Marin Instruments: The Microbrand Making One Of The Most Interesting Skin Divers Around
There is something wonderfully refreshing about a watch brand that knows exactly what it wants to be.
Marin Instruments is not trying to make a watch that looks like everything else in the microbrand world, nor is it particularly interested in producing yet another vintage reissue dressed up as something new. Instead, the brand has built its identity around adventure, exploration and creating watches that are genuinely designed for the journey.
And if there is one watch that sums up that philosophy rather nicely, it is the Marin Instruments Skin Diver.
A Different Kind Of Skin Diver
Skin divers have become something of a microbrand favourite. The problem is that many modern interpretations end up looking remarkably similar, borrowing heavily from the watches of the 1960s and 1970s.
Marin Instruments took a different approach.
The Skin Diver is explicitly described by the brand as a modern dive watch rather than an homage to a vintage model. It takes some of the fundamental characteristics of a traditional skin diver and combines them with a much more contemporary design language. The result is a watch that feels familiar without looking like it has simply been pulled from a vintage catalogue.
That distinction is important, because the Skin Diver has developed a rather distinctive personality of its own.
The case is compact at 39mm across, with a 48mm lug to lug measurement and a thickness of just 11.5mm. Those proportions give it the sort of presence that works beautifully on the wrist without turning it into the sort of dive watch that feels like you have strapped a small submarine to your arm.
The Design Is All About Legibility
The Standard Skin Diver keeps things deliberately clean. There is a matte black dial, large white luminous plots and slender hands, while a fully lumed black bezel surrounds the dial.
It is an incredibly simple formula, but that is precisely why it works.
Marin Instruments has concentrated on making the dial exceptionally easy to read, with the sparse printing and generous lume contributing to its tool watch character. The 60 click unidirectional bezel is also fully lumed, giving the watch an additional practical advantage when the light disappears.
And then there is the case.
Rather than relying on the rounded, softened silhouette found on many contemporary dive watches, the Skin Diver uses a long, relatively flat case with substantial angular lugs. It gives the watch a much more purposeful appearance and is arguably one of the reasons it stands out so much from the crowd.
Swiss Mechanical Power
Inside the Skin Diver sits the Sellita SW200 1, a movement that will be very familiar to anyone who follows the microbrand watch scene.
It is not an exotic calibre, and that is probably a good thing. The SW200 1 is a proven automatic movement with hand winding, hacking seconds and a 38 hour power reserve. It operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and gives Marin Instruments a dependable mechanical heart without introducing unnecessary complexity.
The watch also carries 200 metres of water resistance, alongside a screw down crown and case back, flat anti reflective sapphire crystal and the aforementioned unidirectional bezel. In other words, this is not merely a watch that looks like it wants to go diving. The specifications suggest it is perfectly happy getting wet too.
There Is More Than One Skin Diver
The Standard is only the beginning.
Marin Instruments has expanded the Skin Diver concept into several different versions, giving the platform a surprisingly broad range of personalities.
The Polar Skin Diver takes the design in a much lighter direction, while the Alpine Skin Diver introduces a deep Alpine Green dial inspired by mountain forests and alpine lakes. There is also the Taupe Skin Diver, which takes a more sophisticated approach with its warm matte dial and polished steel bezel.
The Alpine is particularly interesting because it is limited to just 50 pieces. It combines its green dial with a polished steel bezel featuring a black insert and comes with both the Marin rubber strap and a black Maratac Zulu Nato, as well as the brand's seven link bracelet.
That variety means the Skin Diver can be considerably more than the traditional black dive watch.
The Strap Is Part Of The Experience
One of the details that is easy to overlook is Marin Instruments' custom rubber strap.
Rather than simply throwing a generic rubber strap into the box, the brand designed one specifically for the Skin Diver. It flares out around the lugs before tapering towards the buckle, creating a distinctive appearance while helping the watch sit comfortably on the wrist.
The Standard also comes with a black Maratac Zulu Nato, giving owners two very different ways to wear the watch straight out of the box.
And because the watch uses 20mm lugs, there is plenty of scope for owners to experiment with different straps. A Skin Diver is, after all, one of those watches that can completely change character with a simple strap swap.
Built For The Journey
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Marin Instruments is that the adventure messaging is not simply marketing wallpaper.
The brand's entire identity is built around the idea of being "Built for the Journey", with its watches positioned as companions for people who want to get outside, explore and do something a little more interesting than sitting at a desk all day.
That philosophy seems particularly well suited to the Skin Diver.
It is compact enough to wear every day, robust enough to take seriously and distinctive enough that it does not disappear amongst the hundreds of other dive watches competing for attention.
It is also worth noting that Marin Instruments offers a five year warranty across its watches, covering everything from the case and bezel to the crystal, dial, hands and movement. That is a reassuring commitment for a relatively small independent brand.
The Specifications
39mm stainless steel case
48mm lug to lug
11.5mm thick
Sellita SW200 1 automatic movement
28,800 vibrations per hour
Approximately 38 hour power reserve
200 metres water resistance
Flat anti reflective sapphire crystal
Screw down crown and case back
60 click unidirectional bezel
Fully lumed bezel
20mm lug width
Custom Marin rubber strap
Black Maratac Zulu Nato included
Five year warranty
Price: £1100.00
Winding Things Up
The Marin Instruments Skin Diver is a great example of why the microbrand sector continues to be so interesting.
It takes a familiar concept and refuses to simply reproduce what has already been done. The result is a modern interpretation of the skin diver that manages to retain the practical appeal of a proper tool watch while developing a design language that feels distinctly Marin Instruments.
At 39mm, it also hits a particularly appealing sweet spot. It is small enough to retain the compact character that made vintage skin divers so appealing, but substantial enough to feel like a modern mechanical watch.
Add in the Sellita movement, sapphire crystal, 200 metres of water resistance, fully lumed bezel and five year warranty and there is plenty here to make the Skin Diver more than just another pretty microbrand diver.
And perhaps that is the biggest compliment you can give it.
It looks like a watch designed to be worn rather than admired from a display box.
For a brand whose entire philosophy is built around the journey, that feels rather appropriate.
