Jewellery & Watch News
The luxury integrated sports watch is still one of the most popular designs on the market. Alongside the affordable Tissot PRX and the premium Bell & Ross BR05, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon sits nicely in the middle offering all the aesthetics you want at an impressive price point. Today, the Swiss watch manufacturer unveils a new addition to the collection with a beautiful openwork dial and a 39mm case, here’s the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton.
Originally introduced in 2016, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon revived the visuals of the brand’s 1990 Calypso watch, a design characterised by its integrated architecture which was pivotal to the brand's early success in the luxury watch industry. The Maurice Lacroix Aikon was first launched with a quartz movement before eventually expanding in 2018 to include several automatic variations. With automatic movements also came skeletonised dials, with previous Maurice Lacroix Aikon watches offering the openwork display within 43mm, 44mm and 45mm cases. Now for the first time, the Swiss watch manufacturer releases the skeleton face with compact, modestly sized 39mm stainless steel case.
All the familiar components of previous Aikon models appear in the new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm watch. There’s the centrepiece six-claw bezel with vertically brushed surfaces, a steep polished bevel, polished case side chamfers and flat sapphire crystal glass for exposing the movement from both the front and back of the watch. The integrated sports watch cues are all there too, including sharp faceted features, integrated lugs and a fluid five-link stainless steel bracelet. As for dimensions, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton opts for a diameter of 39mm and a height of 11mm. A screw down crown and screw in case back also assists in an impressive 200 metres water resistant rating.
For the dial of the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm watch, the Swiss watch brand takes inspiration from urban architecture. A series of custom skeleton bridges interlock around the centre and establish a more solid visual backdrop compared to previous, more complication skeleton Aikon designs, allowing for slightly better legibility of the Superluminova coated baton-shaped hands and bevelled rectangular indexes. The different layers of the movement are also treated to contrasting finishings for nice disparity including heavily grained sunbrushed finishing on the outer edges and sandblasted textures on the inner parts of the movement. As always, the Aikon Skeleton gives us an insight into the intricate parts of a mechanical movement that are usually hidden away, giving those of us with a passion for complex horology a treat into the workings as we watch components like the balance wheel oscillating backwards and forwards.
The movement put on display at the centre of the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton watch has been designed by famous movement manufacturer Sellita specially for Maurice Lacroix. The movement was created entirely for the use in skeletonised watches and it shows. Named the ML115 automatic movement, based largely on the Sellita SW200 calibre, you can see much of the same decoration at the back as you can see from the dial side including sunburst and sandblasted finishing but with a layer of anthracite plating for additional contrast. There’s also the addition of a cut out winding rotor which assists in the running of a 38 hour power reserve. We’re also assured a frequency rate of 28,800vph and a total of 26 jewels.
The Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm watch is available to order now as part of the brand’s permanent collection. If you’d like to learn more about the model and order it for yourself, head over to the C W Sellors website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 543453 or send us a message at sales@cwsellors.com.
Specifications:
- Case Size: 39mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Exhibition
- Water Resistance: 200 metres
- Movement: Calibre ML115 automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Jewels: 26
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Skeletonised with Superluminova hands and indexes
- Strap: Integrated five-row link bracelet in stainless steel
- Buckle: Folding
- RRP: £2,750
