StrapHabit readers: Contributor Furry Wrist Abroad has written another guest post for the StrapHabit blog. Please enjoy!
Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100 Introduction
We are within a window of history where many companies will be celebrating their 100th anniversary. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution and the closing of the First World War, companies such as Pilot Pens (1918), Mazda (1920), Fuji Electric (1923), Hasbro (1923), Simon & Schuster (1924), Adidas (1924), Mercedes-Benz (1926), and many more have reasons to celebrate still being in existence in some form or another after a century of hardship. As a result, it can be incredibly difficult for the general public to get excited about a product which celebrates a centenary anniversary – save for die-hard fans of the company in question. Enter the collaboration between Timex and The New Yorker, celebrating the magazine’s 100th year in publication, and one literary nerd who writes about watches – me being that nerd.
Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100 First Impressions
My initial impression was that this is one cute watch. The second thought that entered my mind when I first held this watch was that it felt like a new-old-stock vintage timepiece. Its delicate yet somehow sturdy build quality speaks to an earlier manufacturing era when people wore relatively inexpensive watches for decades before having their next of kin throw them into a bin as they haphazardly organized their estate. The 34mm dial also speaks of an era long passed, and its presence amplifies this by every other facet on display. If you want a vintage watch, do not want to spend much, and want one with a warranty, the entire manual wind Timex Marlin lineup is probably one of your best bets on the market currently.
Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100 Details
Timex mixes in several ingredients that assertively resonate with this vintage stance. The contoured lugs are the first things that stand out when first worn. They are more noticeable once they are worn, and they do the majority of the legwork in making the Marlin not overly simple and boring.
What makes this watch unique is its custom dial and caseback. The dial features the typical New Yorker font and the cityscape in Christoph Niemann's style. This dial evokes the same playful air as special edition Swatches. However, when housed in this dress watch’s stainless steel case, it looks like an older watch one would have possibly received with their subscription to the magazine.
Legibility does suffer in the form of exact time-telling, but after some time, your eye will adapt and will have no issue telling the exact time. The central cap covering the hands is an adorable sesame seed bagel, which will most likely be only noticed by the wearer. Everyone I showed this watch to skipped over this detail, and when it was pointed out, they thought it was a donut. The bagel was chosen to represent the most identifiable choice of food from New York, though I suppose a rat carrying a half-eaten slice of pizza would have been too elaborate. As an aside, if you are in Brooklyn, you owe it to yourself to go to Frankel’s and have as many of their bagels along with a cup of their drip coffee until you can no longer physically walk.
I would have liked a second edition with the same gloss black stick hands, with just the New Yorker font for the hours and the New Yorker logo. Fans of the magazine would instantly recognize the watch as a collaboration even without the magazine’s logo.
The caseback features a 100th-anniversary stamping, which includes the magazine’s monocled mascot, modelled after Corey Ford. While there, you will also see the production number of the watch out of the 1864 units made.
Wearing the Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100
Unless you have no sense of humour, it is incredibly difficult not to be charmed by this watch. It instantly disarms all those in your vicinity for they know that you are not someone who takes yourself too seriously. On four separate occasions, I even had other readers of the New Yorker compliment me on the watch in passing.
The watch's vintage and fun vibe may not be well-suited for severe occasions, such as a funeral, but in all other environments, it performed quite well. I chose this dress watch for multiple formal events over others with recognizable luxury brand logos on their dials. That’s where the strength of this collaboration resides. If you are a literary nerd, you will reach for this watch on occasions when you would reach for your Omega or Grand Seiko. It just feels that special.
Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100 Strap
The elevated sense of occasion that this collaboration brought resulted in me instantly putting the watch on more refined leather straps. These straps instantly gave the watch a more opulent appearance, which suited it better. The watch comes with a serviceable black leather strap and a striped grey nylon pass-through strap, along with a strap-changing tool, two spring bars, and instructions on changing the straps. Though the supplied leather strap is impressive for this price point, I have never put it on the watch.
There is one thing to be cautious of when selecting straps for this watch. The clearance between the drilled lug holes and the case will only fit thin straps best suited for dress watches. In excitement to wear this watch a lot more often than I anticipated, I ordered the 18mm Tropical Retro Style strap from StrapHabit. Unfortunately, the strap proved too thick for the Timex Marlin, but it is now getting a lot of wear on my Bulova Hack.
Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100 Movement
Though Timex only mentions that the movement is from China, multiple sources online hazard guesses that this is a unit made by Seagull. My example has been running at +4 seconds a day, which is unheard of, and I am waiting for the other shoe to drop when the movement breaks in. The movement is a delight to wind, and unlike what other reviews have said, it is easy to wind and set as well. If you have trouble with the operation of this crown, I strongly suggest making an appointment with your physiotherapist. The nearly flush crown offers plenty of purchase for your fingers to wind and set the watch. The hacking mechanism is also crisp and communicative, though noticeably softer than compared to a Miyota 9015.
Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100 Conclusion
If you can find an example of this watch for sale still, I highly recommend buying one, along with a subscription to the magazine. Due to social media, most people are familiar with the magazine for its witty and insightful cartoons, but that is not why readers like me have fallen in love with the magazine. The New Yorker is one of the best magazines in terms of its editorial choices and is known for the strength of its editors. Although Harold Wallace Ross receives considerable acclaim for the tone of The New Yorker, it was William Shawn and his choices during the Second World War that led to the award-winning journalism that has won the hearts of many. In the past year alone, writers such as Ayesha Khan and Michael Holts wrote about the atrocities happening in Gaza and Ukraine, which have both been testaments to why this publication is as strong as it has ever been. This is especially true in an era when magazines and newspapers are being sidelined by short-form videos made for the attention span of geriatric goldfish. It is for all the reasons stated above that, for me, the Timex Marlin X New Yorker is the best watch to have been released this year.
Timex Marlin X The New Yorker TWG066100 Specifications
Reference Number: TWG066100
Diameter: 34mm
Thickness: 10mm
Lug width: 18mm
Lug to lug: 41mm
Weight: 23 grams
Water Resistance: 30 metres
Case: Stainless Steel
Crystal: Acrylic
Movement: Undisclosed manual wind movement
Straps: Two-piece leather and fabric strap
Price: $249
Limited to 1864 pieces