MAURICE LACROIX

Desco von Schulthess (established in 1889) began making timepieces under the brand name Maurice Lacroix in 1975. Desco von Schulthess largely produced watches for third parties after acquiring Tiara, an assembly factory in Saignelégier, Switzerland, in 1961. Maurice Lacroix became so successful that Desco von Schulthess in Saignelégier discontinued producing for third parties in 1980 to focus only on the brand. They bought casemaker Queloz S.A. in 1989, allowing the company to start producing important design components in-house. With popular designs and an appealing price-to-performance ratio, Maurice Lacroix developed quickly in the 1990s, eventually becoming an independent firm with its own workshops in 2001. The first in-house movement, the ML106 hand-wound chronograph, was debuted in 2006, establishing the business as a vertically integrated manufacturer. By 2010, the firm had 220 employees and 4,000 stores in more than 60 countries.

Maurice Lacroix's Masterpiece collection, which debuted in the early 1990s, is perhaps best recognized, with the Square Wheel series exhibiting both creativity and creative brilliance. A square and clover-shaped gear, entirely visible on the dial, flawlessly mesh together as they exhibit mechanical activity without the requirement for a fully skeletonized look, first released in 2010. The hours were displayed in a regulated fashion on the first Square Wheels, but subsequent pieces featured the seconds for a more lively exhibition. The brand is also recognized for retrograde displays, and the Masterpiece Square Wheel Retrograde dial was updated in early 2019 to include a retrograde calendar.

The Masterpiece Mysterious Second debuted in 2013 with a seconds hand that swung freely around a wide sub-dial with no set center. The sub-"background" dial's revolved with the hand, providing the appearance of a floating seconds hand, thanks to the in-house calibre ML 215. For a contemporary, playful design, the Masterpiece Gravity, released in 2014, revealed the in-house silicon escapement and large balance wheel (with a magnifying sapphire crystal). The set is completed with masterpiece timepieces with numerous retrograde displays. For more affordable price points, models include in-house calibres as well as Sellita automatics with in-house modules.

The AIKON collection debuted in 2016 as a reincarnation of the Calypso line, which first debuted in 1990 and was powered by quartz movements. These were more traditional sport watches and chronographs, with a special skeletonized variant (Aikon Automatic Skeleton) showing the new (Unitas-based) ML234 automatic calibre. The AIKON pieces, like other premium sports watches, have integrated cases with metal bracelet and leather strap choices. The movements are Swiss automatics that are outsourced, although this helps keep the pricing low. Since its inception, the brand has been synonymous with cheap luxury, with prices ranging from roughly CHF 1,000 to CHF 6,000, with AIKON sports watches costing less than CHF 2,000. Pontos, Les Classiques, Fiaba, and Eliros are some of the other collections available. Maurice Lacroix offers an incredible value for such unique luxury offerings, with innovative, stylish watches from a large portfolio, particularly from the Masterpiece and AIKON collections, which feature in-house movements, skeletonized aesthetics, multiple retrograde displays, and novelties like floating seconds.