MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin Introduces New Hammered Tuscan Dial And Four Colourways

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Fresh off the MAEN x NICO LEONARD with jumping hour, comes the latest model from the stable of Sebastiaan Cortjaens and Jules van Helvoort. Housing a 90s inspired Tuscan dial and almost 25% case reduction to 7.1mm, we review the new MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin.

In Brief

Renowned for their Cotes de Geneve finishing on the face, slim entry-level watches, and simplistic approach to quiet luxury, the devil remains very much in the detail for Swedish outfit MAEN.
Selling directly to consumers, quality control remains paramount to their ethos, leading to the best wallet-friendly prices and a premium wearing experience for aficionados and timelords alike.
Derived from the old Dutch spelling for moon, (“Maen”), considered the personification of measuring time, the brand blends this distinctive story telling alongside more vintage vibes than a Vivienne Westwood show at London Fashion Week.
Co-owned by Netherlands duo Sebastiaan Cortjaens and Jules van Helvoort, who merged horological paths while residing abroad, their common love of novelties led to establishing MAEN in 2017.
Fast forward eight years and it’s Double Dutch time with the launch of the new MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin.
Complete with sapphire crystal glass, stainless steel tapered bracelet, Tuscan dial and case thickness reduction to 7.1mm to accommodate the svelte ETA 7001 manual wind movement, it is available in four different declinations, namely blue, green, grey and salmon.

Ah reruns. Or should that be rehashes. There’s nothing like an old classic.

Dynasty, Dallas…there’s so many to choose from. And who could forget Bobby Ewing’s shower scene from the latter, at the end of season nine from 1986. Where would we be without them? Same actually goes for luxury watches.

Audemars Piguet Watch on a mans wrist

A familiar face? Source: Chrono Hunter

We would be remiss not to mention the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or Patek Philippe Nautilus? Think octagonal bezel, blue dial, integrated bracelet yada yada yada. Like David Beckham, set to be knighted in King Charles III’s Birthday Honours List, it’s an old favourite that never goes out of fashion.

Like the TV couch potatoes of the era, this defined an age that still stands the test of time. You could say the same goes for timeless British dishes from fish and chips by the coast, to hot stinking curries.

And today, we are serving up a feast not just for the eyes, but the wrist, with our review of the new MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin. Very much akin to the Royal Oak but for a fraction of the cost, it appears enthusiasts still cannot get enough of this, you might say…timeless design.

MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-thin

Made in Manhattan…

After all, The Roman poet Juvenal is credited with hatching the phrase "bread and circuses". He used it in his writings to criticise the Roman emperors for distracting the public from important political issues by providing them with free food (bread or panem) and entertainment (circenses)

The issue here is not political, rather an appeasement to ensure there is no backlash. Much ado about nothing? Far from it, as connoisseurs are still coming back for more, some five decades on.

MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra thin Watch

39mm variation with signature elongated vertical Côtes de Genève dial

And who is to argue with the mob? As they say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Or perhaps tweak it. And that’s precisely what the brand has done by releasing this iteration off the back of the highly successful Manhattan 39 Ultra Thin.

And boy did they listen.

Forget 1972 when the Royal Oak was unveiled. The classic aesthetics found in the OG MAEN Manhattan 37 with sleek vertical stripes, Vacheron Constantin influenced hands and integrated bracelet has been doing the rounds for decades. It’s like an adorable puppy all wrapped up under the Christmas tree…bow and all. It never becomes wearisome.

LEARN MORE: 33 Best Luxury Men's Watches To Gift The Wrist Worthy Gent For Christmas

So where did it all come from? Let’s take a minute (or two) to familiarize ourselves with how this new timepiece came to pass, before deep diving like a Rolex Deepsea Challenge into our review of the MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin.

Tick, tock…

Let’s Do The Time Warp

No, we ain't talking about this instantly recognisable track from the Rocky Horror Show in 1973, when the UK, Ireland, and Denmark joined the European Economic Community (EEC)

MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin Watch

We are of course referring to the reason why you are reading this. After the rip roaring success of the Manhattan 37, next came the MAEN Manhattan 39 Ultra-Thin version which debuted in 2023.

So why was this one the horological ace in the deck? Allow us a second to recap…

Sebastien Cortjaens and his motley lot listened to extensive feedback and decided to take the case dimensions down a peg or two. At less than 7mm thick it was flying out the building more than queuing up for the latest Moonswatch. Do you actually know what iteration we are on now and we are more than halfway through 2025.

And Omega along with Swatch better up their game…pronto.

This comes off the back of dwindling figures, according to investing.com who reported earlier this year that Chinese sales decreased by 75%. Ouch.

Home to the rare manual-wound ETA 7001 movement, the MAEN Manhattan 39 Ultra-Slim was no Chesney Hawkes. Far from a one hit wonder, this was more of an instant success than Logan Paul.

Encompassing beautiful decoration, stainless steel integrated bracelet, open sapphire caseback and Côtes de Genève finishing, it ticks many aficionados boxes for those looking to buy a watch for much less than £5,000. Way, way lower than that.

LEARN MORE: Here's Our Best Men's Watches Under £5,000 For The Ultimate Flexer

Tying in with the above is the wrist hugging experience that the brand is known for and what you would pay a premium for, across many top Swiss luxury watch brands.

Ranging from polished chamfering on the case side to satin-brushed finishes and its ultra distinctive appearance, this integrated bracelet watch packs a punch at this kind of price level.

And they MAEN business this time

Personality Of The MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin

“We wanted to do something refreshing, instead of making a smaller copy of the Manhattan 39, so we redesigned the dial and we feel that the result is very satisfying. The new dial has a hammered style ‘’Tuscan’’ dial and a small seconds at 6 o’clock.”

Exclusive soundbite from Sebastiaan Cortjaens, Co-Founder of Maen watches, talking with Chrono Hunter

This is Big Brother..with a subtle twist.

No, we are not talking about the successful TV reality show created by John de Mol in 2007 that was sold to tens of territories. This is the smaller yet still influential bigger sibling to the Manhattan 39mm Ultra-Thin.

MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin

So it’s got 1970’s written all over it. Actually you’ll find the brand logo nestled under 12 and a small seconds subdial located at 6 o’clock. Nonetheless, it still has all the hallmarks of a great watch for under one thousand of your British pounds.

FIND OUT MORE: 20 Best British Watch Brands To Put On Your Horological Radar

And this is as slim as a Slim Jim, no doubt about it. Measuring 37mm x 7.1mm to put this into perspective, it is 1mm thinner than a Tudor Royal and the same height as a Cartier Tank Francaise in stainless steel (W4TA0028)

Impressive. But hold on a minute…

MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin Watch

The 47.4mm lug to lug makes this seem slightly larger on the wrist but it still vanishes effortlessly under a cuff for the boardroom. The logo is embossed on the crown while there are also other nice features worthy of your time.

“Back in 2023, we introduced the big brother of our best-selling Manhattan 37: The Manhattan 39 Ultra-Thin. This model has been very successful, but we also got many requests to introduce the Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin option.”

Sebastiaan Cortjaens, Co-Founder of Maen watches

First up the “Tuscan” inspired textured dial on the MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin is something they have hammered home with four different declinations.

Available in blue, grey, green and salmon (or as they describe Midnight Blue, Forest Green, Salmon, and Ghost Grey), there’s nothing fishy about this new collection.

LEARN MORE: Pink Out Your Watch Collection With Our Top Salmon Dials

Let’s run through the details.

316 stainless steel integrated three-row bracelet? Check. Polished and applied indexes? Sure thing. How about Super-LumiNova C1 X1, sapphire crystal and polished bezel? Absolutely. Hats off to the octagonal crown alongside the exhibition caseback showcasing the ETA 7001 Peseux movement.

On to the small seconds subdial, and this is a nice touch to this execution, recreating the same pattern as per the bezel that sits alongside a minute track and almost slanted white indices. This is filled with a generous dose of similarly coloured lume.

Ok, so bright, bold rainbow watches may come and go like the wind. Unless you are Ed Sheeran. But sometimes, the simplest things produced well are the best.

What Is A Tuscan Dial?

In context of luxury watches, a Tuscan dial refers to a textured dial with a unique, hand-hammered, cratered surface, often described as having a "grained" or "frosted" appearance. The technique used to create the texture is similar to sandblasting or tremblage, utilised on the new MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin.

This texture is created by a laborious hand-finishing process, making each dial unique. The term "Tuscan" is a nickname, not an official Audemars Piguet term, reportedly coined by Italian collectors, reminiscent of the verdant hills of the Tuscan landscape and countryside.

How poetic.

Key characteristics of a Tuscan dial include;

Hand-hammered texture: the dial's surface is not smooth but rather features a rough, irregular texture created by hand hammering.
Unique appearance: Due to the intricate hand-finishing process, no two Tuscan dials are exactly alike.
Light reflection: The texture catches the light in a dynamic way, creating variations in tone and appearance depending on the viewing angle.
Rarity: Tuscan dials are not standard on most Audemars Piguet models and are primarily found on Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars stemming from the 1990s and other limited editions including the 2025 Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Chronograph (26439NB.OO.A346KB.01) with blue dial.

Official Specs - MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin

Case Diameter	37mm
Case Thickness	7.1mm
AR Coating	Yes
Indicators	Applied, Polished
Clasp Style	Butterfly
Dial Declinations	Blue Grey Salmon Green
Bracelet Material	316L Stainless Steel
Lug To Lug Height	47.4mm
Water Resistance	100 metres / 10ATM / 10 Bar
Lume	C1 X1 Superluminova
Weight	121 grams

ETA 7001 Movement

A workhorse and offering excellent reliability, the ETA 7001 movement is a reliable, hand-wound calibre known for its simplicity and thinness.

Not quite the Victoria Beckham of movements but you get what we mean!

It's been used by various brands and is often seen in both dress and vintage watches.

LEARN MORE: 21 Best Vintage Watches To Buy Right Now - IWC Portugieser, Tudor Submariner

The "Elaboré" grade signifies the top level of refinement and quality, offering a balance of functionality and super svelte aesthetics. This specific grade typically indicates a higher level of finishing and decoration compared to the base grade.

Elaboré movements often feature decorations like anglage (beveled edges), polished surfaces, and perhaps some form of decorative finishing on the bridges or mainplate. Notice this with the use of blued screws.

The "Elaboré" grade generally provides a good balance of accuracy, durability, and reliability.

Key elements of the ETA 7001 convey a manually wound movement, requiring the wearer to wind the watch periodically to maintain power.

Ideal for the office and that late night cocktail bar, the thinness of this movement allows for
ultra-thin design and first rate comfort, thanks to its slender visuals. Meanwhile, the small diameter of the movement (23.3mm) allows it to be used in a variety of case sizes.

Well-crafted, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing the ETA that's often seen in dress watches and classic designs. Some of the most popular models to house the ETA 7001 movement include;

Farer Stanhope
Christopher Ward C5 Malvern 595
NOMOS Tangente
Longines Heritage Classic 1930
Tissot Heritage Porto Mechanical T128.505.36.012.00 and T128.505.16.012.00
Vertex M100

Official Movement Specs

Country Of Manufacture	Switzerland
Vph	21,600 (3Hz)
Functions	Central hours, minutes, small seconds based at 6 o’clock
Perlage	Yes
Power Reserve	42 hours
Number of Jewels	17
Movement Diameter	23.3mm

Where Can You Buy A MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin?

If you want a slice of the big horological apple but cannot venture to New York, you can purchase a MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra Thin for 1,079 Euros.

**Note this is exclusive of VAT**

The official launch date is June 19th 2025. Shipping is set to commence on the 23rd. And they are throwing in complimentary FEDEX shipping with orders over 150 Euros. Our advice? Time to get your skates on. Further information can be found directly on the site here

What’s Our View?

Time to reveal what’s behind the timekeeping curtain and our thoughts on the new MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin.

In essence, if you like your novelties bursting with retro visuals, traditional elements such as a well executed stainless steel integrated bracelet and don’t mind the old adage of the octagonal bezel, you cannot really go wrong if you want to buy a watch at this price.

It’s a case of going Back To The Future but without hopping in the Delorean. We know the deal. We know what to expect. And this time, we don’t need any spoiler to predict that this versatile number will soon be on many entry-level hitlists.

Conclusion

So is the MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin a genuine banger as they call it?

I don’t tend to regurgitate what others are saying, as, like our platform, we are one of a kind with more distinctive soundbites than a Donald Trump press conference.. What I can say with utmost confidence is with hundreds of brands out there, the best are those that stand out from the timekeeping pack.

You know, the ones that rise to the top for quality, craftsmanship, back story and of course affordability. There are ten to dozen in the marketplace but few who can hit all bases.

Without harping on about the resurgence of independent watchmaking and the impact brands like Studio Underdog has had on consumers, collectors and the industry as a whole, Sebastiaan Cortjaens and his crew are on the money.

Both dimensions and design language are spot on with enough vintageness reflected in some of their other models we have covered, including our review of the Maen Brooklyn 36 Triple Calendar.

Look, it is no Patek Phillipe Cubitus or 1976 Vacheron Constantin Chronomètre Royal reference 2215…though it bears striking resemblance to it. (Come on you must admit) And yes, there is no date either. But who cares at this price point?

The subdued accents on the MAEN Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin work well with the attractive dimensions that will tip many enthusiasts overboard. Besides, you don’t have to cry me a river with one of the best bang for your buck, sub £1,000 watches out there.

It’s a lean MAEN timekeeping machine, of that which is certain.

Looking to scratch that itch and get into the world of horology? Want to buy an Audemars Piguet with Tuscan dial, or sell a Rolex at the best possible price?

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Images: (Unless otherwise stated) MAEN

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