As it is with so many things, tastes in watch design seem to go in cycles. Materials and colors are hot for a year or two, then fall out of favor as something new comes onto the scene. This has also been true for case sizes. While there are still some brands making rather large cases (over 45mm), we’re seeing brands bringing smaller watches to market. One of the latest of these is the Maen Hudson 38.
Of course, not everyone is going to want or like a smaller case like this, but I for one am a fan (and, to be fair, if you like the looks but want something a bit larger, there is a 42mm case option as well). However, the Maen Hudson 38 is not just about it’s compact (though quite comely) case. They’ve gone with a classic look here, very much the style of an older (though perhaps not specific to particular persiod) with a variety of dial colors topped with stick indices and hands, and the always whimsical lollipop seconds hand. Wrapping around all of those is a 120-click bezel.
One detail that I want to specifically call out on the Maen Hudson 38 is that handset. At first blush, they do look like simple sticks, right? On closer examination, however, you can see that they’re actually a bit wider, with the stick portion being the lumed bit. These bring along a sort of art deco feel to them, and it’s an interesting detail in my book. Pair up these solid looks (and specs, see those below) with an ETA 2824 for under 400 EUR (around $450) and it’s not surprising that this preorder has been moving along at a fast clip, and is closing up rather soon. THat’s why I want to wrap this one up – if you want to get your preorder in, you’ll want to head over to their site and get your order in now.
On the other hand, if you’re in the state of needing to save up funds to pick up a new watch, you’ll want to keep an eye out for the next watch Maen has planned, the Maen Skymaster. Just as the Maen Hudson has the classic dive/toolwatch looks, the Maen Skymaster (which Victor talked about here) is very much a classic chronograph. Here, of course, it’s of the mechanical variety, powered up by the ETA 2894. I’ve included some photos of the watch here, and you can check out their site to see more about this new chronograph that will hit around the $700 mark. As we get closer to the anticipated September 1st launch on Kickstarter, we’ll plan to give a more in-depth look at what the Maen Skymaster has on tap. maenwatches.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Maen Husdon 38
- Price: ~$450
- Who we think it might be for: You like a classic tool watch look set in a compact profile
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Yes, this would be a very solid everyday, all day, sort of an option
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Color matching the date disc would be lovely
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: Sometimes, it’s the smaller details -and here, the art deco handset (and, of course, the smaller case) takes the prize
Tech Specs from Maen for the Hudson 38
- Case
- DIAMETER: 38mm or 42mm
- THICKNESS:12mm Including glass and caseback
- LUG TO LUG HEIGHT: 46mm or 50.5mm
- WEIGHT: 129Gr 38mm / 169Gr 42mm
- CASEBACK: Screw down with sapphire glass or closed
- CROWN: 7mm screw down crown
- MATERIAL: 316L Surgical grade stainless steel
- BEZEL: 120 click unidirectional stainless steel bezel
- CRYSTAL: Domed sapphire crystal + AR coating
- WATER RESISTANCE: Waterproof to 10ATM or 20ATM
- Movement
- MOVEMENT: ETA 2824-2 Swiss Made Automatic Movement ( Elaboré Grade )
- REGULATED: 4 positions for 0/+ 14 sec/day accuracy in Bienne Switzerland
- SHOCK PROTECTION: Incabloc
- VIBRATIONS PER HOUR: 28,800 bph
- POWER RESERVE: ~38 hours
- COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Switzerland, Swiss made
- JEWELS: 25 Jewels
- FUNCTIONS: Hours, Minutes, Sweep second and Date function
- WINDING: Self-winding mechanism with ball bearing
- Strap
- STRAP: Satin brushed stainless steel bracelet + nato strap
- STRAP WIDTH: 20mm narrowed down to 18mm
- CLASP: 316L Double lock deployant clasp
- Dial
- DIAL:Jet black or Midnight Blue sandblasted dial
- LUME: C3 Superluminova ( Improved lume on hands )
- DETAILS: Rehaut dial with constrasting details
