Marvin was founded in 1850 as the Marvin Watch Company, by brothers Marc and Emmanuel Didisheim in Saint-Imier. The brand name was shortened to Marvin in 1912.
As a family of motorsport enthusiasts, the Didisheims began establishing alliances with a number of automobile brands in 1940, including Ferrari, Mercedes, Jaguar, and Fiat. Car-inspired pieces were produced and marketed around this time, including the Tyre Watch.
Despite having once enjoyed global distribution in 70 countries, Marvin did not survive the quartz crisis and eventually faded into obscurity around the late 1980s and early 1990s. The brand was acquired by Jean-Daniel and Cécile Maye in 2002, and was relaunched in 2007.
Association with Formula 1
A number of Formula 1 drivers have been associated with Marvin. Tulo de Graffenried has been listed as a brand ambassador, and Juan Manuel Fangio was known to have visited the factory with a Marvin watch on his wrist. Alberto Ascari and Stirling Moss have also received mentions on the brand website as well.
According to the company bio, Marvin has also produced official corporate watches for Ferrari, Mercedes, and Jaguar. Details are not well documented, with one possible exception being a Ferrari-branded chronograph that was identified as a Marvin model on Uhrerbe.com.
References
https://www.marvinwatches.com/html/?type=115
https://www.marvinwatches.com/html/?type=116
https://www.marvinwatches.com/html/?type=118
https://www.marvinwatches.com/html/?type=122
https://www.marvinwatches.com/html/?type=126
https://masterhorologer.com/marvin-watches/
https://wiki.grail-watch.com/index.php/Marvin
https://www.catawiki.com/en/stories/4263-the-fascinating-backstory-of-marvin-the-motorist-watch
https://www.flickr.com/photos/marvinwatches/albums/72157625030080429/