he AIKON Master Grand Date represents a breakthrough in Maurice Lacroix’s horological offering, as the 45 mm steel case fuses the spirit of mechanical watchmaking of the Masterpiece collection and the iconic AIKON style.

The dynamic lines, the case/bracelet integration, the bezel’s arms and the polished, matte AIKON steel case welcome the ML331 calibre, a newcomer in Maurice Lacroix’s collection of manufacture movements. It offers a clear view of its balance wheel, visible through a large skeleton opening, and features a large date display with double window.

This calibre represents a complete watchmaking development based on Maurice Lacroix’s self-winding manufacture movement. By creating an offset display, a skeleton opening on the balance wheel and adding a large date display, the ML331 takes on a new identity. The timepiece marks a new level of sophistication, providing a new dimension to AIKON.

The large, rounded, skeletonised balance bridge at 8 o’clock floats between the glass and sapphire crystal case back, revealing the AIKON Master Grand Date’s regulating system. Its background will be intermittently obscured by the passage of the openworked, brushed and snailed rotor. Just above it, at 10 o’clock, Maurice Lacroix has placed a unique double-window large date module. Not by creating a functional layer, which would have added thickness, but by integrating it into the existing height of the calibre. Finally, the small off-centre seconds hand is also open at 4 o’clock, and it is suspended above a well that reveals the ML331calibre.

By playing with the finishes, the AIKON Master Grand Date acquires a new level of contrast and legibility. The off-centred Clous de Paris hours and minutes dial, the grained dial plate and the Cordura^® bracelet feature a deep, matte and elegant shade of blue. The dials’ bezels, the large applied date window and the small seconds are satin-finished, matching the polished chamfers of the 45 mm steel case, as well as the links of the integrated metal bracelet unique to AIKON. Maurice Lacroix has also revisited one of AIKON’s distinctive features by giving the date window the same shape as the bezel’s arms.

Those who attended the launch of the Masterpiece Gravity will surely see a resemblance. In actual fact, this isn’t the case. While the Gravity may have had an off-centre dial and a balance wheel visible at 8 o’clock, the AIKON Master Grand Date is actually quite different: its case, sapphire glass, movement, finishes, colours and complication are unique and specific to this new AIKON. This is thanks to the EasyChange system, which allows to easily switch from the AIKON steel bracelet to the Cordura^® bracelet, which come with the watch.

By redefining the design, dimensions and functionalities of the ML331 calibre, the AIKON Master Grand Date is pushing the boundaries of the AIKON’s architectural construction. It is governed by a subtle symmetry that brings a clear visual harmony. The width of the watch is divided into thirds, each function is anchored on a vertical line of force. The hours and minutes dial is located on the same axis as the small seconds. The balance wheel and the large date are displayed opposite it. This homogeneous placement reflects that of the six bezel’s arms, whose slot is aligned with the centre of the dial. These complex and harmonious anchors reveal AIKON’s aesthetic balance, which is based on the architectural codes of watchmaking.