If we could take a snapshot of micro and independent horology from a decade ago and another one from today, and put the two side-by-side, we would notice that things have changed a lot. Back then, brands we categorized as being “micro” and “independent” or “micro independent” for the most part dealt with homages or models which were heavily inspired by, or tried to scratch the itch for, iconic models from Swiss and Japanese giants. As mentioned in a recent review about the Jack Mason, many brand owners created their own shop because they themselves couldn’t afford the real deal. That’s how things were when the most recent wave of micro and independent brands was born. (These types of brands have existed before, most have vanished, a few have remained which we now simply call “independent.”) Today micro and independent brands must do something radically different in order to stand out and get a chance for survival which is why we see more innovations and outside-of-the-box thinking. 

In the midst of all of this, a few brands started a decade ago with an identity of their own which they have fine-tuned like a master cellist has finetuned the art of playing the cello over many years. Brands which have the rare talent of finding inspiration in a particular era of human history or horological design, and from which they come up with singular designs. No reiterations or reinterpretations of watches which have existed before, but genuinely new designs which do make us think of the source of inspiration as if the watch could have been created then but with modern tech. British brand Marloe is such an entity we first discovered two and a half years ago with their GMT Day—a generously spec’ed out everyday/sports watch with a flyer-style GMT caliber and a singular pedigree. I’ve kept an eye on the brand’s releases and with each new one, Marloe has continued to polish its design acumen through the Aerodyne collection I first saw at WindUp New York City in October. 

Inspired by 1930s American aviation, the Aerodyne comes in three variants and we’re studying the Heart one today.

Specifications 

Pilot watches came to be at the onset of the 20th century when a rich man with plenty of time on his hands and a taste for suicidal adventures decided he needed something easier to read than a pocket watch in flight. This is allegedly the origin story of the first dedicated pilot watch, the Cartier de Santos in 1904, which was then followed by a Longines and then a Breitling and then an Oris and so on and on. The first pilot watches didn’t look like tool watches per se in the contemporary sense of the word—ultra legible, matte cases, and with luminous markers and hands—but they were used as such: to make it possible for the wearer to keep track of the precise time whilst doing something more adrenaline-inducing than working in an office or driving a cart. But with the first and second world wars, and the advent of modern warfare strategies and machinery and equipment, pilots needed rugged wristworn timekeeping devices on their missions and slowly but surely pilot watches became de facto tool watches. 

Thus we can now take a first look at the specifications Marloe endowed the Aerodyne with—those of a proper tool watch: a fully sandblasted case measuring 38mm in diameter, 43.8mm lug-to-lug, 9.8mm thick, and coming with a 20mm lug width. The case is paired with a push/pull crown and screw-down case-back for a healthy 100 meters of water resistance, a flat sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating and a date magnifier. By its dimension and finish, the case is that of an averagely-sized modern tool watch which will work well with a great variety of wrists of utilitarian horology enthusiasts like mine (6.50”/16.5cm.) Technology is such nowadays that we can get an effective 100 meter depth rating without a screw-down crown which many folks still believe isn’t possible. But here we are. The crown has a neat profile as it is tall, narrow, and equipped with precise knurling for easy operation and for being semi-recessed within the right flank of the case a la Benrus Type 2 MIL-SPEC—a nice coincidence. 

As modern tool watches often do, the Marloe Aerodyne comes with generous applications of blue-glowing lume on the hands, numerical hour markers, and rectangles nestled within the minute track so that you can easily read the time when you wake up early in the morning in the dead of winter or are catching the red eye from London to New York City. The nighttime legibility is excellent with this watch so is the daytime one as we will see a bit later on. In terms of movement, the Aerodyne comes with a Japanese made Miyota 9015 caliber which beats at 4Hz and comes with 41 hours of power reserve. Even if the 9015 has a stated accuracy of -10/+30 seconds per day, it typically clocks in the single-digit daily deviation in my humble not-so-humble experience. Lastly, this model is shipped on a good leather strap complemented by a sandblasted buckle, two keepers (one stationary, the other nomadic). The Marloe Aerodyne will set you back €440/roughly $515 USD which is little to pay for how much you get. 

Design

If I were to be a value nerd and specifications nut, regardless of its design (which I like very much otherwise I wouldn’t be writing about it,) the Marloe Aerodyne makes for a compelling offer. What I haven’t told you about it yet, and which adds to this watch’s value, is the fact that the brand assembles and tests the watches in-house which typically translates to a 50% price hike for a British brand. In my humble but not-so-humble experience of having reviewed more than 460 watches in the past five years, is that brands which are located across the pond from me generally sell their watches for more than they should. Not only from a spec-to-dollar ratio but also from a finish-to-dollar one as they tend to not wow me in terms of manufacturing and finishing. But even though I might come across as your typical Frenchy person who has a thing against the Brits—which I do not have—I’m saying all of this to simply tell you that this Marloe is a steal, not only as a well finished spec monster but also as a design object. 

Whenever most of us think about pilot watches we either have a World War II Flieger or IWC Mark XX in mind, even though we can find more originality for this type of horology in the micro and independent market. As we saw with the GMT Day, Marloe can do design very well and injects its creations with a singular character, which is no less the case with the Aerodyne. On the one hand, this model speaks the pilot watch language but uses a different vocabulary, whilst on the other hand it functions like a modern field watch. And on yet another hand, the Aerodyne makes me think of a modern Marathon Navigator or Benrus Type 2 on account of the asymmetrical case. What is already fascinating with this Marloe is the fact that its design was inspired by 1930s American aviation—as the brand describes: polished aluminium fuselages, sleek aerodynamic forms, and the rhythmic hum of propellers cutting through the sky—which do make up the context within which Marloe conceived the Aerodyne. However…

…it very much is something of its own and now we must talk about its design. Starting with the case because I’m quite enamored by it, as indeed its slight asymmetry gives out vibes of 1970s American Special Operators equipment which I’m personally fascinated by, and which makes for a comfortable yet secure wearing experience. 9.8mm is thin for an automatic watch with 100 meters of water resistance and the protruding right flank of the case helps in making the watch rest flat on the wrist and for the crown to stay clear of my untanned skin. The case of the Aerodyne further comes with a narrow mid-case which arches down at the lugs, a flat case-back and equally flat crystal, and a flat upper section which visually narrows down the already narrow fixed bezel. The complete fine sandblasted treatment of the case wraps everything neatly together as one curve blends in with a sharp angle. I particularly like how many steps the case is made of and how magnificently flat it lays on the wrist. 

Marloe did a wonderful job with the case, let me tell you that. 

But the best part of the Aerodyne is the dial and what makes it truly stand out from the busy crowd of microbrand pilot and tool watches. First we see the massive sandblasted and obelisk-shaped hour and minute hands, their large real estate for luminous material, and looking up close, their faceted tips. The seconds hand stands out for being painted black with a black-and-yellow counter-balance which ties back to single-engine propellers, a color-scheme we also find on the raised chapter ring. On the latter, black minute hash marks and printed lumed dots intertwine and we also find these black-on-yellow accents on the text printed on the dial. The latter is silver and showcases a beautifully made vertical brushing which matches the aviation theme of the Aerodyne and simply looks superb. Lastly, and which is not common to see on a pilot watch, is the date magnifier at the three which towers above the beveled date aperture made of black numerals printed on a color-matched date disc. And, if you noticed…

…the bespoke typeface used for the Arabic numerals for the hour markers, printed in a narrow/condensed art-deco style and technically made of thick layers of luminescent material framed my thin lines printed in black. Shit, I just remembered the €440/roughly $515 USD price tag and cannot grasp the correlation between the incredible specifications and singularity of its design the Marloe Aerodyne comes with. 

The Heart of the Matter 

Oftentimes, when we look at a watch which comes with a unique character, it is often paired with a high price tag which should justify, according to the brand, how novel it looks regardless of what it is made out of and how nicely made it is. But that’s horsehit. More often than not, micro and independent brands can offer new designs for little money even though it isn’t right, as creating something new takes time and energy and money. I’ve reviewed many watches which look amazing and are made well, and I can justify their prices, and other times I’ve looked at well made ones which cost a fortune but come with a meh design. And some other times still, brands do indeed charge more than they should just because they came up with a new way to indicate time or design a chapter ring. So the situation is this: we don’t often see genuine designs with good mechanics and fine finishes for €440/$515 USD except when looking at certain micro/independent brands. On Mainspring we strive to review watches which strike that perfect balance. 

In other words, and at the heart of the matter today is this: the Marloe Aerodyne is a little gem of a pilot watch which looks as singular as the aeroplanes it drew inspiration from. The large humming propellers were replaced by large hands and a Miyota 9015, the polished aluminum fuselages by an angular and curved sandblasted stainless steel case, and the general spirit of debonair aviation by a singular design. 

Conclusion

After yet another lengthy review, we will agree on the fact that micro and independent brands are still giving fancy and legacy brands a run for their money and shivers down their spine. Marloe has always been on the forefront of creativity and value, in ways few brands can claim to have been, and two and a half years after reviewing my first Marloe, I can attest that the brand has not strayed from its path. It warms my heart to see that such brands still exist today, brands which have an identity of their own and that stick to their guns. The GMT Day cost a relatively reasonable $775 USD but the Aerodyne surpasses that and redefines what value is today. I’m amazed, truly amazed still at this segment of the watch market. As a reminder, the Aerodyne comes in three versions—Heart with a silver dial and yellow accents, Electra with a blue dial and purple accents, and Miami with a black dial and purple accents. And they’re all readily available to purchase! 

Thanks for reading.