Isochrono: With regards to Maurice Lacroix, I (Adi Soon; AS) personally prefer the watches from the Masterpiece collection –  I own four afterall. So tell me, with all the emphasis these past few years on the Aikon collection, has Maurice Lacroix forgotten the fans of the Masterpiece watches?

SW: I don’t know if you are aware of this, but for Only Watch this year,  we have a very nice sapphire cased Masterpiece watch based on the Gravity, which you like, but this time with a skeletonised movement. Obviously when brands do something special for Only Watch, some version of what is shown, in some form, will become available in the future, especially if the concept is accepted by watch enthusiasts. For this year, other than that, we will have a Masterpiece that is part of a very nice collaboration towards the end of the year. 

Also something else to take note of, the 50th anniversary of Maurice Lacroix is coming up in 2025, so we will be planning to showcase some fresh new movement developments which we have already been working on. As you know, movements take a minimum of three to five years to develop.

AS: Are there any general directions you will be taking with these new Masterpiece watches that you can share?

SW: Well, one feedback that has come up quite a few times is that the base movement on the Masterpiece watches is quite big, especially for our friends from Asia, resulting in watches that range from 43 to 45mm in width. This limits the number of people who can wear these watches. For the next generation of movement development, we’ve been working on sizing things down, bringing our Masterpiece line towards smaller case sizes. The sweet spot is probably around 40 to 41mm. 

Other than that, more interesting complications, like we always do with the Masterpiece line.

AS: So you’re not ignoring us then – the Masterpiece lovers? 

SW: Not at all. There are many things we can do, but we continue intelligently, and step by step. The Aikon collection has been very successful for us and we will continue to develop it and make it grow. And of course, recently with the launch of the Pontos S Diver, we kind of rediscovered another icon, with fans of the previous model, loving the improvements in the latest version. All these activities are important since with this stable base, we can invest in our Masterpiece developments. 

AS: As you know, Baselworld doesn’t exist anymore, and the two main watch shows that exist, Watches and Wonders, and Geneva Watch Days, are both in Geneva. Maurice Lacroix has been doing something very interesting in recent years that is different from everyone else – which is to take over the entire East West Hotel in Geneva.

It’s an utterly unique concept since you have everything you need in one place – meeting rooms, product showcase rooms, a restaurant and cafe, and even accommodation for yourself, your staff and your retailers. 

SW: In the beginning, we were not sure if this would work. But I have to say that, after the past few years here, we have definitely found something unique.

We call it the “House of Maurice Lacroix”, and the ambience of this particular hotel absolutely represents how our brand behaves and what we want to be. There’a a kind of casual, relaxed vibe, coupled with top notch service, and this is the kind of hospitality that we want to offer to the press and retailers who come to see us. If you’ve seen our boutique in Bangkok, you’ll understand the kind of environment that we’re going for. 

With the demographics of our customers, we find this hotel to be the best way to communicate our brand to those that we see. We could have been part of the main fair, in a big hall of very high end luxury brands, or we could have situated ourselves in a very posh and chic five star hotel like the Beau Rivage, but ultimately these options didn’t make sense for who we are, as a brand. 

AS: One of the things I’ve really enjoyed, since staying here thanks to your kind invitation, is the sense of camaraderie between everyone who is here, retailers, your staff, and other press, can have in the evenings, when we can all forget about work for some time, and just socialize as human beings. It’s a very nice concept, so congratulations for that. 

SW: Thank you. So far, it’s worked out well and we can definitely see ourselves continuing this format for the foreseeable future.

AS: The new Aikon Urban Tribe Skeleton is the second edition of the engraved case and bracelet concept that started with the first Aikon Urban Tribe watch. Can you explain to me from your point of view, why the first edition was so well received?

SW: First of all, how we stumbled upon this idea was a complete coincidence. There is a Hungarian artist who is a professional engraver with his own engraving workshop, who decided to engrave his own Aikon watch, and posted a picture of the result on Instagram.

When we saw it, we thought that it was so cool and that we had to bring it to more people. His watch had a more flowery and roundish design, but because Maurice Lacroix is a modern brand, we developed a design that’s a bit more square and symmetrical, and something inspired by architecture. 

With our initial prototype, we liked it, but we were not sure what other people would think. When we started showing it around, the response was overwhelmingly positive, and so we decided initially to do 100 pieces. But surprisingly, as we showed more and more people, the interest just kept on increasing. In the end we decided to make a limited edition run of 500 pieces. 

Given how we started this journey, we were shocked that all the 500 pieces sold out quickly.

Why was it so well received? Well, I think that the design was exceptional, and the idea was cool and different. That’s probably why.

AS: So this new version that you’re showing at Geneva Watch Days is the second edition, what did you decide to do differently with this one? 

SW: Despite the success of the first edition, one of the feedback we received was that it was too big, so now the second edition of the Aikon Urban Tribe comes in a smaller 39mm case, which I think will be comfortable for more people. 

The second most obvious difference is that the dial in the new version is skeletonized, as opposed to the Clou de Paris pattern on the dial of the first one. I think the skeletonized dial fits better with the whole concept of the watch, because the bridges are also skeletonized, with the lines that you can see reminding you of the design on the case.

We’ll of course bring something new in the future along these lines, and it will be even more exciting. I’m really curious to see how the response will be on the next one since I already know what it looks like, and I think it’s going to be fantastic.

AS: So how do you produce the engraving?

SW: Of course the original piece was hand-engraved, and we asked the artist if he could produce 500 watches for us. That was a bit of an issue it turns out as it takes two weeks to engrave each watch. 

So we had to find an alternative solution with our suppliers, and settled on a chemical engraving process that we used for the final product. The interesting thing about chemical engraving compared to laser engraving is that the quality is much better. The designs have more definition. If you compare the results from both side by side, you’ll see the obvious difference in quality.

AS: Finally, regarding sustainability, you’ve introduced a new camouflage pattern to a series of four new Tide watches. So, camouflage plus sustainability – explain.

SW: When we launched the Tide collection, we did 10 color variants that we thought would largely remain in the collection, and that we could upgrade slowly over time. What we realized though, was that, with Tide being a much younger product, and with lower pricing compared to the classical mechanical steel watches, we had to be a bit more dynamic in our approach. 

Why camouflage then? Well, it’s trendy now, and something that the audience of the Tide collection would resonate with. In terms of the colors we chose, we decided to take a “fashion” approach. If you look at the first Tide collection, you’ll realize that the bright colors tend to have a more spring/summer kind of vibe.

The new camouflage watches however have a more fall/winter kind of vibe.

Of course, we’re not gonna be as strict or as productive as the fashion industry, bringing new colors every quarter, but we will certainly bring new and surprising models two, three times a year, including new collaborations, which work great with the Tide watches.

First established in order to raise funds for research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy via the auction of unique watches from participating brands. This goal has progressed steadily along since then, with the funds raised over the years contributing to the milestone of the first clinical trial of a new ASO-tricycle-DNA designed for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy that will take place in 2022.

It hasn’t only benefited medical search however, for watchmaking, the Only Watch auction has allowed brands to debut new concepts and ideas in watchmaking, also allowing collectors the opportunity to buy unique pieces from a wide variety of brands instead of just from the usual suspects, and this on a somewhat regular basis.

In fact, comparing my experience with the earlier editions of the Only Watch auction which were relatively low key affairs, I have seen a steady growth in its importance to watchmaking. There is now a palpable sense that this is an event as worthy as the “real” auctions, given how at the recent exhibition hosted by The Hour Glass, at the Singapore stop of the 2021 edition’s tour around the world, more days and appointments slots had to be added to cope with the overwhelming interest. 

The nice thing is, unlike a regular auction where you try to get a watch as cheaply as possible, participating in the Only Watch motivates you to bid higher because the proceeds go to a good cause. 

Well, I won’t be bidding at the auction that will be held tomorrow on the 6th of November 2021 in Geneva, but I, along with contributor Martin Goh (see part two), go though some of our selections that we would bid on, if our bank accounts could support it. 

Bell & Ross BR-01 Cyber Skull Sapphire 

Bell & Ross has been making skull themed watches for some time, offering a wide variety of types over the years to the point that they are the only brand that seems devoted to the theme. Their contribution to Only Watch is a sapphire cased version of what I would consider their best Skull watch – the Laughing Skull – one that you can read about here. 

This time it’s called the Cyber Skull, and the reason why is that it is made of faceted orange sapphire, and this against a striking transparent sapphire case. The custom movement – BR.CAL.309, designed in the shape of the skull is available to view in all its glory because of this. 

As well, the owner of this watch can adjust the position of the mandible of the skull when winding, and then view it move up and down as the watch runs and the mainspring unwinds. 

MISS AUDREY SWEET FAIRY ONLY WATCH by Bovet 

This is a cute ladies piece that seems simple on the surface, yet knowing that it’s a Bovet, the essential question to ask is – what’s so special about this? 

Well, it’s all in the orange background of the miniature painting of “Miss Audrey Sweet Fairy”. It is sweet not just in name, but literally, as the dial is made out of pure sugar. It’s a new and patented technique by Bovet, and the sugar crystals coloured orange, are visible when you peer closely at the surface. 

It is definitely a surprising realization, a bit out of left field perhaps, but overall a cohesive idea taken to a logical conclusion. “Miss Audrey Sweet Fairy” as well has some integrated Super Luminova so it might look interesting in the dark, although I haven’t been able to see this in the press pictures. Would love to though. 

Lastly, thanks to the way that the case is constructed, this is a piece that can transition from being worn on the wrist to being worn as a pendant. 

Highlife Monolithic Manufacture Only Watch 2021 by Frederique Constant 

For a start, it’s worth pointing out that Frederique Constant’s new one piece silicon escapement that was launched early this year (Read our article here) is the fastest beating oscillator in a mechanical watch ever created. It is a technical marvel that uses the special qualities of silicon to run at an unprecedented speed of 40 Hz.

This Only Watch version of the Highlife Monolithic manufacture comes in an 18K rose gold case, an open dial decorated with blue Côtes de Genève and the Monolithic Oscillator taking pride of place at the 6 o’clock position. 

Personally, it was exciting to see this watch as I have not been able to see the Monolithic Oscillator in person due to it not being available yet in Singapore. For Frederique Constant, it’s certainly a great way to get the technology in people’s hands, and it’s definitely one of the great ways that the Only Watch auction can be a platform to showcase the more nerdy side of watchmaking to the wider world.

Martian Tourbillon Only Watch by Konstantin Chaykin

The Joker series of watches from Konstantin Chaykin, has grown to become a signature offering from the brand, and it’s nice to see that the idiosyncratic design can evolve to take on slightly offbeat ideas. 

The Martian Tourbillon Only Watch therefore is billed the first first Martian tourbillon, as it runs based on the Martian minute, making a revolution every 61.65 seconds. This makes the watch not very useful here on earth, since the time shown will be a little bit out of sync at first, and more as the days go on. The main advantage however is that you’ll be ready with a watch to wear when the selection process happens for human beings to go to Mars. Or, if it takes longer than your natural lifetime for this to occur, you can use this watch to keep track of Martian time while viewing the inevitable broadcasts that come from the drones and rovers that will be sent first to conduct reconnaissance. 

Aikon Master Grand Date Only Watch 2021 by Maurice Lacroix

I have a particular affinity for the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Master Grand Date that was launched at Watches and Wonders 2021, since it was based on one of my favourite watches from the brand, the Gravity. (Read my love letter to the Gravity here). Now rendered in a sportier Aikon case, it continues to expand the offering of complicated watches for the Aikon line. 

As the current flagship model for Maurice Lacroix, it’s nice to see the Aikon Master Grand Date rendered in an unexpected manner for Only Watch 2021 since it does show the potential of this model being extremely sporty. 

The carbon fibre case is the main draw here, and the motivation for this is the brand’s involvement as the Official TImekeeper of Mahindra Racing, in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The carbon fibre of the case and bezel comes from an actual Mahindra Racing car, which does make the collaboration much more meaningful. 

It would have been nice to have the colours (red, blue and white) from the racing team on this watch, but I can understand why Mautice Lacroix went with orange, as it is this year’s colour for Only Watch 2021. 

This watch does show the tantalizing possibility of Maurice Lacroix introducing carbon into a standard production Aikon Master Grand Date, which I would look forward to. If not, the new owner of this watch will be able to enjoy a full VIP hospitality package at any 2022 round of the ABB FIA FOrmula E World Championship with the only carbon AIkon Master Grand Date to exist. 

Tudor Black Bay GMT One  

This version of the Tudor GMT is interesting as it marks the second release of a Master Chronometer watch from the brand, following the one in the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic that was launched earlier this year. 

It was a surprise move when the Black Bay Ceramic was launched, making use of the extremely stringent certification that until that point had only been used by Omega. 

It’s great that this Black Bay GMT, a very popular piece in the Tudor line up, (read about it here) receives this technically forward certification, which might point to future production versions also having it as well. Though that is not the only interesting thing about this watch. The grey coated steel case and bracelet have been processed with a secret ageing technique that makes this Black Bay GMT One very cool. 

Will we see a new Black Bay GMT updated to Master Chronometer spec, or maybe other Black Bay watches with this new aged aesthetic? If one of both of these things happens, sign me up. 

Being the owner of a Maurice Lacroix Gravity and of an A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1, it’s obvious that I have a thing for off-centred dials. After all, moving the time sub-dial to a corner allows space on the front for other interesting things. In the case of the Gravity, it’s the huge dial side balance wheel. In the case of the Lange 1, it’s the power reserve and the big date.

So why am I bringing up these two watches in this article about the new Aikon Master Grand Date from Maurice Lacroix? Well, first of all, I think that the brand had people like me in mind when they created this watch. Second of all, I can’t help but think of the new watch as the result of what might happen when the essence of the Gravity and the Lange 1 are combined.

The Gravity part of it is obvious enough – there’s a generally similar layout with the huge dial side balance wheel and a small seconds sub-dial under the main time sub-dial on the right side. The main difference however is that the Gravity emphasised volume in its movement architecture, with a thick case matched with the bulbous box crystal, allowing the different dial elements to be placed on different levels.

The Aikon Master Grand Date by contrast is flatter in execution, and this is generally due to the aesthetics of the angular Aikon case.

In fact, I had a conversation with Thiébaut Bentz, Product & Marketing Director of Maurice Lacroix about this three years ago, when he showed me, an avowed fan of the Gravity, sketches of what would finally become the Aikon Master Grand Date today. Those were early days in the watch’s development, and the idea at the time was basically to put the dial design of a Gravity into an Aikon case.

I remarked at the time that it would be nice if the new watch could include a date complication as well, since it would suit the Aikon collection, and improve daily usability. To this idea, we pondered the question of how this could be done, given that the dial elements from the Gravity needed to remain the same. Many possibilities were discussed and, including one I proposed that was probably the best solution – a peripheral mounted indication of some kind that would go around the dial and not disturb the central elements with a typical date ring. Well, what finally was decided deep in the Maurice Lacroix manufacture is why the Lange 1 is under discussion today and the answer would come from the space that was occupied by the non-functional bridge of the Gravity.

So the Aikon Master Grand Date as the name suggests, has a big date, and its placement is very much reminiscent of the Lange 1, or if you want to be pedantic and correct, the self-winding Lange 1 Daymatic, which also has a big date on the left upper side of the dial and with the time sub-dial on the right.

Of course I am fully aware of the existence of the Glashütte Original PanoMaticInverse, which in comparison to the Aikon Master Grand Date, hits almost all the right notes, including with the position of the balance wheel on the front and the small seconds sub-dial, albeit with all elements reversed. But in this case I’m attributing the similarity more to Lange rather than Glashütte Original, since most of the Pano models have the big date window on the lower right of the dial, with the PanoMaticInverse being the lone exception. Or rather, what I mean more precisely is that comparisons will be made more spontaneously with the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 than with the Pano models from Glashütte Original.

Want to bring the comparison closer? How about this frame from the introductory video of the Aikon Master Grand Date with lines drawn across the dial elements all in a bid to impart harmony to the dial. If you’re familiar with the reams of text spilled describing the dial elements of the Lange 1 and how they’ve been arranged, this idea will be more than similar. There are slight differences of course due to the different dial elements that each watch has, but you get the idea.

The watch runs the Calibre ML 331 with a beat rate of 18,000 vph and a power reserve of 50 hours, which are identical specs to the Gravity, although it doesn’t have the latter’s silicon assortment including escape wheel and palette fork. The reason for this, as explain by Maurice Lacroix, was the relative fragility of these silicon parts, with chips found when inspected during service of customer watches. Thus the decision was made to revert back to more traditional materials in the new Aikon Master Grand Date.

The first version of the Aikon Master Grand Date will come in a blue colour scheme, with the time sundial with an embossed square pattern, against what looks like a blue grained backdrop. It comes in at a price of 7500 CHF on a bracelet plus strap or there is a possibility of buying the watch on the strap alone.

Obviously I have not seen the watch in person, but what I see is exciting enough for me to want to have this watch in hand to give you my thoughts. At 45mm wide and 15mm thick and with a screw down crown and 10 atm water resistance, it has Aikon durability with a little bit of “haute horology” in its design to make living with it that much more interesting than with a normal dial central minute and hour hand layout.

What’s more, the base movement can be developed further as a platform for different complications, since there is an efficient use of space now in the watch. Obviously there’s lots more about this watch to talk about, but I prefer to reserve my thoughts with a piece in the hand. Meanwhile you can check out this video from Maurice Lacroix with more details on the watch.

At this point, there already exists the Aikon Skeleton which came out last year and the slightly idiosyncratic Aikon Mercury Automatic with hands that would only tell the time when the watch is set at a certain angle, that both featured skeletonized movements.

This year however sees the debut of the Aikon Chronograph Skeleton which is undoubtedly the flagship of Maurice Lacroix’s 2020 novelties. What this watch essentially consists of is the brand’s Masterpiece Chronograph Skeleton 45mm, but placed into an Aikon case.

Afterall the movement is the same – a skeletonized Valjoux 7750 based movement modified to remove the 12 hour counter normally at 6 o’clock to create a bi-compax layout. As such, the main architecture of the movement is identical – as is the way that the skeletonization has been dealt with. Details such the cut out circular tracks for the running seconds sub-dial on the left and the 30 minute counter sub-dial on the right, as well as the mainspring visible at 6 o’clock are all there and present as expected.Both watches however are vastly different in their design intent, with the most notable change coming in the form of the bold and masculine Aikon case that changes the presentation of the movement drastically.

Along with the angularity of the case, with its straight lines, the chunky crown, and screw down pushers seen in previous automatic versions of the Aikon chronograph are all there.

The boldest change however has to be the way that the Aikon’s signature rider tabs on the bezel, have been modified in this watch. Whereas previously they were somewhat integrated in the round of the bezel, and then changed slightly in function with the Aikon Venturer, making them places for fingers to grip when turning the now rotatable diving bezel, but still largely looking the same.

However, in the new Aikon Chronograph Skeleton, these rider tabs now overhang the dial over the outer minute track with each engraved with numerals to mark out every 10 minutes. It is a slightly deconstructed look that some might say makes the watch feel incomplete in the bezel, but will provoke others to say that it echoes the intent of the movement itself, to be skeletonized.

The only splash of colour from the dial is the blued central chronograph seconds hand which gives a nice contrast against the almost monochromatic grey background made up of the skeletonized movement.

It might not be the easiest watch to read under all lighting conditions, but who are we kidding? Most skeletonized watches are not bought with this consideration in mind. Rather it is a source of pleasure and delight to see the movement in motion, particularly in a chronograph, where the owner can see the cam and lever system working when the pushers are depressed, along with the other highlights, such as the keyless works, gear train, mainspring and balance wheel, all doing their thing.

I like it. Its bold and brash with its large 44mm width, and with a 200 metre water resistance that seems at odds with the almost gentile nature of skeletonization, comes across as a vibrant clash of concepts that somehow manages to work.

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AIKON Chronograph Skeleton

Easily the headliner among the 2020 novelties, the AIKON Chronograph Skeleton uses the skeletonized bi-compax chronograph movement seen in their Masterpiece collection before and pairs it with the strong and masculine AIKON case. It is quite an impactful design with the lines of the stainless steel case echoing those of the visible movement, which as you can see above, is quite stunning.

AIKON ChronographThis new AIKON model, limited to 500 pieces, has a black sun brushed dial incorporating three snailed counters and a carbon-effect leather strap. It’s quite the looker but I’ll wait for the automatic version because this one is in quartz.

ELIROS Green Smoked & Rainbow

The Eliros Green Smoked Dial and Eliros Rainbow are ladies quartz watches that come in interesting colours. The Eliros Rainbow in particular, is one I want to have a closer look at because it does have a trippy effect when looking at the strap and dial.

Masterpiece Embrace

Its nice to see something from the Masterpiece collection and its the new Masterpiece Embrace that features a retrograde calendar and an unusual small seconds display the retrograde calendar at 5 o’clock on the dial doesn’t have numerals marking the time of the month but rather the phrase “Je t’aime, un peu, beaucoup, à la folie!”, which translate to, “I love you, a little, alot, to madness!”, probably an expression of how love changes over the course of a month.

The unusual small seconds display is made of of two hearts that rotate around each other with the points of each heart indicating the seconds via markings on the dial. It’s a difficult thing to explain until you see it for yourself and is a reinterpretation of the brand’s Square Wheel indication.

There are two versions of this watch, one with a blue aventurine dial as seen here, and another with white mother-of-pearl (not shown).

A love letter to the Maurice Lacroix Gravity

I see many watches in my time, and only a few make the cut enough for me to keep thinking about them again and again. The fourth time I encountered the watch, I could take it no longer, and decided that I had to buy it.

And so I’ve lived with my Gravity for about three years now, and even though I wear it once in awhile in my rotation, it is a watch that always makes me smile whenever I put it on. It is, without embellishing my words, just “beautiful”.

In fact, this is the only watch that I have owned that always gets a reaction from people who see it. They ask me if it’s a Breguet, and to that I joke that it is a Signature 1 from Greubel Forsey. Front facing balance wheels and some slight similarity in the arrangement of the dial elements aside, the Maurice Lacroix Gravity is singularly unique in the way that the design elements have come together to create an almost sensual object, curved in all the right places, and with a movement that seems to float under its glass crystal – the impetus to the name “Gravity” on which it was bestowed.

When I attended Baselworld one year and had it on my wrist, I was asked by the people from 80% of the brands I visited if they could have a look at it. I had to take it off and tell them what it was, and the common response – whether they knew about Maurice Lacroix as a brand or not, was that it was very beautiful. No other watch that I’ve worn, whether my own or on loan for review, no matter the price, has garnered such a universal reaction of praise before in my experience.

In fact, I would agree with what my friend, respected Australian watch writer Bani McSpedden, another fellow owner of this watch, has said of it, that it represents Maurice Lacroix at its peak.

The version that I own was part of the first pair of releases that came at its initial launch, with the first being more classically oriented in nature, with roman numerals, brown leather strap and a main plate with colimaçon or a snailing finish. The one I chose is without doubt more modern in its outlook, with an anthracite PVD case that is just purer in showcasing the forms of the watch.

On the wrist, the 43mm case sits relatively tall due to the height of the box crystal, yet it is not overbearing due to the strongly tapered lugs that hug the wrist as it extrudes from the case. Yes, there are no complications – it only tells the time – but I am willing to forgive this due to the entertaining sight of its balance wheel moving, which is relatively large in diameter and that beats at a leisurely rate of 18,000 bph – all the better to have something to stare at while admiring the dial.

What’s even better, is the view of the silicon assortment and oscillator just next to and under the balance wheel, that gives the watch that special technical touch that elevates it to another level. It is apparently coloured differently in every watch on purpose, in various shades of blue to purple which is a nice little detail to know that the watch is yours and yours alone.

Due to the balance wheel on the front of the watch, the view round the back is sparse, and is mainly covered with an impressive grand colimaçon and an automatic winding rotor. Yes this is an automatic watch, something which is quite rare in this type of high-horology piece, yet it does make sense, since all the goodies are up front, just like the Glashütte Original Panomatic Inverse, which is also sparse in its caseback view.

The automatic winding makes the Gravity useful as a daily watch, helped by the 50 hour power reserve. My version, with the anthracite PVD coating has held up well, with nary a mark of wear on the case, something that the executives of Maurice Lacroix were very pleased with when I showed the watch to them.

Certainly this is a calibre that is so unique that it is not an off the shelf one that has been modified to look this way. A lesser known fact that might surprise many is that Maurice Lacroix is a movement manufacturer, with the ML230 that beats within the Gravity being the 13th in-house movement from the company.

How much do I love the Maurice Lacroix Gravity? Well, I did two things that might qualify me as the world’s biggest fan of this watch.

The first, in anticipation of wanting to wear this watch more, I got a stainless steel deployant buckle and had it PVD coated independently. I also ordered a similar black strap that would take my now PVD coated deployant buckle and converted my watch from the standard pin buckle. So if you turn up at a boutique asking for this watch with a deployant buckle, you will be out of luck, and might have to go through the steps I did to get one.

The second thing I did, was that I dreamed up different versions of future Gravity watches that could be made and gave them a bunch of cool names – see below.

There are currently six variations of the Gravity available now that have obviously not had my design involvement in them, but you can see that they are also cool, all the same. With a strong fundamental design, it seems that the Gravity can look good in all its variations.

This is why, as much of a fan of this watch that I am, I am sad that it’s not more widely known as one of the peak achievements of Maurice Lacroix and acquired by more collectors. Being a part of the Masterpiece line, the crazy, more experimental side of the brand, might be a reason, given that there are many watches in the collection that enthusiasts love and know well, such as the Double Retrograde and Mysterious Seconds.

Brand positioning and equity might be one issue, with the watches of Maurice Lacroix occupying too wide a price segment. Even though the Gravity, on balance, with its unique design, and features, is not absurdly crazy in price – 10,500 CHF, it might still be perceived as high for a Maurice Lacroix, that also occupies the low-end quartz segment.

Perhaps they can take a leaf out of Seiko’s book, in how they positioned Grand Seiko as a separate line with more premium features.

Yet this might be a task for a future time. The success of the Aikon collection within the past few years has no doubt become the brand’s focus, with many interesting watches that will be coming to make it a robust and full-bodied collection.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Venturer

While that is happening, on the Gravity, I encourage you to give it a chance. Have a look at your local Maurice Lacroix dealer if they have one in stock and see if it grabs you in person.

You might be surprised…

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It was a nice setup that might have continued again next year except a change has occurred prompted by the shifting winds that the watch industry is currently undergoing.

It seems that after a one year hiatus, Maurice Lacroix will return to Baselworld in 2020, which will be held from the 30th of April to the 5th May 2020, and immediately after the SIHH, which has shifted from its normal January dates to April next year.

Perhaps my melodramatic Instagram post (above) was a little premature but it’s good news all the same for me since I have always appreciated the tradition of attending Baselworld every year because of what it symbolises for the watch industry.

Maurice Lacroix is the first to join a new initiative by the management of Baselworld with their “Community District Initiative”. This comprises a number of large booths (or buildings as they call them) that will house up to three brands each in Hall 1.0.

This new arrangement implies a lower cost and a more customised solution for the brands, and will certainly make the most of the empty space left behind by Breitling, the Swatch Group and a number of other brands that have thus far departed the fair.

It looks to be an interesting step to stem the tide of brands leaving, and who knows who else will take up the offer to join them.

On the part of Maurice Lacroix, their participation in Baselworld will not mean a deviation from their current strategy of having regional press events around the world to showcase certain collections, like they did with the Aikon Venturer launch, that was held for the Asian press in Kota Kinabalu this year.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Venturer

Instead, Baselworld will augment what has already been initiated by the brand, and will be a part of a program of watch releases throughout the year, as is the practice that more brands are choosing to do.

Hopefully, more brands who have left will return with this new format for 2020. And hopefully as well, positive change comes not just from within the halls by this new initiative, but also from the hotels and restaurants just outside, who will refrain from the notorious practice of overcharging visitors.

Let’s see how it goes, but I look forward to seeing Maurice Lacroix back at Baselworld again. Sometimes dreams do come true.

Now a new extension has been introduced in the form of the Aikon Venturer, a diving watch that is certainly a logical addition, making good use of the signature case and bezel design of the Aikon collection, that was itself derived from the wildly successful Calypso in the 1990’s.

The new Aikon Venturer has all the standard specifications that one will expect from a diving watch – a unidirectional bezel for timing, a running seconds hand (necessary to indicate that the watch is working before one starts diving) and a robust water resistance of 300 metres. On that last point, it must be said that the earlier Aikon Automatics were no slouch when it came to water resistance, being rated to 200 metres. The new Aikon Venturer though takes it that bit further to 300 metres, touching the baseline for consideration as a serious diving watch.

With these basics covered, it is the details of the Aikon Venturer that mark it out. The six rider tabs on the bezel of the Aikon Automatic (Maurice Lacroix calls it the 6-arm bezel), a signature design detail in this watch, have been preserved on the diving bezel of the Aikon Venturer. In this case however, they have morphed from an aesthetic detail in the former to a technical one in the latter as well, as their inclusion has the benefit of allowing the wearer to grip and turn the bezel more easily – which is probably useful for its intended use underwater when diving. Compare the pictures below to see the difference in the bezel between a standard Aikon Automatic Black with its fixed bezel and an Aikon Venturer with its undirectional turning bezel.

Other details include a lumed arrow shaped index marker that points down at the 12 o’clock position, along with lume dots or bars on each hour marker – that allow the diver to orientate the watch when underwater, as well as the impressively large lume pip on the bezel.

While the watch itself boasts features aplenty that make it a suitable watch for diving, Maurice Lacroix themselves are keen to emphasise that this is a toughened up version of the standard Aikon watches, and are for those who would like to “venture” off the beaten path, with something that can take all forms of punishment that one might come across in an adventure, whether it is urban or otherwise. This is certainly evidenced by the promotional video that was released on the new watch.

Yet, whatever the intended use that owners will subject the Aikon Venturer to there is no doubt that it is a very handsome watch, particularly on the 5-link bracelet with brushed surfaces and polished edges that catch the light in a very attractive way. When it’s time to rough it out a little however, one can very easily switch to a rubber strap with the unique EasyChange System, which is done by pushing the two prongs seen in the picture below together to release it, and just pushing the replacement in, an effortless process for the owner indeed.

The Aikon Venturer is introduced in two variations with black and blue sun-ray brushed dials, and comes on either a stainless steel 5-link bracelet or dial matching rubber strap with the Maurice Lacroix “M” Logo for a total of four possible options.

The Aikon Venturer comes in at 43mm in diameter and is a welcome addition to a line up that has already been enjoying some amount of success since it was introduced. Certainly this has been due to the fact of its design, providing a strong foundation by way of the signature case and integrated bracelet. On the wrist, the ergonomics are good, with the weight of the watch head balancing wheel with either the rubber strap or the bracelet. The best of thing of all with the Aikon Venturer, and indeed for all of the standard models in the Aikon collection, is their wallet friendly price, coming in 1990 CHF for the bracelet version and 1850 CHF on rubber. In some markets however, there will be watches that will be sold as a full set, with both the bracelet and a matching rubber strap included together.

Me? I’m partial to the black dial version pictured below. It is a very handsome watch indeed that I would wear every day.

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