Things are such nowadays that it’s easy to find any type of watch at any price. That is thanks to the micro/independent market which has boomed in the past ten years or so. We find ourselves in a situation where amateurs of professional-grade dive watches can acquire one for a few hundred dollars. Those who aspire to reenact the first ascent to Mount Everest can do so for a small wad of green bills. And for those of you who fancy fuss-free solar chronographs, then you can acquire one too. That’s the beauty of the time we live in and I feel things are going to only get better. (Read: we’re going to get more and more options at prices that range from that of a nice dinner for two all the way to the cost of a family vacation to the Caribbean.) 

Today’s protagonist perfectly illustrates those times. The Maven MUS Solar Chronograph C-04 C.Gray P, along with all of its six siblings which come in other colors and which also have long names, is a fun, colorful, and we'll-spec'd chronograph which can be had for the reasonable price of $289 USD (that is the discounted price offered at the time of writing this review. Full retail is $340 USD.) I’ve taken a look at a Maven before and enjoyed how it presented a new take on the field watch genre. One where a rugged timekeeping device seemed to have been designed in the famed Bauhaus School of Design. And while the chronograph is a different watch, I’d argue we can see in it some of the similar vibes. 

Specifications 

The Maven I looked at a couple of months back came with a beefy case and this chronograph does too. And here its stated dimensions correspond to the somewhat imposing feeling I get when strapping it onto my wrist: 40mm in diameter, 49.1mm lug-to-lug, 13.2mm thick, and coming with a 20mm lug width. These dimensions seem abnormally generous for a watch of this type, however the MUS Chrono does come with a few specs which can help understand why that is. First and foremost, it is equipped with a thick piece of inner-domed sapphire crystal (you can tell how thick it is when looking at the dial distortions from a dramatic angle.) Second, it comes with 100 meters of water resistance even though the crown does not screw-down. The Maven field watch had similar specs and there must be something about the latter’s construction which explains this particular depth rating. 

I imagine, although I’m not sure, that a solar chronograph movement must occupy more vertical space than a three-hander solar caliber does, which could further explain the MUS Chrono’s beefy figure. And since Maven is into doing things in ways that are unusual*, we can also find a decent application of what I assume is BGW9 SuperLuminova on the hour and minute hands as well as tiny lume plots at the one-hour increments on the dial. (I say I assume it’s BGW9 because it glows ice-blue.) Another trademark of Maven watches are the ultra comfortable Marine Nationale elastic straps which are indeed the most comfortable and softest I’ve ever encountered in my career thus far. (Please Maven, tell me where I can get some for myself?) Luckily, the straps are thin and light which offsets the larger and heavier case.  

*Here I mean that mashing together a chronograph with a minimalist/Bauhaus design is atypical, so it is to add lume on the hour markers and hands while having tiny crowns and pushers—as we will see below. 

Lastly, and speaking of which again, the case is made of 316L Stainless Steel which has been bead-blasted to give it a subtle, utilitarian appearance. I must say that the sand-blasting is superbly executed as it is evenly applied and soft to the touch, as if the case had been polished after the fact. But what do I know? Exactly, I don’t. Nevertheless, the case finishing is neat and we can find the same treatment on the engraved buckle/keeper apparatus equipping the strap. 

Design

We do indeed find ourselves with an unusual design for the case and dial. The former is tall and long while the crown and pushers are small, indicating that Maven was truly going for a minimalist look as stated on its website. However, the lugs are rather short and I like the straight portion which sits between them as it makes straps look better since there isn’t a gap between them and the case. Furthermore, the lugs become the bezel—or the bezel is part of them—which gives the MUS Solar Chrono’s case an additional, distinct seamless look. I liked how thin and tall the crown on the three-hander was and I find myself enjoying the indeed small crown and diminutive chronograph pushers present on this model. I don’t understand why Maven opted to make them so small, however it doesn’t preclude them from being functional. 

The dial for its part is a joy to look at, especially in this color variant. Its main section comes with a stone gray color on which are printed the hour markers and minute track in white, which makes them easy to see. The hands and markings on the three sub-registers are also white but set against a light mint/gray background which makes them easy to read. What is unusual and certainly due to the caliber within—a “Japanese Solar Movement” as indicated on the website—is the fact that the large yellow hand is not attached to the chronograph function but instead to the normal timekeeping one. The sub-register at the three is a 24-hour indicator, the one at the six for the chronograph seconds, and the one at the nine a 30-minute totalizer. 

We do find ourselves with an unusual movement and unusual chronograph functionality. I’ve got to admit that this is not the most useful way to time an event using a chrono, however I would say that it does make for a symmetrical dial layout. And one nevertheless gets a 30-minute totalizer which can come in handy in more than one situation. 

The Heart of the Matter

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Maven has created another atypical take on a classic genre of watches. When I think of chronographs I immediately picture the Omega Speedmaster or a TAG Heuer Carrera in my mind, or one of the myriad of homages and re-interpretations we’ve seen being made by staples of the watch industry as well as newcomers. As you’ve heard me say before, coming up with a new design for a type of watch we’ve seen too often is not an easy task and I appreciate how Maven approached this project. Granted, the MUS Solar Chronograph wasn’t designed to be a tool watch, rather I believe it was created with the intent of giving people who like the appearance and functionality of chronographs an affordable option they could add to their collection. 

Over the past three years I’ve learned that there are many types of watch enthusiasts and collectors. One of them seeks to acquire watches that have a certain look which is the main element of what gives them so much joy wearing said watch. More so than having a professional-grade, tough-looking chronograph which retails in the thousands of dollars and which can claim to have made it the Moon Surface. Because not all watch enthusiasts are attracted by particular designs for the same reasons. For example, I love straightforward tool watches because I privilege superlative legibility above all else. And someone else would be looking for something different in a similar type of watch (e.g., heritage, functionality.)  

Conclusion 

Retailing for $289 USD, the Maven MUS Solar Chronograph C-04 makes for a neat package. Design-wise, it comes with its own DNA and good quirks. Mechanically, it is equipped with a solar chronograph movement (although one the reference of which remains a mystery,) a sapphire crystal, 100 meters of water resistance, a killer strap, and a reasonable application of lume. So the MUS Chronograph is indeed a well-made watch and it is the combination of its specs and price which makes it fun to have in anyone’s collection. As mentioned in the intro, the MUS Chronograph collection comes in multiple color variants to fit everybody’s preferences. 

I suggest taking a look at Maven’s website to check out all available colors. This model is currently listed for immediate purchase and shipping as of August 2024. 

Thanks for reading.