When I first encountered the Marloe
Cherwell, it was not a watch, it was just a concept rendering. It had a
slim case with angled sides, a double domed sapphire crystal, a
hand-wound movement, and -- wait. What? Hand-wound? Yes. In a world
overrun with crowdfunded quartz clones, this one was going old school. I
loved the idea but wondered if an uncommon movement would attract any
more than a handful of watch nerd enthusiasts.
I wonder no more. Last week, Marloe
http://www.marloewatchcompany.com launched the Cherwell on Kickstarter
with an ambitious $42,916 goal and blew it away in no time. As of today,
they have 559 backers and raised over $142,000 with 24 days yet to go.
Aspiring watchmakers take note: hand-wounds will sell, particularly when
they look as good as this one.
The Cherwell was designed to be
classically elegant and by God, they nailed it. The dial features
applied baton markers, applied numerals at 12 o'clock, a small seconds
at 6 o'clock, and Dauphine hands. It is a familiar set of elements that
all too often results in the bland, "elegant minimalist" face found on
any number of crowdfunded quartz watches. Not so on the Cherwell. Each
component has been considered and executed brilliantly, creating a
uniquely attractive face.
The dial has two distinct levels,
with a raised disk in the center, cutting straight across under the 12
and curving around the textured and sunken sub-dial at 6. The batons are
applied to the raised section, floating above the lower, outer dial.
the hands are skeletonized, adding yet another dimension. Finally, my
favorite part: the tiny, dial-colored, raised squares that form the
minutes index on the outer edge of the dial. The text is limited to the
essentials. "Marloe Great Britain" at the top, and "Hand Wound" in an
Art Deco type at the bottommost edge. All tolled, it is a marvelous
dial, brimming with details that catch your attention with a whisper,
not a shout. Even Mrs. Time Bum, jaded by the veritable parade of
watches that passes through my hands, had to stop and admire it.
There are four Cherwell variants. I
sampled the silver-white and black dials in polished cases. A gray dial
in a blasted case is also offered, and a blue and polished model was
just released as a stretch goal. Both the black and white dials are
lovely, but I must give the nod to the white because the black
dial obscures the shadow effects that make the Cherwell's dial so
appealing, and the polished hands tend to disappear if they don't catch
the light just so.
Of course, the case exhibits the
same clean and clever aesthetic as the face. It is over 43mm wide across
the bezel, tapering to the slightly smaller case back so the sides
angle inward. The crown has pinched, fluted sides and a concave face. It
is slightly larger than you might expect, but remember that you will be
winding this one, so proper grip and positive feel are important. I
found it to be quite attractive and easy to operate.
On the flip side, a display case
back shows off a SeaGull ST3621 mechanical movement, a pocket watch
sized unit that accounts for much of the Cherwell's girth. When fully
cranked, it will run for over 50 hours at 21.6 bph. I enjoy watching
mechanical movements at work, even the most prosaic and industrial, but
there is something mesmerizing about engraving and decoration like that
seen here. The surrounding ring bears the words of C.S. Lewis, "The
future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes
an hour" engraved in high relief. More common information about the
model and movement is etched on the inside of the glass. The case is
only rated for 30m water resistance, which is what you would expect of a
dress watch.
As the watch is very wide and almost
all dial, I feared it would look like a dinner plate on my 6.5" wrist,
but I was pleasantly surprised. The watch is only 48mm long and 14mm
thick, so it wears comfortably and slips neatly under a shirt cuff. The
angle of the case sides and curve of the crystal also help to slim its
appearance. Even though it is wider than my usual dress watch
preference, I would have no reservations about wearing the Cherwell with
a suit.
The strap is vegetable tanned saddle
leather, 22mm wide, and secured with a signed buckle. It is soft and
comfortable. Normally, I would prefer a tapered strap on a dress watch
but in this case, the straight cut balances the watch's broad
proportions.
The Cherwell has an expected sale
price of $359, but early backers will get the best deals. The lucky
folks who bought the initial batch for $185 each got an amazing deal,
but you can still get in on the pre-orders for $270 each. Having sampled
the Cherwell these past few days, I'd call it a good buy. There are
precious few hand wound watches in this price range, and none executed
quite like this one. For more information see the Kickstarter campaign.
Pro: Fabulous dial, hand wound movement.
Con: Maybe just a couple of millimeters too large.
Sum: Charming. The Time Bum approves.
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