Maen Greenwich 38 GMT Review - Does Lightning Strike Twice?
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They say lightning never strikes twice…but is that true in the watch world? My previous look at Maen watches already felt like a freak occurrence. A well-designed, high-quality watch from a former Kickstarter brand not out to scam you?! It's no wonder I gave that Hudson Mark III such praise!
They're hoping to double up on this success with the new Greenwich GMT, which is based on the Hudson but with some modifications. The newer model also comes with a higher price tag of around $700, making it around $180 more expensive than its predecessor.
Does this Greenwich do enough to justify the increased cost? Let's find out.
Gone is the compact, modular packaging of the Hudson. The Greenwich arrived in a far longer box, which I'm indifferent to.
First Impressions
The Greenwich looks akin to the Hudson but with the bezel removed and the styling on steroids. I opted for this colorway because it permits a fairer comparison to the older model. There are a few more experimental alternatives, including the red model, which I was oddly very tempted by too.
Watch Dimensions
Size-wise, it's much of the same, with an identical 38mm diameter and a similar thickness and lug-to-lug and 12.7mm and 46mm respectively. When blindfolded, outside of the rotating bezel, I wouldn't be able to tell any difference on the wrist. Like its forebearer, it's comfy and is well-suited to small and average wrist sizes, though it will look small on big arms.
Case Design
While indistinguishable on the surface, the stainless steel case on the Greenwich does feature some alterations and improvements. Firstly, it houses drilled lugs, allowing for more convenient strap changes. Undoubtedly, this is an improvement on the practical front and will reduce the chances of you scratching the watch during this process. This somewhat mars the fluidity of the polished flanks, which have otherwise been executed as well as the Hudson MK3. That model was already well finished, and this is no exception, with delicate brushing that's done slightly better and super high-polishing atop the stepped fixed bezel.
I think this is the correct choice and allows this model to hold a unique place in Maen's minimal lineup, which predominantly includes regular rotating bezel models. The upper ring catches the light beautifully. Despite being a fingerprint magnet, it immediately elevates the aesthetic of the Greenwich and helps it look like an even more expensive piece.
Crystal
Marrying that nicely is the sapphire crystal. Its striking blue AR coating provides a streak of color during rotation, alongside incredible clarity, allowing for clear visuals of the dial beneath.
Legibility
Indeed, legibility is what the Greenwich does best, with this double-domed crystal exhibiting no warping at steeper angles and the oversized indices allowing for easy reading in a pinch. When side by side with the Hudson, the clarity really is night and day; the newer model offers a noticeably punchier, higher contrast experience, even with the same general color scheme. This can partially be attributed to the enamel dial, which offers a subtle sheen despite harboring a dark tone.
They also offer a waffle dial variant, which looks alright. However, my friend AB from Watch Collecting Strategy says that the printing level does suffer to accommodate the added texture.
Dial
On this version, the inking has been completed to an excellent standard, with no apparent flaws, and the thick, embossed markers are better aligned than the slim applied pieces on the Hudson. While the printed logo is minimalist, you'd perhaps expect an applied alternative to complete the package for a watch at this price. I don't doubt Maen's ability to execute this. However, I know they are still experimenting with this element, as some of their newer models appear to have an icon that has ditched the italicized 'E' present on this one.
Perhaps this printed version would be the preferred choice anyway, for clarity's sake. I don't mind either way, as it's far from the most divisive I've come across, being presented in a serif font that pairs well with the sans serif wording in the bottom half of the dial.
Handset & Markers
Their signature 'skyscraper' handset returns here, with the luminescence inhabiting more significant portions of the surface area, echoing the approach taken with the hour markers. Perhaps at an ultra-macro level, they showcase some imperfections, but even through a watchmakers loupe, they appear silky smooth and cleaner than their brethren on the Hudson.
As you might expect, this watch is effortless to read in low-light due to the enormous markers, though the duration of this upgraded X1 grade stuff is still a bit underwhelming. It's usable but remains an area for improvement.
Design Choices
Unlike most popular GMT watches, the absence of the bezel necessitates the repositioning of the 24-hour scale to the outer edge of the chapter ring. Of course, this isn't the most user-friendly, but it slots in nicely without diminishing the carefully crafted aesthetic.
The same can be said about the diminutive white date window, which seamlessly takes the place of the 3 o'clock marker; disguised in plain sight. Thankfully, it's not butted up awkwardly to the adjacent slimmed-down index and instead secures the piece's symmetry by precisely mirroring the inner alignment of its opposite number. This is what thoughtful design looks like.
Watch Movement
This variant of the Greenwich is known as the 'Orange', alluding to the accents on the GMT text and hand tip, which aid visibility and help prevent the watch from looking stale. Powering these functions is the SwissTech S24-045 automatic movement, one of many ETA 2824 clones that has been regulated in-house by Maen. A beat rate of 28,800 beats per hour yields a second-hand motion that elegantly glides around the watch face, which helps aid the air of sophistication that surrounds this GMT.
Caseback
The movement is protected with a screwed case rear and a fully threaded crown, which combine to secure the watch to a 10 ATM water resistance rating. While this isn't as high as the similarly designed Hudson, it is still past the point of worry and should serve you handily in aquatic conditions.
There's no branded engraving on the back, with the more generic edition text occupying the area. I'm not sure whether this is the standard implementation or limited to reviewer samples, though something a little more custom would have been optimal.
The crown engraving has improved, with a more defined M that actually sits centrally this time, which is nice to see.
Watch Straps
The Greenwich comes fitted on one of two types of rubber strap, including the black tropic that I received. Overall, this is high quality and durable, with a look that suits the watch well, though I have a couple of minor gripes that I think are worth sharing. Firstly, the gaps between the usable central holes are quite large, so fine adjustments aren't possible.
Secondly, the ends with the spring bars sit so snugly to the case that they rub against it, with an awkward jerk as you rotate it. It doesn't particularly affect how the watch wears but could cause unnecessary erosion in the long term. I'd consider the impressive-looking integrated rubber strap instead, which appears to alleviate at least one of these issues.
Final Thoughts
The GMT looks like a more expensive watch when next to the Hudson, despite not technically being a much higher quality one. Maybe that's the name of the game when you reach this price, though? As I've said before, you get diminishing build quality, past a certain mark, where the finer details and marketing take the mantle from pure specifications. Part of me thinks that this is one of the crucial details between this and the likes of your high-quality San Martin AliExpress specials (link to my most recent San Martin review here) that sit at around half the retail price.
This Maen dial comfortably blows away those in terms of polish and artisanship, despite the case construction being of a comparable level. Maen watches also have a consistent design language and a far clearer brand identity that raises them into a different league.
The Swiss-made label on top of that is a bonus.
There are other routes to go down if you're after pure specs, but for those after a classy, unique, and versatile design, the Greenwich is a noteworthy successor to the Hudson, despite the price jump.
Sometimes though, these crowdfunded brands don't turn out so great. In this post, you can see what happened when I tried to review a more devious brand that pulled every trick in the book.
