Moonstruck in the Netherlands: Why Everyone’s Talking About Maen Watches

A double-edged sword, the global proliferation of watchmaking savoir-faire has showered watch collectors with endless variety. Yet for many of these fly-by-night brands, a mere bump to the wrist can bring the watch to a screeching halt. I learned this the hard way when one such “water-resistant” watch—bought at a premium from a well-known brand—stopped dead after I washed my hands, only for the repairman to diagnose the movement as completely FUBAR.

If you’ve ever endured similar horological horrors, you’ll understand why it’s crucial to buy only from brands that truly know their stuff. One such brand is Maen: while it outsources its movements, it meticulously scrutinizes every detail, ensuring that its watches are as reliable as they are stylish.

You might have seen Maen’s ads online. The Stockholm-based Dutch brand has been grabbing headlines with its Manhattan model—a unique, stately, ultra-thin timepiece priced at around USD 1,000.

When I lived in the Netherlands in the Noughties, Dutch watchmaking barely had a voice in a Swiss-dominated industry, save for Christiaan van der Klaauw, a young haute horlogerie startup named Grönefeld, and Frederique Constant before Pim Koeslag catapulted it to international acclaim. (Quick shoutout, too, to Fromanteel and TW Steel, who’ve been holding down the affordable Dutch watch category for decades.) But things are changing fast, with Dutch independents like Maen releasing banger after banger.

“In 2017, my colleague Jules van Helvoort and I started Maen,” recalls co-founder Sebastiaan Cortjaens.

“At the time, I was an international tax lawyer with a watch brand as a client. I was shocked at how many watches they sold, despite their poor quality and looks. As a watch lover, it triggered me. I asked Jules what he thought about starting our own brand, and he said he had been contemplating the same. So then and there, we quit our jobs and went for it together.”

Maen is the Old Dutch spelling for “Moon,” fitting for its debut collection: a handsome moonphase named the Lunar Classic that features stepped brushed dials, pleasing geometry, and alluring details. With De Rijke’s cute moonphase watches, Holthinrichs’ meteorite dials, and Christiaan van der Klaauw’s iconic Planetarium, which happens to have a 3D moonphase edition too, you might wonder if Dutch watchmakers see space-themed complications as the next frontier.

Another early Maen complication was its Skymaster, a Speedmaster-esque chronograph launched on Kickstarter around 2019.

“Our mission is simple,” says Cortjaens. “We want to make watches that we, as collectors, are proud to wear. We take our time with design—sometimes as long as two years—before we’re satisfied enough to start production.”

Among Maen’s creations, the biggest hit so far is the Manhattan, offered in a sizeable 40mm for bigger wrists, alongside ultra-thin 37mm and 39mm versions that measure just 7mm thick, but are water-resistant to 100m.

At first glance, you might think “Cubitus”—and yes, the Manhattan does appeal to fans of that sought-after 2024 icon. But make no mistake: the Manhattan is no knockoff, as it was launched in 2022.

Most Maen watches run on Swiss Sellita calibers, while the ultra-thin Manhattan models rely on ETA movements. No reverse-engineered OEM movements here—just carefully balanced margins that keep retail prices around USD 1,000. The bracelets, particularly the Manhattan’s integrated design, also deserve praise for their comfort and refinement.

Cortjaens confirms that the Manhattan has been selling like hotcakes, saying: “New production has started and we’ll get stock around February next year. The line is very popular because of its clean design. The M37UT is perhaps a more mature version that ticks more boxes—extra thin, better wrist fit, and a new dial with small seconds at six o’clock.”

The Manhattan even attracted Worn Wound to create a special edition together with Maen that features a fumé dial.

Maen has started experimenting with unconventional ways to tell time, such as a jump hour watch, which was created with popular YouTuber and fellow Dutchman Nico Leonard, and revealed at Watches and Wonders 2025. This is a glimpse of things to come, as Cortjaens divulges that Maen will be releasing an unusual novelty next year that is bound to surprise.

Its lineup now includes the Hudson, a pared-down sports watch, and the Brooklyn—a perpetual calendar that retails for around USD 750. Scroll up and you’ll enjoy photos of Maen’s collabs with IFL and seconde/seconde/ too.

“We focus a lot on the small details, and you’ll see that across all our watches,” adds Cortjaens, who will be revealing a new collaborative timepiece at the end of 2025.