One giant leap for Marloe Watch Company: Introducing the Marloe Astro, its first square-shaped stellar-inspired timepiece
Introducing the Marloe Astro
Launching on the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, independent British watch brand, Marloe Watch Company, has unveiled its first square-faced watch, the Astro. The brand crafts unique timepieces with no stock parts or components used, meaning every single part, with exception of the movement, is designed by Marloe. Bespoke design and the creation of something never seen before is what Marloe shares with NASA’s space geniuses. This, coupled with designer, Gordon Fraser’s lifelong passion for the Space Race, has culminated in the brand’s stellar-inspired Astro timepiece.
The Astro is a result of many months of research, writing, discussion and design, presented in a stainless steel and sapphire crystal case that is neither a square nor circle, but a squircle. Featuring a subtle curved quirk in every side of the Astro’s “squared” face, a truly unique timepiece has been produced. The squircle replicates the broadcast medium through which the public witnessed the moon landing, on televisions that showcased grainy black and white images which always had a slightly faded quality. Marloe embraces the juxtaposition of watching such an iconic, futuristic moment in space history take place on what we now consider to be outdated and vintage technology, and the unique shape of the watch is a nod to the cathode-ray wooden boxed televisions.
Underneath the watch’s sapphire crystal, complete with a dual side anti-reflective coating, lies multi-layered dials and textured faces. Subtle details are dusted across the range; a hexagonal finish on the “future” models, inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey iconic tunnel scene, or the crosshairs on the underside of the crystal, designed to emulate the reticules that appeared in all photography taken on the Moon – a measurement reference calibrated to the unique Hasselblad cameras. Chamfered main hands and hairline running second hands (with orbital counter-weight) ensure wearers savour every moment without distracting from the Astro’s distinctive design.
The Astro is available in four designs; the Valentina, Eagle, Hadfield and Futura. Offering a host of strap and face combinations, wearers can create a bespoke watch as unique as the Astro’s design. Textures can be combined, with diamond jacquard exterior or matte smooth finishes available, adorned with Marloe’s signature ‘M’ logo in everything from cosmic orange to monochromes. Wearers can mix and match different straps, with rubber and Velcro options available to emulate the materials often chosen for space travel.
The Valentina has been named after the first woman to travel into space back in 1963. The off-white dial and radially textured outer deliver a more subdued feel, whilst the brass accents suggest the aesthetics of the red-side of the cold war.
The Eagle, named after the spacecraft that served as the lunar lander of Apollo 11 that inspired “the Eagle has landed” phrase has truly landed in style. Its jet black face and radially textured outer, is as dark as the universe it draws inspiration from, whilst its cosmic orange chapter ring dramatically contrasts.
The Hadfield has been appropriately named after Colonel Chris Hadfield who rocketed up to the International Space Station in 2012, doing incredible work for the popularity of orbital science, and covering David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ on his floating guitar. Reflecting the more modern space mission, the Hadfield delivers a contemporary feel in a deep navy colourway with orange accents, accompanied with stainless-steel hardware.
Finally, the Futura, inspired by the future of innovation in space flight, delivers an opposing subtle white face and polished-steel hands, creating delicate shadows against its pale finish. With the futuristic notion that we may one day leave the planet, this style looks to the recent adventures embarked upon by SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. The Futura uses roman numerals on the chapter ring, with the number eleven appearing in orange to celebrate the Apollo 11 landing.
The Astro houses a Miyota 9039 automatic mechanical movement, powered by your every move, with each flick of the wrist or step injecting power into the timepiece. Whilst wearing the watch daily will keep it ticking, with a fully charged Astro powered for over 40 hours, it can also be wound manually and features a hacking seconds hand. Travelling light, the Astro measures slightly thinner than Marloe’s usual 40mm designs with the watch being 38mm x 38mm x 10mm in depth.
Buy a Marloe Astro Watch
Marloe’s new Astro watch will be available to with the Futura and Hadfield available from launch date, July 20th. The Valentina and Eagle styles will be available to pre-order with shipping from mid-August.
