MAEN Gives The Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin A Natural Stone Makeover
MAEN has taken one of its most refined watches and given it a rather luxurious twist. The Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin has now been released in a new permanent collection featuring three natural stone dials, bringing a touch of geological individuality to one of the microbrand world’s most appealing integrated bracelet watches.
Rather than simply offering another handful of dial colours, MAEN has gone down the natural stone route, introducing Black Onyx, Golden Swan and Snowflake Obsidian. Each dial is cut from natural stone, meaning every watch will have its own variations in colour, pattern and texture. In other words, you are getting a watch that is genuinely yours rather than one that happens to look like thousands of others coming off the same production line.
Three Very Different Stone Dials
The three new options each give the Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin a noticeably different personality.
Black Onyx is the most restrained of the trio, offering a deep black surface with a naturally reflective appearance. It is the obvious choice for anyone wanting something elegant and versatile, while still having that little bit of natural material interest hiding beneath the surface.
Golden Swan takes things in a warmer direction, with golden tones and natural variations creating a considerably more expressive appearance. It is arguably the most luxurious looking of the three and gives the relatively minimalist Manhattan case a surprisingly dressy character.
Then there is Snowflake Obsidian, and this is probably the one that caught our attention first. The volcanic stone features natural light markings against a dark base, creating a pattern that means every dial will look slightly different. MAEN describes it as the rarest and most distinctive of the three, and it certainly has the most character.
MAEN has also stripped back the dial design itself to allow the stones to do most of the talking. The previous Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin models featured a hammered dial inspired by the Tuscan dials of the 1990s, but these new versions take a much cleaner approach. A new pencil style handset completes the pared back design.
Still Very Much The Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin
Underneath those rather lovely stone dials, the fundamentals remain familiar. The watch uses the same 37mm stainless steel case, with a compact 47.4mm lug to lug measurement and an impressively slim 7.1mm profile.
That thickness is one of the biggest selling points of the Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin. MAEN has managed to reduce the thickness by around 24 percent compared with the standard Manhattan 37, giving the watch a much more refined presence on the wrist. It is particularly impressive when you consider that this is still an integrated bracelet design, a category where watches can very easily become chunky.
The case combines polished and satin brushed surfaces, while the integrated stainless steel bracelet has individually sized links and a hidden deployment clasp. The bracelet tapers from 24mm at the case to 16mm at the clasp, helping the watch retain its relatively sleek proportions.
There is also 10 ATM water resistance, so despite the more luxurious appearance, this is not a watch that needs to be treated like a piece of museum furniture.
Swiss Manual Winding Power
Inside the new stone dial Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin is the La Joux Perret D101, a Swiss made manual winding movement. It operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour and provides approximately 50 hours of power reserve.
It is visible through an open sapphire caseback, with blued screws and Côtes de Genève finishing giving you something considerably more interesting to look at when you turn the watch over.
The decision to use a hand wound movement also makes sense for the ultra thin concept. Without the additional thickness associated with an automatic winding system, MAEN has been able to keep the case at just 7.1mm.
And yes, there is no date. Quite right too. A natural stone dial already has enough going on without somebody deciding that it desperately needs a date window at three o'clock.
Specifications
• Case diameter: 37mm
• Lug to lug: 47.4mm
• Case thickness: 7.1mm
• Case material: 316L stainless steel
• Crystal: Sapphire crystal with AR coating
• Caseback: Open sapphire caseback
• Water resistance: 10 ATM
• Movement: La Joux Perret D101 hand wound
• Frequency: 21,600 vibrations per hour, 3Hz
• Power reserve: Approximately 50 hours
• Jewels: 18
• Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
• Date: None
• Bracelet: Integrated 316L stainless steel
• Clasp: 316L butterfly clasp with integrated logo
• Bracelet width: 24mm tapering to 16mm
• Dial options: Black Onyx, Golden Swan and Snowflake Obsidian
• Dial finish: Natural stone
• Manufacture: Switzerland, Swiss made
The Price
The three new Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin stone dial models are priced at €1,359.20, which puts them at roughly £1,175 at current exchange rates. That represents a premium over the standard Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin, but you are getting genuine natural stone dials alongside the Swiss manual winding movement and the impressively thin integrated case.
For a microbrand operating around this price point, there is a lot to like here. The combination of a 37mm case, 7.1mm thickness, integrated bracelet, Swiss movement and individually unique stone dial makes the Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin a rather compelling proposition.
Winding Things Up
MAEN has clearly realised that the Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin already has most of the ingredients that watch enthusiasts want from an affordable luxury integrated bracelet watch. Rather than completely reinventing it, these new versions concentrate on one of the simplest ways to make a watch feel special: give it a dial that nobody else can have exactly the same.
Of the three, the Snowflake Obsidian is the standout for us. The natural variation should work particularly well against the angular Manhattan case, while the Black Onyx is probably the safest option for everyday wear and Golden Swan brings the most traditional luxury watch feel.
At around £1,175, the stone dial versions are not exactly impulse purchases, but they do occupy an interesting position. You are getting something that looks considerably more expensive than the price suggests, without simply being another homage to a familiar luxury sports watch.
And perhaps that is the real appeal of MAEN. The Manhattan has never really needed to shout about what it is. Give it a good stone dial, keep it 7.1mm thick and let the bracelet do the rest. Sometimes, less really is more.
