marloe Tay - Credit WatchGecko
- 35mm diameter x 10.5mm depth
- 18mm strap width
- Bespoke case design
- Sapphire crystal with dual side anti-reflective coating
- Multi-layer dial with luminous markings
- Aero cross-section hands with luminous fill
- Hairline seconds hands w/counter-weight
- 48g
- 10 ATM
- 2 year warranty
- Price £369
MOVEMENT SPECIFICATION
- Miyota 9039 automatic mechanical movement
- 28,800 bph
- 24 jewels
- Handwinding override capability
- 40+ hour power reserve
- Accuracy of -10 ~ + 30 sec/day
- Japanese Made
- Hacking function
- Parashock anti-shock
What our readers think is of primary important to us at the WatchGecko Magazine. We work hard every day to produce quality and varied features, however it be really useful to know what you, our readers, actually think. To this end we have generated a very short survey which should only take five minutes to complete. We would be very grateful if you could take time to answer the questions as the results will be of huge interest to us and influence content for the rest of the year.
Thank you for your help.
