Maurice Lacroix AIKON Automatic & AIKON Skeleton: « Black Is Beautiful »
Press Release – Geneva Day 2019
Maurice Lacroix AIKON Automatic & AIKON Skeleton: « Black Is Beautiful »
Maurice Lacroix is showing off its dark side. The brand is adorning two automatic models from its AIKON collection in black PVD, each emblematic in its own way, with the cases, dials, hands and straps all radiating darkness.
The AIKON Line
The AIKON Automatic Black watches catch the eye in much the same way that their colour absorbs light. Their elegant, energetic curves express the modern, strong and masculine feel that Maurice Lacroix has injected into these models. Available as an automatic three-hand watch or with a skeleton movement, their monochromatic colour, level of detail and the energy that they give off provide these pieces with a real presence on the wrist. In this way, the AIKON Automatic models gain a new aesthetic style, in keeping with the intensity of their design. Maurice Lacroix continues to produce watches whose perceived value is considerably higher than their price, even with the rarity and exceptional characteristics of these two limited editions.
AIKON Automatic watches are descendants of the Maurice Lacroix Calypso. This steel watch was one of the brand’s iconic models in the 1980s and ‘90s and bore the same design codes that live on in the AIKON. The integrated and water-resistant case, the six-arm bezel surrounding a flat sapphire crystal and the strap marked with an applied M logo made this model with its exceptional presence the brand’s most iconic product. In 2016, Maurice Lacroix produced a contemporary reinterpretation of this iconic piece with the quartz AIKON. In 2018 automatic models continued the trend, enhanced in 2019 by this monochrome series.
The Three Hands
The AIKON Automatic is the heart and the essence of the AIKON collection. Clad in black, this piece reaches a new status. The power of its black PVD does not conceal the timepiece’s sandblasted treatment. Its matt finish covers its 42 mm diameter case, its screw-down crown, and its bezel with its six arms that are so characteristic of the AIKON. Its water resistance to 200 metres has of course been maintained. The Clou de Paris dial of the AIKON Automatic Black opens up a new way of playing with light. The same colour as the rest of the watch, it gleams with a particular vividness, as do the polished applied hour markers and anthracite hands that are coated in black Super-LumiNova. Nothing detracts from the watch’s absolute monochrome character.
The Manufacture Skeleton
The skeleton watch is a part of Maurice Lacroix’s history and watchmaking culture. The avant-garde character of the watchmaking manufacture was quickly made known through its innovation as well as the creativity of its models.
The Calypso Skeleton, the brand’s first creation of this kind, dates to 1993 and was followed by other timepieces of a similar stature, such as the Masterpiece Skeleton in 2007. This style has since served as Maurice Lacroix’s signature.
In a contemporary spirit, Maurice Lacroix has developed an anthracite skeleton. With a 45 mm steel case, it features satin-finished surfaces. Its edges are polished, as are the bezel’s six arms, a strong expression of the AIKON’s identity.
Under the black PVD-treated exterior, Maurice Lacroix has installed a manufacture calibre, the ML234. It is skeletonised according to an aesthetic principle that structures the mechanics. This is an original approach, and one that is rare at this price range, but it reflects the history of Maurice Lacroix’s Masterpiece collection, where skeletonisation has always been rhythmic and visual. Given structure by five concentric circles, bridge after bridge, the calibre ML234 radiates from the centre of the barrel at one o’clock. Its surface is black thanks to DLC coating. All of the components of the manufacture movement are openworked and micro-blasted, from the barrel, the nerve centre of the design, down to the oscillating weight.
Dark Straps
The two AIKON Automatic Black models come with a black calfskin strap that has been worked over to give it a textile look. The resulting texture and accompanying black topstitching only add to the allure of the case and dial. The strap closes by means of a triple folding buckle, which has also been coated in black PVD. To enhance their functionality and their ergonomics, the two AIKON Automatic Black watches use Maurice Lacroix’s very own EasyChange system for quickly changing straps. Thanks to a bar with two pins, it’s extraordinarily easy to change straps. With this watch, though, it’s an all-black look that’s best.
A Dark Icon Shining Bright
Strong and masculine without being excessively detailed or large, the AIKON Automatic Black models are self-assured in their dark and monochromatic character. These resolutely modern timepieces immediately catch the eye, in no small part because of their very high level of perceived value. The unique presence that emanates from their blackness bears witness to the power of the AIKON spirit.