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Timex Marlin Moon Phase 40mm Mens Watch Blue
Ref. TW2W51300
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Stepping up in Timex's range
The Marlin name goes back to Timex's mid-century dress watches — the slim, unpretentious pieces that sat on American wrists through the 1960s. This moon phase variant extends that lineage into something with a little more mechanical theatre: a sub-dial that tracks the lunar cycle alongside the calendar, on a navy sunburst dial with hand-applied baton indices. The aesthetic is deliberately period, and it holds together. At 40mm across and 12mm deep, the proportions sit closer to a dress watch than most pieces carrying this many functions. The 48mm lug-to-lug is the number to weigh against your wrist — it stretches longer than the diameter suggests, which is worth knowing. The Miyota 6P00 running underneath is a Japanese quartz calibre that handles the complication without drama; it keeps time accurately and asks very little in return. The acrylic crystal is the one detail that divides opinion on watches like this. It scratches more readily than sapphire, but it also polishes out, and on a dial this colour it lends a softness to the reflection that suits the vintage register the whole design is reaching for.
- Reference
- TW2W51300
- Brand
- Timex
- Collection
- Marlin
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 12mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- 6P00
- Functions
- Moonphase
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 48mm
Learn more about Timex
The Waterbury Clock Company was founded in Connecticut in 1854, part of the brass industry that made the region the centre of American clockmaking. Its descendants became Timex, and the company's history is one of making timekeeping cheap enough that everyone could have it.
The first breakthrough was the Yankee, a pocket watch sold from 1896 for one dollar — roughly a day's wage — which sold in the tens of millions and was marketed as the watch that made the dollar famous. Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt both carried one.
The company supplied enormous quantities of military timing equipment during both world wars, and its wartime work with Ingersoll and on fuse mechanisms shaped its post-war manufacturing.
The modern brand was defined by advertising. From 1956 Timex ran televised torture tests — watches strapped to outboard motors, dropped from cliffs, fired from crossbows — under the slogan it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. The watches used hardened Armalloy bearings instead of jewels, which made them cheap and, crucially, genuinely durable.
Indiglo, the electroluminescent dial lighting introduced in 1992, became the company's best-known technology after a Timex wearer used one to guide people down a stairwell during the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Timex remains privately held and produces the Weekender, Expedition, and archival Marlin lines.
- 1854
- The Waterbury Clock Company is founded in Connecticut.
- 1896
- The one-dollar Yankee pocket watch goes on sale.
- 1956
- The torture test advertising campaign begins.
- 1992
- Indiglo electroluminescent lighting is introduced.
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,762), Back in Stock (820) and Blue Dial Watches (743).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- Acrylic crystal marks easily, though it polishes out
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | TW2W51300 | BU10013 | AX1475 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £175 | £179 | £179 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Will the glass scratch?
Yes, but it polishes out. Acrylic marks easily and a scratch can be buffed away at home, which is why vintage-style watches still use it.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 48mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £175. There is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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