Here we have an exceptional example of an early 1930s Marvin 18ct white gold jump hour watch. It is in excellent original condition with a sharp case, presented on its original stitched on leather strap. The case is of the facetted design with the brushed finish to the top and polished bevels to the sides. To the right is the thin, fine coin edge crown. The front of the case has the aperture for the hour disc and minutes disc. The case back is signed with the Marvin name and has the clear serial number. Inside is the Swiss hallmarking for 18ct white gold. The movement is the manual wind Peseux 90 which is marked with the Marvin name. It has been recently serviced and is keeping accurate time.

We have had many different jump hour watches over the years, and I can confidently say this is the best we have offered. The condition is exceptional, with an incredibly clean case which interacts with the light, showing the design in the way it would have appeared in 1930. The discs are bright white and legible. Legibility is often an issue with the aged paint on jump hour discs. To top it off, the watch comes on its original tan leather strap which is stitched on. This is clearly a watch that has been well looked after in life, seeing wear on just special occasions.

The case is petite, sized for a lady. However, with the growing popularity of smaller ingenious watches being worn on any wrist, such as the Duoplan, we wouldn’t be too quick to pigeonhole this. I have spent time with it on my wrist which measures 17.78cm and it doesn’t look out of place. It is modelled on my wrist to give a sense of the proportion on a gents wrist. It measures just over 11mm wide with the case length of 26.35mm It has a slim depth of just under 6mm.

You can see with the case, this really was the top-of-the-line jump hour. The top of the case is utilised as a canvas to interact with the light. The centre of the case has the fine brushed finishing. Either side has the polished bevel which catches the light. The top and bottom of the case are angled downwards to further enhance the reactivity of the case. The apertures for the hours and minutes have the bevelled windows with the polished finishes. The minute window is beautifully curved with the pointer arrow to the centre to highlight the time.

The discs are very clean and legible with the bright white tone providing the contrast for the black Arabic numerals.

The bevel to the edge of the front flows into the sides with a second bevel before the sides have the flat drop. To the right-hand side of the case of the case is the thin crown with the fine coin edge surround and polished base. It is original and it shows as it complements the case so well. To the bottom of the right hand side is the case makers mark which is super crisp and legible.

The case back is subtly curved to fit the wrist. The top, sides and bottom are bevelled, providing a pleasing symmetry, matching the front of the case. At the top it is signed with the ‘Marvin’ brand name with the clear serial number to the base.

When opened you can see the yellow gold oval surround to the apertures which holds the acrylic lens. There is a further serial number stamped within. The movement sits snuggly in the case and you are first presented with the hour and minute discs to the front. This is a novel experience you never get over with a jump hour. It provides such a change to the usual dial and hands.

The inside of the case is marked with the Swiss hallmarking for 18ct gold with the head of Helvetia and ‘18k 0.750’ stamp. It also has the poincon de maitre hammer head no.205 for the case maker Georges Méroz of La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Once removed from the case you see the beauty of the rear of the movement which has the underslung ratchet wheel, perlage finishing and polished bevelled edges to the bridges. It is a Pesuex 90 calibre which is marked with the Marvin name. It has 15 jewels and is manually wound. It is an ingenious little movement which is found in the best jump hours of the period. It has been recently serviced and is keeping accurate time.

The watch is modelled on a 7” wrist circumference
Full condition report below. Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.

Dial:
The two discs are original and are in very good condition with the bright white base and contrasting black Arabic numerals without wear.

Glass:
The acrylic lens is a new replacement which is clear.

Crown:
The crown is original and is in good condition with only light scratching to the polished face.

Case:
The case is formed of 18ct white gold and is in very good original condition. It has a couple of light marks to the brushed finish on the front. The case makers mark to the exterior is clear and defined.

Caseback:
The case back is in very good original condition. It has the crisp signing, seals tightly and has a strong hinge.

Strap:
The watch comes on its original tan leather strap which will fit up to a 17.8cm wrist circumference. It is in good condition for the age and has had leather honey applied, to ensure it remains soft and has more life in it.

Movement:
The movement is a Peseux calibre 90. It is a 15 jewel manual wind jump hour movement.
The movement has been recently serviced and is in good condition, keeping accurate time to a 60 seconds variation a day, with an amplitude of 260 degrees and a beat error of 1.0m/s.

Case dimensions
Case width: 11.2mm
Case width with crown: 12mm
Case length: 26.35mm
Case length lug to lug: 29.35mm
Case depth: 5.8mm
Lug width: 10mm