
Every day, the appurtenances of luxury watches become more and more attainable. The democratization of once-high-end complications and crafts has meant a flurry of intrepid brands seeking to put their own spins on classic elements and designs. One such brand is Manilone, which launched its debut enamel-dialed tourbillon last year in two iterations and now follows it up with a stunning sophomore offering, the Manilone G2, an integrated bracelet design equipped with a tourbillon and a striking guilloché enamel dial, all at an unbeatable price.

Manilone — a portmanteau of mania and lone, representing the brand’s steadfast and singular commitment to exceptional craftsmanship — has only ever made tourbillon watches with enamel dials, claiming a niche for itself that allows it to perfect the creation of its timepieces. With its debut G1, the brand showed its penchant for exceptional craftsmanship via a trio of brightly colored grand feu enamel dials with apertures displaying their tourbillons and graceful feuille hands traced the time. But the brand upped the ante with the G1-S, replacing the stainless steel bezel, crown, and midcase with a single piece of sapphire crystal. The all-new G2 adds another dimension to the brand’s impressive catalog, with an expertly designed integrated bracelet design that brings the brilliant depth of guilloché to the dial.

The Manilone G2 moves on from the more traditional case design of the G1 and G1-S, taking inspiration from medieval church architecture and its use of pendentive design that sees ciruclar and angular surfaces overlaid for dramatic effect. The artistic and innovative 42.5mm stainless steel case features a blend of finishes, with a two-tiered bezel with a polished octagon atop a brushed circle. The midcase affords dramatic angles and chamfers that slope into the integrated tapering bracelet. With a sapphire crystal and 50m of water resistance, the G2 not only delivers beauty, but functionality as well.

The Manilone G2 dial is brought to life through the basse-taille technique, which sees a machined guilloché pattern below the depth of the dial plate’s edge. With the low-relief engraving complete, and a rim around the dial plate, the translucent enamel is then carefully applied by hand.

The dial artisan first prepares the enamel materials by mixing them with water in an agate bowl, then using an agate stick to grind them down until the pigments turn into a fine powder. The excess water is poured out and the pigments dry. The pigments are then carefully painted on the dial, on both the front and back, which presents deforming during the grand feu firing process, in which the dial is placed in an oven at 800° C.

The enamel and firing process is repeated up to 3 times to achieve the desired thickness, after which the dial is fully polished to achieve a mirror-like finish. Finally, the dials receive painted markers and the brand’s name. Thanks to the basse-taille technique, the Manilone G2 dial reveals a dazzling display of texture and color as the light hits both the enamel and the intricate guilloché pattern.


To complete the Manilone G2, the brand has introduced a new variant of the Manilone MT tourbillon caliber, the Manilone Cal.MT-2, which sees the tourbillon repositioned to 6 o’clock. Seen through a sapphire caseback crystal, the hand-wound movement is attractively finished with brushing, polishing, and chamfers, with 19 jewels and a 60-hour power reserve at 28,800vph. While perhaps secondary to the dial, The Cal.MT-2 offers yet another dimension of elegance to the Manilone G2.

Pushing itself and the industry, the Manilone G2 sets a new bar for affordable excellence, pairing the prized tourbillon with an equally desirable guilloché dial and the high craft of grand feu enamel. The Manilone G2 will have a retail price of $1,180 USD, but is live for preorders now on Kickstarter, with pricing set at $799 USD for Super Early Bird, $839 USD for Early Bird, and $889 USD for all other backers. For more information, please visit the Manilone G2 Kickstarter page or the Manilone website.