ursuing its collaboration with Hungarian artist @Timeengraver, Maurice Lacroix unveils a new piece, this time adorned with illustrations by British artist Wotto. Wotto, or Craig Watkins to use his real name, has become a leading figure in urban art thanks to his unique style of doodles, with a wonderful mix of cute and weird, chaos and emotion. Recognizable among a thousand, his works are a festival of colors and original characters, taking the viewer into a twirling spiral of stories that we suspect are somewhat mysterious.

The 42 mm steel case, bracelet and bezel are entirely engraved with motifs from Wotto’s prolific imagination. Mushrooms, little hearts, skateboarding ghosts, and lightning flashes surround the artist’s signature capital W that follow one another in hieroglyphs on the links of the Aikon’s elegant integrated bracelet, extending onto its case and bezel. Like a rebus, each link tells its own story. These ideograms are enhanced by the contrast between the shine of the polished finish and the engraving of the ornaments, giving the watch a striking depth.

And then there’s the real star of the show: the dial. For the first time in the Urban Tribe series, Wotto was given carte blanche to create his own graphic universe. On a simple gray background serving as a canvas, the artist has placed a round of mischievous characters in a gradation from yellow to blue. Placed in the centre of the monochromatic timepiece, this colourful design is particularly eye-catching. So as not to overshadow this picture, the indexes are discreet and marked simply with a metal tip.

Nestled beneath this twirling work of art is the automatic ML115 caliber with a 38-hour power reserve. The case, water-resistant to a depth of 200 meters, has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal on the reverse side – a transparent back that allows the mechanics to be admired – which is itself a work of art of a different kind.

Price: CHF 2,700

www.mauricelacroix.com