Sometimes, the things we cherish the most are the ones that make the least sense. Watch nerds should know this better than anyone. We insist on wearing what one young person half-jokingly described to me as a “single-purpose device.” We get moony over automatic movements when we know that quartz and (gasp!) computerized digitals are both cheaper and more accurate. And yet, we carry on undeterred, deliberately choosing emotion over efficiency. The Marloe Watch Company embraces this quirk in our characters and takes it one step further, offering a line exclusively consisting of hand-wound watches. They recently let me sample their latest, the Haskell.
I have liked Marloe from the get-go, purchasing both a Cherwell and a Lomond Chronograph for my collection. The Haskell is billed as an adventurer’s watch. It is named for Antarctica’s Haskell Straight, and a lovely engraving of the continent with its geographic coordinates graces the case back. Yet this is not a rugged tool for extreme duty, but rather a versatile, all-purpose traveler’s watch. Measuring 40mm across and 9.4mm thick, it is an easier fit than either the Cherwell or the Lomond, and its well balanced, high contrast dial is far more practical than the fine lines of the fussier Derwent. An anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal and 100m water resistance will offer more than adequate protection for most owners’ adventures.
In many ways, this is Marloe’s most conventional offering. They have eschewed their trademark tapered case for a more traditional, but still handsome, polished cylinder with soft edges and just the slightest bow to the sides. The rounded-end lugs appear straight when viewed head-on, and are gently angled downwards. The result is clean, purposeful, and dressed up just enough to wear with a suit. Marloe’s familiar wedge-shaped crown is also gone, although the diagonal fluting and engraved head remain.
I had no complaints fitting the Haskell on my 6.5” wrist as 40mm is kind of my ideal. The watch tucked under my buttoned cuff and accompanied me on several trips to the office.
The dial is where the Marloe design team really excelled. I know it’s a common refrain to say that pictures don’t do something justice, but in this case, they really don’t. They offer it in sunray green or blue, a lightly textured white, or the rough sand featured here. What appears on the computer screen to be a pleasant layout of black Arabic numerals, baton hands, and block markers, is really a far more detailed delight. The primary surface is sand, but in color and texture, a gritty look that contrasts nicely with the brushed, concave chapter ring surrounding it. The markers and numerals are both applied and finished in a glossy black, popping off of the matte surface below them. Each marker is recessed topped with white lume and recessed into the rehaut. At 6 o’clock, the marker forms a loop framing the date window.
The hands are not simple sticks but are tapered with rounded tips. Those of us who like to have things “just so” will appreciate that the Haskell’s hands share the same pointed counterweights, which makes them align perfectly every hour. There is much to enjoy here, my favorite being the way “Swiss Made” is discreetly incorporated into the dotted ring towards the inside of the dial. Blink and you might miss it. It is that level of planning that makes this watch come to life.
My only complaint is the lume. While it is nice to have BWG9 on the markers the treated areas at the tips of the hands are so small they look like pinpricks at night.
Inside is, you guessed it, a hand winding movement. The ETA 2804-2 has hacking seconds and a smooth 28.8k bph beat rate. It is accurate within +12/-8 seconds per day. Unlike some Chinese made hand-crankers, it is also very quiet, although I confess I will occasionally hold the watch to my ear just to hear its frenetic ticking.
There are four strap options for the Haskell, all fashioned from high-quality Barenia leather, which is smooth, supple, and displays only a slight pull-up effect when bent. They are lightly padded, neatly tailored, and taper from 20mm to an 18mm signed, polished buckle. The review sample’s was camel tan, a fine complement to the dial’s gold tones. It’s a shame they don’t offer it as an accessory on their site as I liked it far more than the straps that came on either the Cherwell or Lomond.
Finally, I must mention the box. Regular readers know I don’t generally care in slightest how my watch is packaged so long as it arrives safely, but the folks at Marloe have a real passion for packaging. The watch arrives in a glossy presentation box, lined in gray cloth, and adorned with an embossed leather tag. The brand name on top is recessed and painted, not merely printed. You also get a remarkably well produced full-color owner’s manual. The whole kit makes you say “wow” when you first open it up. Well done.
The Haskell sells for $864 direct from MarloeWatchCompany.com. That’s not exactly cheap, but given the quality and level of detail in this watch, I’d say it is certainly money well spent. ⬩
