A Week on the Wrist with the Marloe Daytimer Tableau

Earlier this year, independent British watchmaker Marloe Watch Company announced its new Daytimer collection. The line that was two years in the making was described as a ‘sea-change’ in the brands’ approach to watch design, with Gordon Fraser, co-founder of Marloe explaining the brief behind the watch was to create something “that people will want to wear every day.”

Ahead of the launch, T3 got an exclusive first look of the Marloe Daytimer before anyone else. The latest time and date Daytimer watch was launched in four different editions: Madainn, Gealach, Tableau and Black Edition – and I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Marloe Daytimer Tableau, one of the boldest watches in the collection.

I’ve been trying out the Marloe Daytimer Tableau – with a little help from my fiancé – for a few weeks now, so how does it measure up? Let’s dive into the nitty gritty and find out.

Marloe Daytimer Tableau: the specs

As mentioned above, the Marloe Daytimer Tableau is one of four in the Daytimer collection, and has the boldest and most colourful design from the line. All versions of the Daytimer have similar features, in that they have a 41mm case, patterned dials, a seconds subdial and date window, and rounded skeletonised hour and minute hands.

The Marloe Daytimer Tableau is inspired by Piet Mondrian, a pioneer of abstract art from the early 20th century. The use of primary colours – red, yellow and white – within the watch’s design is a nod to Tableau I, Mondrian’s most recognisable piece and where the watch gets its name from.

The Marloe Daytimer Tableau is powered by the Sellita SW-216-1 manual movement which has a 28,800 bph and 42 hour power reserve. The movement can be seen through the clear caseback – my favourite part of the watch – and it’s surrounded by writing that says ‘Marloe Watch Company’, ‘Daytimer’ and ‘Time Well Spent’ – Marloe’s tagline.

The dial of the Marloe Daytimer Tableau is black and has a multi-layer design with dual textures. It’s water resistant to 10 ATM andis complete with a 20mm black leather strap with red stitched detailing. The use of colour and texture is fun to look at and gives the Marloe Daytimer Tableau a pop art-inspired look.

What is the Marloe Daytimer Tableau like to wear?

As the Marloe Daytimer Tableau measures 40mm, I found it a little too big for my wrists. Even with the strap on the tightest setting, it did move quite freely on my arm so I enlisted the help of my fiance to try it out for me, since his arms are bigger than mine! Despite this small technicality, I liked that the Marloe Daytimer Tableau had a strong yet casual design that suited both men and women, making it an ideal unisex watch for everyday wear.

In terms of performance, my fiance reported that he enjoyed the feel and weight of the watch on his wrist. While he felt the dial of the watch was bigger than he was used to, he remarked that the Marloe Daytimer Tableau felt lightweight and comfortable to wear, and the leather strap with its cut-out holes added even more texture and movement to the colourful watch.

As I said already, my favourite part of the Marloe Daytimer Tableau was its caseback. Being able to see the wheels, cogs, bolt and weights in action was extremely captivating. The crown on the right side of the Marloe Daytimer Tableau was easy to pull out and twist to adjust the time on the watch, which was something I had to do fairly often as it’s a manual movement watch – see our guide for the best watch winders to keep your timepiece ticking away.

Is the Marloe Daytimer Tableau worth the money?

In terms of price, the Marloe Daytimer Tableau ranges from £799 - £829 on the Marloe website , depending on the strap you choose. The ‘Black Red Rally Leather’ which is the version I tried is at the lower end of the price spectrum, whereas the Embossed Red Vegan Leather is at the higher end of £829.

As the Marloe Daytimer Tableau is being promoted as an everyday watch, and I think from the look and feel of it, it’s definitely something that you can comfortably wear every day. With this in mind, the Marloe Daytimer Tableau is worth the money and considering its high quality materials, you can wear it everyday for several years so you’re really getting your money’s worth.

Compared to other Marloe watches – like the Marloe Astro Eagle and the Marloe Day GMT which T3 has had the privilege of trying, the Marloe Daytimer Tableau is slightly more expensive. But whether or not this watch is worth the cash is down to what kind of watch you like to wear, and if you want something for everyday use, the Marloe Daytimer Tableau is a great option. Either way, fans of the Marloe Watch Company will definitely like it.