Maurice Lacroix: history, models and value

Founded

1975

Founder(s)

Desco von Schulthess

Headquarters

Zurich

Owner / group

DKSH (majority shareholder)

Maurice Lacroix: origins and founding

Maurice Lacroix is not named after a watchmaker who founded it. The brand was created in 1975 by Desco von Schulthess, a Zurich trading company founded in 1889. In 1961 Desco had bought a watch assembly workshop in Saignelégier, in the Swiss Jura, where it made watches for other companies under their names. In 1975 it began selling watches under its own brand, Maurice Lacroix.

Maurice Lacroix history and milestones

• 1989: Purchase of the case maker Queloz SA, bringing case production in-house.
• 1990: Launch of the mechanical line Les Mécaniques, renamed Masterpiece in 1992, and of the Calypso sports watch.
• 1992: The Masterpiece Cinq Aiguilles becomes a commercial success.
• 2001: Maurice Lacroix S.A. becomes a separate company from Desco.
• 2006: First in-house movement, the hand-wound chronograph calibre ML106.
• 2010: The Masterpiece Roue Carrée (Square Wheel) shows the seconds with square and triangular wheels.
• 2011: DKSH takes a majority stake.
• 2013: The Masterpiece Mysterious Second, with calibre ML215.
• 2014: The Masterpiece Gravity, with an exposed silicon escapement.
• 2016: The Aikon is launched as a modern take on the 1990 Calypso; an automatic version follows in 2018.

Famous Maurice Lacroix models

• Aikon: sporty steel watches with a bezel with six "claws" and an integrated bracelet, in quartz and automatic versions. This is the model most owners have today.
• Calypso: the 1990s sports watch that inspired the Aikon.
• Masterpiece: the mechanical high end, with pieces such as the Cinq Aiguilles, Roue Carrée, Mysterious Second and Gravity.
• Pontos, Eliros and Les Classiques: dress and everyday watches, many with quartz movements.

Movements and technique

Most Maurice Lacroix watches use movements from outside suppliers, both quartz and mechanical. The brand also develops its own calibres for special models. The first was the ML106 chronograph in 2006. Others include the ML215 in the Mysterious Second, and a silicon escapement shown in the Gravity. These in-house pieces sit in the Masterpiece line and are the most interesting for collectors.

Maurice Lacroix today

The company is based in Zurich, with production in Saignelégier and Montfaucon in the canton of Jura. The trading group DKSH has been its majority shareholder since 2011. Maurice Lacroix sits in the mid price segment, offering Swiss watches with a strong design focus below the big luxury houses.

Maurice Lacroix prices on the pre-owned market

Like most mid-range brands, Maurice Lacroix watches usually resell well below their original retail price. Quartz models from Les Classiques, Eliros or older lines tend to sell modestly. The Aikon Automatic, especially in steel with the original bracelet, is the most liquid model. Masterpiece pieces with in-house or unusual complications, such as the Roue Carrée or Mysterious Second, attract more interest from collectors. Box, papers, the full bracelet and recent service history all help.

How to recognise a genuine Maurice Lacroix

Check that dial, crown and clasp carry consistent Maurice Lacroix branding and that the caseback is engraved with the model and reference details. The Aikon is the most copied model, so look closely at the six bezel claws, the finish of the bracelet and the movement: an Aikon Automatic should show a Swiss mechanical movement through the back, not a cheap quartz or generic automatic. For more tips, read how to spot a fake watch.

What is your Maurice Lacroix worth?

Take photos of the dial, caseback and, if possible, the papers, and get a free watch value estimate. For estates, insurance or legal matters, a signed written watch appraisal is also available.

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