Getting it right the first time - The Prosperity from Maystone

Making a watch, a good one it’s about balance. At some point in a project, you lose the sight of what it should have been and end up with something completely out of the curve. This is not to say that it wouldn’t work, but everything can become less predictable and less attractive too.

With a good concept and understanding of what makes a watch stand out, a brand should be able to design a good piece, and this is what happens with GMT watches. The fundamental attraction (at least for me) is that travel zone watches create nostalgia around that ‘’jet set life’’ we saw in old magazines, those moments when travels were marketed as luxury and not as convenience. 

To achieve this very particular feeling, a GMT should be slender, elegant but still need to be able to blend with that tool like approach. This is the main reason why those 44mm forged carbon rubber strap traveller watches don’t work for me. Sure, they are functional, but they are missing the essence.

With all of the above, there is no surprise when I say that Rolex GMT Master is the clear default choice. Not only is one of the first watches that managed to shrink the earth to our wrist, but it also conveys even until today, that luxury message very well. Of course, all this refinement comes at a cost.

Now, while everyone is trying to copy the GMT Master pattern and that includes Rolex sister brand Tudor, there is a handful of brands that reinvented the design and avoid the watch to feel like a carbon copy. Again, it is hard because luxury is something that is not tangible but also functional, with a GMT watch you are bound by certain rules like a 4th hand and a 24-hour scale.

Here is where I came across Maystone Watches and their first release: The Prosperity.

I quite enjoy the background from the brand. Founded in the UK, Maystone Watches take inspiration in birds of prey, and yes it might be a niche inspiration, but it makes so much sense in terms of colours and design while being a travel watch. The sharpness of the details is well represented; we will come those later.

Back to watches, in my love affair with the Clint Eastwood Rolex “Rootbeer”, the Prosperity Golden Eagle made me stop my endless IG scroll. It’s a design that evoke everything I loved about my ultimate hero but avoiding being an homage. I entered the site looking at the specs first because I knew I was going to be disappointed by the huge size and no, it was restrained at 38mm, so then I moved to the price. Well, it was the most affordable GMT I’ve seen in the UK which I had to get my hands on and now, here it is. Let’s begin.

The specifications 

The case is what drew me to it more to the watch, mostly its size. At 38mm with a short lug to lug of 46mm, the Prosperity wears great on my 6.26-inch wrist, the twisted lugs, flat sapphire glass and solid case back, also aids to the unobtrusive wearing experience. The finishing transitions of the case are quite good, they are polished where they need to be, like the bezel and the middle links in the bracelet, this gives a more elegant look to the Prosperity. At the same time, the side of the case and the clasp are brushed to avoid those common scratches that we do not like, it is a simple but effective trick that I’ve only seen in this watch.

The matte dial is also quite impressive, mainly because you find elements of different watches like trapezoid applied markers which you can find in a Grand Seiko, or the orange hand reminding you of a Rolex 1655. In the end you do not associate this watch with them unless you know what you are looking for.  The 24 hours scale is mounted in the rehaut and has a grey-white division to indicate night and day for the second time zone.

The lancet hands also make an appearance, and they look sharp and well finished, I am hoping the pictures can make justice. They are filled with Superluminova matching the small dots at the periphery of the dial.

I quite enjoy the symmetry of the Prosperity, the logo at 12 is printed and it is unobtrusive, while the date at 6 o’clock matches well with the rest of the colour scheme. Speaking of the colour scheme, our watch the Black Hawk, is one of the three versions available, sure we are fan of the most popular already sold-out Golden Eagle (the Serenity Sky is now also sold out), but the black and orange theme reminds me of that 1655 mentioned before, which is also my all-time favourite watch.

The Prosperity uses the NH34 Seiko movement, it works well and provides the watch (thanks to its screw down crown also) a water resistance of 100 meters. It is an adequate specification for a perfect all-rounder.

On the wrist

We already mentioned the specifications in numbers but, one of the most important is the 11.5mm in height. This is key for the Prosperity as the watch is aimed to be an everyday companion, and I truly believe it excels in this department.

One of the aspects to consider is how comfortable it is to wear, and the Prosperity has some good tricks apart from the case design to provide the wearer a better experience. One of the firsts is features I’ve notice is that the steel bracelet tappers to 4mm in total before getting to the clasp. At the same time, the solid end links curved completely down at the top of the lugs, it is a true 46mm lug to lug watch. Coming back to the clasp, the on-the-fly micro adjustment is a welcome addition because it provides that extra comfort for a perfect fit with no tools. Another big detail, at least for me, is that the watch has real screws to adjust the bracelet links, not push pins which at this price point was the expectation, more on the price later.

I wore the Prosperity mostly at the office, well in fact, I have been using it since it arrived. It works well in every situation because of its size and because of the version we are looking at (the Black Hawk), the versatility of a black watch is unmatched.

Concluding thoughts

Now we need to go to the best part of the watch which is the price. The Prosperity is currently priced at 349 GBP which to me is unbelievable, it packs quite a bit of refinement and an original design that cannot be mistaken for anything else.

Sure, we can talk about how a luxury watch should be positioned in terms of pricing and that the word affordable takes a bit of exclusivity, but if you are a watch enthusiast, the Prosperity is a watch made to a much higher standard that the price suggests and adding one of the most useful complications out there.

I would have to say that after wearing it for so long, it has become a watch that made me rethink on some of the current watches I own. I do not have large watches but the fit and feel of the Prosperity has been so spot on for my wrist, that I want to try an experience more watches at this size.

It would be great to see what other combinations of this original design Greg (the founder) would be able to come up with, I have to say that the Golden Eagle is still calling me and I might have to get in one to review, but so far this dark companion has seen my wrist more than any other watch in my watch box. Perhaps the Serenity Skies (the blue one) will have the same effect? I am confused again! This hobby is sometimes terrible.

For more information, please visit https://www.maystonewatches.com/store/p/pre-order-maystone-prosperity-black-hawk

Technical Specifications

·       Dial - Matte with raised GMT ring

·       Lug-to-lug length - 46mm

·       Lug width - 20mm

·       Case diameter - 38mm

·       Crystal - Flat sapphire crystal

·       Clasp- On-the-fly adjustment

·       Overall thickness - 11.5mm

·       Caseback - Engraved Maystone logo

·       Crown - Screw-down, stainless steel

·       Movement - NH34 (GMT + Date)

·       Water resistance rating -10 ATM/100M

·       Bracelet - Quick-release, 4mm taper