About Maurice Lacroix Watches

Launched under the parent company, Desco von Schulthess, the Maurice Lacroix brand of watches began in 1975. This fairly recent debut makes it a rather young company in the world of haute horlogerie. But what it may lack in history, it makes up for in quality and innovation—exhibited by the loyal following the brand quickly gathered from all over the world.

Named after a member of the Board of Management who passed away during the development phase of the company, the Maurice Lacroix name embodies success in the watch-making world. With headquarters in Saignelegier, in the Swiss Jura mountains, the company works to provide ground-breaking solutions and advanced design, while living up to the reliability expected from Swiss watches. Innovative character and masterful distinction have been part of the Maurice Lacroix brand from its inception.

Expansion

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, expansion of the Maurice Lacroix brand continues throughout the world. Distribution grew past Europe and into Australia, the South Pacific, the Far East, Middle east, and eventually the United States.

Maurice Lacroix Manufacture

When a company can full produce its own movement it becomes a manufacture and this status was proudly attained by Maurice Lacroix in 2006. In this same year, the company co-designed and produced their first chronograph caliber ML 106, in a short-lived collaboration with designer Andreas Strehler that resulted in the Materpiece Le Chronographe watch. As the company began using their own manufacture movements, the watches became a bit larger in the face and the style moved in the direction of a contemporary, modernized look.

Memoire 1

Baselworld 2008 brought Maurice Lacroix to the forefront with its introduction of the Memoire 1 watch, which was in development for more than three years. A fascinating feature of this piece is that it is only equipped with two hands, but it operates in two worlds. This cutting-edge chronograph timepiece was the first mechanical watch to offer a memory function, switching back and forth from Time mode to Chrono mode at the push of a button. Only 20 of these were circulated each year, making it a limited item for only the most distinctive of clients.

Awards and Acknowledgements

After its release, the Memoire 1 was given the esteemed German “Goldene Unruh” award in 2007. Around the same time, Maurice Lacroix’s Pontos Decentrique GMT won the “Best of the Best” award by Red Dot, and the company has continued to impress with Red Dot awards for many years since. In 2019, Red Dot acknowledged the company’s AIKON Automatic Skeleton, an openwork automatic watch offering the ML234 caliber its first home. These, plus many other major awards for its creativity and innovation, show that Maurice Lacroix continues to be a strong player in the game. Its affiliation with FC Barcelona Soccer Team has continued to grow the brand’s popularity and acclaim. Exquisite precision, combined with styling that embodies artistic masterpieces, Maurice Lacroix provides watches that range from entry-level quartz all the way up to highly sought-after releases ranked as industry-best.