MAEN Classic Moonphase Watch Review

Maen Watches are a relatively new watch company of just over a year, with Dutch and Swedish heritage.  Their name is derived from the the Dutch ship Halve Maen (meaning Half Moon), which travelled from Amsterdam to the East coast of America in 1609.

Their Classic Moonphase is available in a few colour ways, this being the frost white with blue strap. It has an RRP €249 or approx £200, and it’s obvious that the main characteristic of the timepiece is the moonphase indicator. Let’s see if it’s decent value for money.

The specs

• Dimensions: 38mm diameter x 7mm height x 45.5mm lug to lug
• Weight: 50g
• Movement: Ronda 706.B
• Lug width: 18mm
• Crystal: sapphire
• Water resistance: 5ATM / 50m
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: €199 RRP €249

The dial

The dial here is the frost white version, which has a very pleasant gentle eggshell / creamy tinge to it.

The design is simple and provides good legibility – they describe it as “Scandinavian minimalism with Dutch experimentalism in a New York fashion-forward setting” – which is obviously fairly generic marketing speak.

The straight pitched hands have a pointed tip and are polished steel, providing a variety of reflections depending on the angle. The omission of a seconds hand is a clever way of disguising the quartz movement, and it also maintains simplicity.

We have well-made applied baton hour markers, with a double baton at 12. They have rounded edges at the top and bottom which softens their appearance.

The moon phase indicator is the dial’s main focus and definitely draws the eye. It has the stock Ronda 706.B wheel, but thankfully it’s a nice one so it looks in place. It has a delicate border surrounding it, which yields neat attention to detail.

The logo is printed in the top half, with a minute track around the outer edge. All printing is neat and precise.

The case

The size of the case is rather graceful at 38mm in diameter – one of the smaller watches I’ve reviewed. It’s also incredibly lightweight at 50g including the strap, resulting in a very comfortable wear.

The majority of the case is polished, with the exception of brushed sides. The polished steel bezel in particular delivers flamboyant reflections. The general finishing of the case is good.

The case has a small push-pull crown, with the M of the logo embossed on the end – it’s easy to use and has good grip.

The caseback is secured by 6 screws, and is polished with a pleasant engraved pattern encompassing the central deeply engraved logo.

Sitting on top of the case is a flat sapphire crystal, with extremely good clarity.

The movement

The movement used is the Ronda 706.B. It’s not much to look at, but as is the case with all Swiss Made quartz movements it’ll get the job done, will stand the test of time and will prove to be an excellent workhorse,

It boasts a whopping 5 jewels, and a 44 month battery life.

The strap

The strap is fairly petit at 18mm wide at the lugs, reducing down to 16mm at the buckle. It’s smaller than I’m used to but is a suitable size for the 38mm case.

The blue leather has an alligator print stamped on the top. It has matching darker blue stitching which is supplies a very classy, sophisticated impression.

The leather is soft and supple, and is very comfortable on the wrist.

The buckle is a standard tang type, with a rounded design to it and the logo deeply engraved on the top bar.

Final comments

A moon phase indicator isn’t really the most necessary feature – I’m not too sure how many people are actually that bothered about it. But, it doesn’t stop it from being a visually pleasing characteristic of any watch; and one that never ceases to be a topic of conversation. The size of the Maen Classic Moonphase is on the smaller scale nowadays – but that actually gives it something that others don’t: a proper, classic watch which is the right size.

At approx £200, it’s probably at the top end of the kind of fee I’d expect – but in the Maen Classic Moonphase we have a Swiss Movement as well as a high level of finish and manufacture that supports the price tag and makes it worth it.