Maurice Lacroix AikonIC Watch Review
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC is the latest product to emerge from the altitudinous town of Saignelégier. Sharing some familiar details with the brand’s best-selling AIKON collection, the new AikonIC dwells on a higher plane with its carbon dial, refined case execution and new ML1000 Calibre. Angus Davies recently travelled to the Jura for a behind-the-scenes look around the Manufacture and had the opportunity to get ‘hands-on’ with the new model. While visiting the Maison, Angus also took the opportunity to absorb the natural beauty of the region, a factor that clearly influences the Swiss brand’s products.
The influence of our surroundings
I was brought up amidst the dark satanic mills of Lancashire and my sepia-toned memories include the sight of foreboding skies, perpetually poised to unleash torrents of rain. The streets of my youth were lined with soot-clad buildings, the legacy of an industrial past. The reason for my sharing these recollections is that our surroundings can often shape how we think and, more pertinently, how we act.
Recently, I sat aboard a Swiss train bound for Saignelégier, a picture-perfect town in the canton of Jura and home to Maurice Lacroix. As I surveyed the scenery, I could not help but notice the rolling hills dressed in tall coniferous trees, seemingly nipping the clear blue sky. As I absorbed the verdant scene, I considered how this idyllic environment might influence the thoughts and behaviour of its inhabitants.
Eventually, I disembarked the train, which was stereotypically on time, and walked the short distance to the Maurice Lacroix Manufacture. A two-storey modern structure, it sits as ease with its surroundings. Endowed with vast windows, the Manufacture harnesses natural light, a valuable resource for those craftspeople working at benches, invariably with a screwdriver or pair of tweezers in hand.
Maurice Lacroix x terroir
The rural landscape influences the individuals working within the Manufacture and the watches they lovingly make. Like the character of wine being determined by the composition of the soil, climate, topography, etc, the ‘terroir’ clearly imbues each ML timepiece with a distinctive character; a function of being made in Saignelégier. For example, the brand’s ‘Vagues du Jura’ motif found embellishing some dials and movements was inspired by the aforementioned rolling hills. However, while the landscape of the Jura has proved inspirational, there are many processes that take place within the Manufacture that also confer character as well as product excellence, something I witnessed while touring the company’s facilities.
Image – Maurice Lacroix 1975 Automatic Vagues de Jura
In July, the Swiss marque kindly invited me to view a new model, the AikonIC, prior to its official launch this month. It does not require Hercule Poirot’s investigative powers to ascertain that this new collection shares some of its DNA with the AIKON, the Swiss firm’s best-selling watch. The letters ‘IC’ stand for ‘Innovative Craftsmanship’, a clear indication that the brand from the Franches Montagnes has employed some cutting-edge materials and know-how on this latest creation.
The Maurice Lacroix AIKON released in 2016
Back in 2016, I recall visiting the Manufacture and seeing the inaugural AIKON models. Initially powered by quartz movements, they shared a familial likeness with the Calypso, a highly successful model from the 90s. From the outset, the design of the AIKON was on point. The dial was enriched with a Clous de Paris pattern, the bezel was punctuated with six, double-width arms and the integrated bracelet delivered an extraordinary level of wearer comfort.
Buoyed by the success of the early quartz references, Maurice Lacroix went on to release mechanical versions of the AIKON in 2018. Intended to be urban from the outset, the AIKON immediately resonated with millennials and, subsequently, ‘genzers’.
While most watch brands have a penchant for marketing hyperbole, frequently proclaiming that a model is a success, there is a useful way to validate the popularity of a watch or collection. Few companies repeat failure, hence when a watch marque releases numerous colours, offers an array of case materials, different sized housings and several complications there is a strong likelihood they genuinely do have a ‘winner on their hands’. As Maurice Lacroix devotees will know, the number of references within the AIKON collection has grown considerably over the years and today comprises a myriad of potential ownership options. A clear indication the AIKON lives up to its name.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – the ultimate expression of AIKON ownership
On seeing the AikonIC for the first time, I immediately recognised the distinctive design of its bezel. Adorned with six, double-width arms, the AIKON’s DNA is much in evidence. Indeed, there is no need for a paternity test. And yet, while there is unquestionably a familial likeness, there is also a sense of newness and innovation.
Maurice Lacroix describes the AikonIC as the ultimate expression of AIKON ownership. So, what differentiates the AikonIC from its older sibling? Allow me to explain.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – carbon dial
For a numbers of years, several brands have offered watches equipped with carbon fibre dials; however, these have tended to be formed of interwoven carbon fibre strands, arranged at angles to form a herringbone-style weave. Likewise, there are other brands that have sold watches with forged carbon dials. In this instance, the fibres are mixed with epoxy resin, placed in a mould and subjected to heat and pressure, creating a random pattern.
The carbon dial found on the AikonIC is different. The fibres are unidirectional, running north to south, and appear as a series of grey and black lines. The subtle variances in the manufacturing process mean that each dial has its own unique appearance, imbuing each watch with a degree of exclusivity, a quality often prized by luxury watch buyers.
Typically, carbon dials have been the preserve of Haute Horlogerie; however, Maurice Lacroix has democratised this form of display, perpetuating its reputation for delivering ‘accessible excellence’.
Interestingly, when developing its carbon dial, the Swiss Manufacture ‘looked beyond the watch industry’ and collaborated with a specialist firm known for making ice hockey sticks. This carbon fibre specialist is based approximately 40 km from Saignelégier, a factor which was also important to Maurice Lacroix as it seeks to ‘create watches with a distinctive local flavour’.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – hands, hour markers, crown and bezel
When creating the AikonIC, Maurice Lacroix has repeatedly taken inspiration from the AIKON, while creating a wholly new product. The aforementioned double-width arms hugging the bezel have influenced the styling of the luminescent hour and minute hands, the hour markers and the crown.
The above images show the hands being fitted
However, Maurice Lacroix has not sacrificed practicality on the altar of style. The hands and indexes are eminently legible. Likewise, the conical-shaped crown is easy to grip and confers a pleasing tactility.
The crown and bezel are formed of ceramic, a material that has become increasingly popular in recent years, prized for its scratch resistance and its fade-free appearance.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – centre seconds, date display and sapphire crystal
The AikonIC does not overwhelm the wearer with excessive information. Indeed, the inventory of functions includes just hours, minutes, a centre seconds and date. However, when you appraise the dial at close quarters, you discover a plethora of subtle nuances and considered details that coalesce, delivering a harmonious mien.
For example, look closely at the date display and you will note that the numerals sit upon a disc, executed in the same colour as the main dial. This may sound like a small detail, but it is considered horological etiquette among purists.
During my visit, I affixed the AikonIC to my wrist and the first thing that struck me was how clear the dial appeared, reminiscent of a high-definition television screen. My host explained that the sapphire crystal above the dial features a new anti-reflective treatment that ‘proffers superior light transmittance’. Apparently, the treatment also grants enhanced resistance to salt water.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – case
The watch is housed in a steel case, measuring 43 mm in diameter and, consistent with many areas of this watch, there are numerous details that have been incorporated within the case to enrich the ownership experience.
Maurice Lacroix has endued the steel case with a seemly blend of fine brushed and polished surfaces. This is more challenging than it sounds. Placing two contrasting finishes adjacent to one another, while ensuring they remain discrete and clearly defined, is not a simple task. The brand from the Franches Montagnes has been deftly juxtaposing contrasting finishes for some time, most notably on the AIKON. But the AikonIC takes this to a new level.
Polished links unite the strap with the watch head, while neighbouring areas are fine brushed. The brilliance of the links serves to heighten the overall allure of the watch. ‘The flanks of the case are endowed with variable chamfreins (chamfers that increase in magnitude)’. These angled and tapered edges, again beautifully defined, imbue the case with a sense of luxury. Indeed, it is one of several examples of Maurice Lacroix enriching this watch with soupçons of delicious design.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – ML Easy Change
The Jura-based brand offers the AikonIC in various colourways, each reference equipped with a sporty strap incorporating a fabric insert. Moreover, Maurice Lacroix has offered the AIKON, as well as other models, with the brand’s quick release system for some time, allowing owners to easily switch the strap for an alternative or bracelet. However, the new ML Easy Change goes one step further.
While touring the Manufacture, I was shown a 3D printed model of the AikonIC watch head and bracelet. This large format model wonderfully demonstrated the new technology employed on the latest ML Easy Change system. Unlike previous quick release systems, the ML Easy Change has no visible catches or levers. Where the polished row of links meets the watch head, they pivot, allowing the bracelet to be detached and swapped for an alternative. Refitting the bracelet merely requires the wearer to align the strap and push it home until it clicks into position. The patented ML Easy Change is user-friendly, obviating the need for tools.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – ML1000 Calibre
Looking back to my adolescence and the odd occasion when my head was turned by a ‘pretty lass’, my mother would caution, “Beauty is more than skin deep”. And so it is for watches. Indeed, when developing the AikonIC, Maurice Lacroix did not seek to merely create a pretty watch, but a timepiece rich in virtue. The Swiss marque elected to work with Soprod, the famous ‘movement specialist located less than 10 km from Saignelégier’ to create a suitable calibre for this new model.
Visible via the exhibition caseback, the ML1000 Calibre is impressive and incorporates many features. The openworked oscillating mass reveals several attractively decorated components beneath. Indeed, at risk of mother’s chagrin, I have to say the movement is beautiful. The finishing includes blued screws, perlage gracing the mainplate and Côtes de Genève on the bridges. But beyond the aesthetics there is also much horological virtue. For instance, the balance is located at 6 o’clock along the centre line and is supported by a bridge, retained with two screws. Unlike a cock which is retained with one screw, a bridge provides superior stability. The position and design of the balance and bridge ensemble bestow a becoming symmetry.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – regulation
As I looked around the modern Manufacture, I became increasingly aware of the brand’s obsession with quality. Strolling pass benches, lined with watchmakers clad in white lab coats, I witnessed various forms of testing and regulation taking place using various machines.
Firstly, there’s the Chronoscope, a powerful microphone that listens to the movement, determining the rate variation (s/d), beat error (the difference between the clockwise and counterclockwise swings) and the amplitude. These readings will vary depending on the position of the watch; hence the watchmaker will test the watch head in a variety of positions.
Once the watches have been individually regulated, they are then placed in a larger Witschi Chronoscope that holds 10 watch heads. Again, they are checked in various positions. The movement within the AikonIC has a rate variation of ± 4 seconds, an impressive figure for any watch. Incidentally, the ML1000 Calibre has a power reserve of 60 hours.
The Maurice Lacroix AikonIC – quality and ‘accessible excellence’
I’m naturally inquisitive and while observing the watchmakers at work, I frequently asked questions, keen to learn more. Prior to components entering the assembly area, I witnessed them being rigorously inspected. On one occasion, I watched as a member of staff placed a watch dial on a Micro-Vu machine. This piece of equipment employs a powerful high-resolution camera and is used to ensure the indexes, dial text and date aperture are located precisely where they should be. If either the dial printing or date aperture is out of position, the dial is rejected. Again, the overriding obsession for quality is palpable.
In another area, I witnessed a watchmaker placing a watch head in a ‘water-resistance tester’. Featuring a chamber that is subsequently pressurised, the machine can simulate an array of underwater pressures, typically experienced at different depths. This machine is used to confirm that a watch head meets the stated water resistance figure. In this instance, the new AikonIC is water resistant to 10 ATM (100 metres).
Wherever I chose to look, there seemed to be another piece of equipment, intended to validate performance/quality. For example, the ‘Duotest’ simulates wearing an automatic wristwatch. The normal accelerative forces typical of daily wear should cause the oscillating mass to rotate and energise the mainspring. This machine is used to confirm that the self-winding mechanism operates correctly.
Closing remarks
As my tour of the Manufacture concluded, I reflected on what I had seen. I was amazed how much time and effort goes into bringing each ML branded watch to life. While I have witnessed such exhaustive controls in ateliers making watches with six-figure price tags, I did not expect to see such fastidiousness for watches in this price segment. Indeed, while I’ve always admired Maurice Lacroix and have owned a Pontos S Diver for years, nothing quite prepared me for the excellence I witnessed while at the Manufacture. With prices starting from CHF 2,950, the blend of virtue and value is incredible. During my time with Maurice Lacroix, the brand often used the term ‘accessible excellence’; having spent several hours at the Manufacture, this term seems very apt.
The new AikonIC is a stunning watch. It simultaneously delivers something reassuringly familiar yet refreshingly different. Perhaps it’s a reaction to my childhood, but I desperately crave a white version of the AikonIC, a product of sun-kissed Saignelégier, a haven of natural beauty and source of inspiration; a place a million miles from my sepia-toned childhood memories.
Further reading
https://www.mauricelacroix.com/
Technical specifications
- Model: Maurice Lacroix Aikonic
- Case: stainless steel with ceramic bezel, diameter 43 mm, height 11 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 m), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, central sweep seconds, date
- Movement: ML1000 Calibre, self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 26 jewels, power reserve approximately 60 hours.
- Strap: bi-rubber strap with rubber base incorporating textured rubber insert with colour-coordinating stitching paired with pin buckle. Includes New ML Easy Change system
- Price: CHF 2,950 (RRP as of 19.8.2025)