For sale we have a charming example of an early 1960s Marvin Flying Dutchman Hermetic watch. It has a neatly packaged 33mm full Stainless-Steel case with thin tapered design. The Guilloche textured sunburst dial is the eye-catching aspect of the watch. It is also surrounded by the ‘thunderbird’ style bezel which is a stylish touch. It has a Steel screw back with Marvin logo, with the Marvin manual wind calibre 560 movement inside, keeping good time. It comes on a period Steel expanding bracelet which is a good pairing with the watch.
Marvin were a company that sought to use partnerships to advance their name, to great success. In 1955 Marvin partnered with KLM and produced the ‘Flying Dutchman’ in honour of the long-distance planes used by KLM. It was a sleek watch, embracing the jet set mid-century modern design of the era. The watch was designed for pilots, whilst there was also a clip version which was designed for stewardesses, as a functional and conversation piece.
The Flying Dutchman is a watch that can be viewed as a more accessible and still well-designed alternative to the Universal Geneve Polerouter.
The 33mm case is formed of Steel with polished finishing with the tapered lug design and bevelled edges. The bezel is a thick surround to the dial, adding depth to the case. It also adds texture with the ‘Thunderbird’ style bezel with a beautiful engine turned finish. In-between the lugs has a straight cut out, which is in line with the skin-diver style cases of the era. From the side profile the central line of the case is thin and sharp, with a downwards taper either end and a neat bevel. The rear screw back further aids the low profile of the watch, with a thin outer section and inner 12-sided notched back, signed with the Marvin name. To the right is a non-original crown, but it is very well matched to the dimensions of the original.
The Guilloche textured sunburst dial is one of the aspects that makes this model so attractive. The textured finish radiates outwards with broader lines for the hour sectors of the dial, in the absence of true hour markers. This is a clever piece of design which creates a sunburst finish, whilst also providing balance to the dial. The outer section has a silver satin finish with gold tone three-dimensional dot markers for the minutes/seconds. The Marvin crown logo is proudly applied, with the name below and italic font for Flying Dutchman. It is clearly marked Hermetic.
The luminous Dauphine handset was very much on trend during the period, and for good reason. It provides a beautiful indication of the time, with a sharp counterbalance end. The central second hand is thin with a gradual taper to the tip.
The crystal is original and there is a neat chapter ring surrounding the dial with reflects a warm light onto the dial.
Inside, the manual wind Marvin calibre 560 movement is in good condition and in keeping reliable time. It has a jewel count of 17 and is marked as having 3 adjustments. It has Incabloc shock protection and has a nice mix of finishing to the bridges and the wheels, with the Marvin name engraved to the barrel arbor.
This is a neat and high quality watch with excellent design, that would be suitable as a vintage daily wear.
Full condition report below. Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
Dial:
The dial is original and is in good condition. It is a silver satin tone with guilloche sunburst finish. All signing is clear and the applied Marvin logo is in good condition with minimal corrosion.
Hands:
The hands are original. They are in good condition with some slight signs of corrosion. They have the original black paint to the centre. The central second hand is also original.
Glass:
The acrylic crystal is original. It has some light marks.
Crown:
The crown is a steel replacement, unsigned. It is a good match to the original.
Case:
The case is Stainless Steel and is in good unpolished condition. It has light surface scratching associated with age. The engine turned bezel finish is good and visible. The lugs are good and sharp. There are some small nicks to the underside of the sides.
Caseback:
The screw on back is Stainless Steel and is in good original condition and has not been polished. It has light surface scratching with some marks from poor opening attempts around the flats. The Marvin logo is very good and clear with little wear.
Strap:
The watch comes on a good quality expanding steel bracelet, which is from the period. It will fit any wrist size. It is in good condition with light surface scratching.
Movement:
The movement is a Marvin 560. It has a jewel count of 15, with sweep second. It has a frequency of 18,000 BPH, with a 38-hour power reserve. It is also shock protected.
The service history is unknown, but the movement is in good condition and is keeping good time. It’s keeping time to -20 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 235 degrees and a beat error of 1.6m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 33mm
Case width with crown: 35.5mm
Case length: 32.75mm
Case length lug to lug: 41.5mm
Depth: 10.5mm
Lug width: 17.75mm