Timex Brings a Cushion Case and Breguet Numerals to the Marlin for Under $300

A cushion case with Breguet numerals is a look you usually pay Cartier or Patek Philippe money for. Well, of course not, there are plenty of mid-range priced watches with that look. But you know what I mean. The cushion case and Breguet numerals is an incredibly classy proposition. So it's really nice to see Timex make the Marlin Chatham Automatic, which gives you the same look, but under $300. The Marlin started in 2017 as a single hand-wound 34mm watch and has since grown into Timex’s main mechanical line, with automatics, a shaped Sub-Dial and the 1960s-inspired Jet. The Chatham is the most formal Marlin yet.

The steel case is 36mm wide and 12mm thick, with a lug-to-lug of 44.5mm. Every surface is polished, and the watch is available in a silver or gold PVD case. The width is right for a dress watch, but the height could be argued to be a bit shorted. The crystal is mineral glass rather than sapphire, which is expected at this price, but an acrylic would have been perhaps a better look. Water resistance is 50 meters.

The steel model has a silver-white dial and the gold model has a black one with gold-tone numerals and hands. Both dials are plain and clean. The applied Breguet numerals just make every dial look so much better. The hands are polished and unlumed.

Inside is the Miyota calibre 8215, an automatic that beats at 3Hz, has 42 hours of power reserve and hacks. You can see it through a display caseback, where Timex has added brushed bridges and its own rotor. The strap is brown or black leather from a Leather Working Group-certified source, with a steel pin buckle and quick-release spring bars.

The Timex Marlin Chatham Automatic is priced at €279 in steel, reference TW2Y84300, and €289 in gold PVD, reference TW2Y84500. See more on the Timex website.