Saignelegier based manufacturer, Maurice Lacroix is revered for its varied catalogue of luxury watches spanning from modern and sporty to elegant and timeless. The luxury brand is considered a relatively young one. Founded in 1975 it has enjoyed almost half a century of expert timekeeping, manufacturing mechanical wristwatches respected for their accuracy and meticulousness. Over the years, the watchmaker has produced popular collections such as the Masterpiece, Aikon and Pontos, and has specialized in complications such as chronographs, moonphases and skeletonized watches that showcase some of the brand’s most complex skills in engineering. Since the 1990s, Maurice Lacroix has been specializing in the development of stylish mechanical watches. In 2003 it developed the Masterpiece Double Retrograde complication which was designed entirely in-house. Soon to follow this was the Masterpiece Lume Retrograde watch, launching just two years later.
Maurice Lacroix’s origins began in the silk trade. The Desco von Schulthess company, based in Zurich then branched out into the realm of timekeeping. A new facilities was set up in Saignelégier, Jura, which would eventually become the home to the Maurice Lacroix watch company we know today. It opened subsidiaries in Britain and Germany. Its main headquarters remains nestled in the Swiss Jura mountain to which this picturesque backdrop has become a strong inspiration for many a timepiece ever since. During the 1980s Maurice Lacroix decided to cease all production with third party labels, enabling it to venture forward as an independent establishment. The success experienced by the brand thereafter is captured in the designs of those Maurice Lacroix watches belonging to the Mechaniques collection. Its striking rectangular shape imparted an elegant feel on the wrist, combining its legible dial with functionality. These fundamental qualities led to the watches from the brand’s current Masterpiece collection today.
In 2008 Maurice Lacroix developed its own in-house Grand Complication with a memory function. It followed the first independently developed mechanical calibre ML 106 , which launched in 2006. The Masterpiece watch collection boasted skeletonized displays, moonphase indicators and retrograde features. The ability to be able to see into the heart of the movement from a watch’s dial side, of course, made each timepiece from the collection a novelty and a collectable item for many a watch enthusiast to own.
CNC technology is now combined with traditional watchmaking methods at Maurice Lacroix, enabling the manufacture to continue innovating fresh styles and unique designs that somehow still manage to appeal to the masses. Actor Ray Stevenson, musician Bob Geldof, golfer Justin Rose, and internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales are just a few names that have endorsed Maurice Lacroix watches over the last few years. Other achievements in Maurice Lacroix’s history include becoming official watch partner for FC Barcelona and the famous Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Other popular watch collections can be viewed within our extensive range here at C W Sellors, including the Eliros and Pontos lines, each family with a distinct style of its own.
