IFL Watches Introduces The Maen Manhattan Paradox

IFL Watches is not kidding around when it comes to new releases. For its latest project, the brand used the Maen Manhattan 37 as the canvas to create a series of hand-painted dials inspired by geometrical art. The result is a watch that combines the angular ’70s style of the Manhattan with a colorful dial featuring strong shapes that complement the watch’s silhouette. Let’s find out more about this new IFLW Maen Manhattan Paradox.

IFL Watches is known to use several different watches for its dial customizations. This is the third time that the brand has used the Maen Manhattan for a project. The first two were the Manhattan Graffiti LE and the Manhattan After Dark LE, both inspired by New York’s graffiti culture. For this third collaborative effort with Maen, the team at IFLW chose a different direction. The new dial was inspired by New York’s geometrical art and architecture from the 1920s.

The details of the Maen Manhattan Paradox

Let’s kick things off with some specs. The Maen Manhattan 37 is one of the Swedish brand’s most popular models. It has a 37mm octagonal case with a 9.3mm profile and a 47mm lug-to-lug. The case is matched with a comfortable 22mm stainless steel bracelet that tapers nicely towards the folding clasp. Maen offers the Manhattan 37 with or without a date window, and for the Manhattan Paradox, IFLW chose the dateless version. As a result, the IFLW artists started with a nice, clean canvas.

As mentioned, New York’s iconic 1920s art, music, and architecture inspired the artwork for this dial. But it doesn’t stop there, as the straight lines also reference the Manhattan street map. It really brings together the multiple facets of New York’s early 20th-century culture, resulting in a colorful, multilayered composition.

The unique artwork of the Manhattan Paradox

The kaleidoscopic geometric composition uses sharp lines to frame a vibrant mix of color, chevrons, mesh, and two concentric Delaunay-inspired disks designed by the IFLW artists. These colorful disks refer to spinning jazz records, the music that would spill out of the basement clubs found all over Manhattan in the early 20th century. This vibrant dial uses the same color-blocking logic as the Orphism canvases by the famous 1920s artist Sonia Delaunay. Furthermore, each dial is hand-painted by the IFLW team, making it unique. They all show subtle differences in brushwork, color weight, and pattern alignment to ensure that no two pieces are identical.

Powering the Maen Manhattan Paradox is the Top Grade Sellita SW200-1. The automatic caliber operates at 28,800 vph and offers a 38-hour power reserve. Additionally, the movement is regulated in five positions, with an accuracy of ±4–15 seconds per day. Lastly, the caliber is visible thanks to the sapphire window in the case back, allowing you to see the movement in action.

Final thoughts on the IFLW Maen Manhattan Paradox

The IFLW team will produce 200 pieces of the Maen Manhattan Paradox. As always, they will be exclusively available starting today at 16:00 CEST on the IFL Watches website for €1,499 / US$1,499 / £1,290. Overall, this new Maen Manhattan Paradox continues the New York-inspired dial series. But instead of sticking to graffiti-style artwork, the brand has chosen a colorful new direction for this release. If you’d like one of the 200 available pieces, head over to Maen’s website before they sell out.