his year has seen Maurice Lacroix release several versions of the Aikon, its hugely successful urban-style watch, executed in a multitude of materials. Now, to round out 2024, the Swiss company turns its gaze to ‘technical ceramic’, a scratch-resistant material that will never fade with the onset of years. Ceramic cases composed of zirconium oxide have been in existence for some time; however, Maurice Lacroix has pushed the performance envelope with the creation of technical ceramic.

In common with conventional ceramic cases, technical ceramic is corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic, but it also represents a significant step forward in terms of durability, thermal stability and overall strength. This technically advanced material involves ‘doping’ zirconium oxide with three additional oxides: hafnium oxide, yttrium oxide and aluminium oxide. This process is strictly controlled to achieve the desired result.

Bringing the technical ceramic case and bracelet to life necessitated three years of intense research and development and presented numerous technical challenges along the way. The R&D team at Maurice Lacroix expended much time, often burning the midnight oil, to ensure that all surfaces and facets of the case and bracelet exude quality. For example, the bezel with its distinctive arms, presented in relief and with a contrasting finish, proved techni- cally challenging. Likewise, making a bracelet in technical ceramic also proved demanding as the links need to articulate, allowing the bracelet to flex as it encircles the wrist to confer optimal wearer comfort.

During the development process, Maurice Lacroix commissioned research, talking to retailers and the public alike. Obtaining feedback, the brand sought to optimise the look and feel of its new technical ceramic models, paying close attention to the ergonomic relationship between the case, bracelet and wearer. The culmination of its time-consuming efforts has led to the creation of the new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Ceramic, a unisex model offered in two sizes, 39 mm and 42 mm, each sporting a decidedly different appearance.

Since it was founded in 1975, Maurice Lacroix has continuously shown its unwavering desire to deliver high perceived value. With the new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Ceramic, the brand from the Franches-Montagnes delivers an unprecedented quality/price ratio, bringing this alluring material within the reach of new audiences.

Back in 2016, Maurice Lacroix unveiled the first Aikon, a quartz watch inspired by the Calypso, the former best-selling watch of the 90s. Two years later, the company released mechanical versions of the Aikon after which the collection’s popularity grew exponentially. Over the years that followed, the brand capitalised on this success, releasing different case sizes, dial colours and complications.

Today, Maurice Lacroix explores contrast with the new Aikon Automatic Ceramic in a choice of white or black. The 42mm matt black option is stealth-like, reinforcing the urban-vibe, a night-owl that plays out after dark, while the 39mm glossy white reference looks comparatively angelic, bathing in sunlight, garnering admiring looks wherever it goes.