Our Editor-at-Large Isabelle Junod met Vincent Malissen, Director of Product Marketing for Marli New York and its sister brand Sartoro, at the Marli boutique on rue du Rhône, the house’s European headquarters, during Geneva Watch Days 2026.
What the interview reveals: a jewellery house founded in New York in 2014 that now makes its own watches in Le Locle, in the former Renaud & Papi premises taken over by the Artinian Group in 2020; natural mother-of-pearl dials cut into a pyramid tapestry on a five-axis machine after three years of development; quartz pieces in 23 and 30 mm and an automatic in 35 mm, launched in Geneva in April 2026; and a customer base led by the Middle East, the United States and now Europe. The name Marli, he confirms, comes from Maral, the founder.
Marli New York at a Glance
- Founded in New York in 2014 by Maral Artinian, founder, CEO and artistic director; the jewellery collections Cleo, with its pyramidal cut, and Life set the design language that the watches now follow.
- Timepieces designed in New York and made in Le Locle by PreciTech SA, created by the Artinian Group in 2020 on the former Renaud & Papi site, with 18 areas of expertise under one roof.
- Three references: L23 and L30 in quartz, L35 automatic, all with natural mother-of-pearl pyramid dials, interchangeable straps and bracelets; prices from CHF 4,900 for the L23 in steel to CHF 73,100 for the L30 in white gold with 344 diamonds.
- The Artinian Group controls its own supply: diamonds from an Antwerp office open for more than fifty years, watchmaking in Le Locle, jewellery workshops in Bangkok with an academy that trains thirty to forty jewellers a year.
- Boutiques on Madison Avenue in New York, the brand’s 16th location worldwide, and on rue du Rhône in Geneva, its European headquarters; the first timepieces were unveiled in Geneva in April 2026 and added two colours, pink and Marli blue, over the summer.
- The Middle East (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman) is the strongest market for the house, ahead of the United States, its domestic market, and a Europe now opening up.
Marli New York, 2014-2026: The House in Milestones
Three References Seen in Geneva
| Reference | Movement | Material | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| L23, 23 mm | Quartz | Stainless steel, 36 diamonds, mother-of-pearl dial, satin strap | CHF 4,900 |
| L30, 30 mm | Quartz | Stainless steel, 36 diamonds, mother-of-pearl dial, satin strap | CHF 5,900 |
| L35, 35 mm | Automatic, open-worked rotor | Titanium, mother-of-pearl dial, rubber strap | CHF 9,900 |
Swiss prices as published on marlinewyork.com in September 2026.
A Young House, and an Advantage
Marli was founded in New York in 2014, barely a decade ago. Is a young brand an advantage in this business?
The brand was created by Maral Artinian, founder, CEO and artistic director, in 2014. I would say that being a young brand is a plus: it brings great freshness and energy to the creative process. It started with a jewellery collection that found success very quickly, with two collections that are now very well known: Cléo, with its pyramidal shape, and the Life collection, which also integrates some of the brand’s signature cuts. One of the main cuts at Marli is the pyramid, and in the five timepieces in front of you, we have integrated that pyramid shape in many different ways.
Le Locle, in the Former Renaud & Papi Premises
In 2020 the Artinian Group took over the former Renaud & Papi facility in Le Locle. When did the idea of watches take shape?
We started this project five years ago, when, with the Artinian Group, we had the opportunity to acquire a facility in Le Locle, the former Renaud & Papi premises. Very famous, of course. We fitted out the entire facility anew. That is how the timepieces project began. Many clients had been asking Maral: “When will you create timepieces? We have your jewellery; we would love to stack it with a watch.”
Is Le Locle purely for watches?
We make watches there, and some Marli jewellery as well. Everything is verticalised and integrated within the group, right down to the diamonds. We have had an office in Antwerp for more than fifty years, because the Artinian family are gemologists and diamond experts in the third generation. That gives us real strength, knowledge and control over diamonds and jewellery craft.
Five Timepieces, Launched in Geneva
You unveiled the first timepieces in April 2026 here in your Geneva boutique rather than at Watches and Wonders. Why here?
We received the press and customers here at the boutique. We have a beautiful space, people like to be in the city centre, and the light here is perfect. For us it was an opportunity.
What is the key piece today?
We launched this year in April, in our Geneva boutique, the first timepieces, and during the summer we added two colours: the pink and the “Marli blue”. There are two different designs under the same collection, Life, which also exists in jewellery. You have quartz pieces in 23 mm and 30 mm, and an automatic in 35 mm. All the dials are made of mother-of-pearl. It is the approach of a jeweller creating watches: look at the dial through a loupe and you will see the texture.
Mother-of-Pearl Cut Like a Gemstone
Three years of development went into the dials before the April 2026 launch. Tell us about them.
All the dials are natural mother-of-pearl. The white comes from Indonesia, and we also have Tahitian mother-of-pearl, which comes from Tahiti. We take the thickest mother-of-pearl that exists in the world and machine it on a five-axis CNC to create this pyramid tapestry, a 3D effect. It took about three years to qualify the process. Mother-of-pearl is so fragile that you can imagine how many tests we had to do to make it happen.
We take the thickest mother-of-pearl that exists in the world and machine it on a five-axis CNC to create this pyramid tapestry.
The faceted dial catches the light like a disco ball. It has something of the 1980s about it.
Exactly, because we designed it with the eyes of a jeweller. Everything is about light.
Cases, Straps and a Resin Secret
The L23 costs CHF 4,900 in steel and CHF 45,300 in white gold with 400 diamonds. What about cases and materials?
We have stainless steel and gold pieces, in 23 mm and 30 mm. On all our watches, the bracelet is interchangeable, so you can choose. When you buy the watch, it comes with one bracelet, and there is a pin here to change it. Even the buckle takes the shape of the case: small details. We propose a technical satin strap, and alligator straps for the yellow-gold pieces, in different colours, including blue and royal blue.
And the 35 mm automatic?
The 35 mm integrates an ETA automatic movement that we disassemble and decorate in our manufacture: circular graining, Côtes de Genève. The rotor is open-worked so you can see the calibre. It has a gold deployant buckle bearing the logo, and the same interchangeable system. On our diamond pieces you will always find four diamonds on the crown.
We have also integrated a high-tech resin material on the case side. First, it matches the colour, for aesthetic continuity. On gold it makes the watch lighter, and with less gold we control the price. And when you wear all your bracelets, the watch stays protected on that side.
The Marli Woman, from the Middle East to Europe
The timepieces made their New York debut on Madison Avenue on 14 July 2026. Who is the Marli customer, and where?
We have many clients in the Middle East, who appreciate the product, and watches in general, enormously. We are also doing well in the US, our domestic market, and we are now starting to extend into Europe, with a very good response. We have strong, very fresh designs, and because we integrate all of our production, the value is remarkable.
Who is the Marli woman?
She rules her life by herself, and she is authentic. She does things and starts projects quickly, on her own initiative. That is a bold step, because it means following her own path rather than the trends of the moment. The Marli woman does things differently, which also explains why they buy us: they want something new, something truly their own.
She rules her life by herself, and she is authentic.
The Artinian Group: Antwerp, Le Locle, Bangkok
Marli belongs to a wider group, with an Antwerp diamond office open for more than fifty years. How is it structured?
The parent is the Artinian Group, which has existed for many years, with different facilities. They buy diamonds in Antwerp, Belgium; watchmaking is in Le Locle; and there are jewellery facilities in Thailand, in Bangkok, which they developed thirty years ago and where they are already at the top of the game. They have just opened a new plant that is entirely self-sufficient in energy, and an academy that trains thirty to forty jewellers every year. Bangkok is the place for jewellery and coloured gemstones. So they have built three places where you need to be if you want to control diamonds, timepieces and gemstones.
How many brands are there?
There is Marli, and Sartoro; the name combines Saro and Arto Artinian, the two brothers. Sartoro is more classic, oriented towards revealing the preciousness of diamonds: they are very expert in the selection of diamonds, the setting, the polishing, and the prices are stunning. Sartoro is turning towards high jewellery. You can see some pieces here, and we will reveal more on the Sartoro Instagram: the Rivage collection, with stunning yellow diamonds, and sapphires.
Interview by Isabelle Junod, Editor-at-Large, for WATCHESPEDIA, Geneva Watch Days, September 2026. Photographs © WATCHESPEDIA; product images courtesy of Marli New York.
