The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

Swiss brand Maurice Lacroix released a series of AIKON timepieces for watch enthusiasts who know that time is theirs. Jada Brookes discovers the exquisite and iconic watch collection. bite watches Maurice Lacroix I n the second half of the 16th century, watchmaking began in Switzer- land after the Huguenot refugees from France brought the manufac- ture of portable timepieces to Geneva. Since then, this vibrant city has been the heart of exquisite and sophisticated timepieces thanks to the innovative spirit and perfectionism of its watchmakers. Today, one of these impressive watchmaking manufacturers is Maurice Lacroix who has upheld the tradition and high standards of precision craftsmanship. It was in 1975 that Desco von Schulthess, an internationally operating com- pany in Switzerland, launched its first watch models under the name of Mau- rice Lacroix. Founded in 1889 in Zurich, the company was able to draw on its long experience in the industry and had represented well known Swiss watch brands since 1946, especially in the Far East. In the early 1960s, they purchased a business to assemble watches in the town of Saignelégier. Fourteen years later in 1989, Desco von Schulthess Company bought a case manufacturing plant in the Swiss town which led to the launch and develop- ment of Maurice Lacroix’s Calypso collection the following year. In 1992, the first Masterpiece, Cinq Aiguilles, previously called ‘Les Mécaniques’ collec- tion was launched. Seven years after that, they launched the first Calendrier Retrograde, and then in 2001, the brand started producing complex compo- nents for its mechanical caliber in their workshops. In 2003, Maurice Lacroix launched the first Double Retrograde, followed by the release of its first in-house manufactured mechanical caliber ML-106 in 2006. Four years later, the brand unveiled the Masterpiece Square Wheel and then in 2013, the Masterpiece Mysterious Second was released. The fol- lowing year saw the launch of Masterpiece Gravity with its silicium (silicon) assortment, and then the rebirth of the iconic Calypso with the AIKON in 2016.