It’s smart to wear a rubber. Especially around your wrist when said rubber is the strap of a Marvin M108. The M108 is a special collection called ORIGIN which (as its name implies) pays tribute to earlier classic styles of Marvins in very subtle ways. For a short video highlighting these beauties, tune in to the Marvin Channel on Youtube and for higher resolution pictures, check out our Flickr M108 set.

Now, blending the new with the traditional is a Marvin design trademark. And the M108 is no exception. Here are six salient points I truly enjoy about this piece:

First, it’s the only Marvin mechanical lineup with a rubber bracelet. The watch is freed with a quick-release spring-action metal clasp. I like rubber. It’s resilient and I don’t have any “stain” qualms cooking with it. When you order the watch, you give your wrist size, and the bracelet is cut to order. It’s a very comfortable, fitting feel, and as easy to put on as it is to remove.

Second, the M108 dials come in three of my favorite Luminova colors, namely black, blue and orange. These are not your run-of-the-mill colors either. The black is really black – as in charcoal black – a total fashion statement in my book. Definitely a “Bond” watch in my book. As in, “oh you can’t read the time from there? Well why not come a little bit closer my dear”

The blue version has this intense Caribbean coral hue that’s hard to describe yet captivating. And the orange is pronounced and rich enough to be noticeable yet not mistaken for a road emergency sign. On black background dials, these three colors are simply mesmerizing. Be forewarned, you will get looks. A lot of them.

Third, all the M108s have open window case backs so you can see their Sellita SW200 movements at work behind the scenes. Nothing new there, but it does give the watch more of an intimate feel in my opinion (as in, I can see inside your heart, honey).

Fourth, the digits font is original (no pun). The font size scheme harks back to earlier classic Marvin models, hence the ORIGIN name of this special edition series.

Fifth, the date complication is implemented as an arc segment multiday window spanning +/- two days from the actual date for a nice crisp “big picture” effect. With black on white or white on black digits, it sticks out nicely.

And sixth, did I mention pricing? Typical of Marvin, the M108 series is all about affordable luxury with prices ranging from $794 to $887 (based on today’s Swiss Franc exchange rate). At that price, that’s one heck of an affordable fashion statement. And a rubber well worth wearing!