The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

bite watches The Time Is Yours A year later, they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Masterpiece collection, followed by the launch of the AIKON Automatic in 2018. Throughout all this time, the brand has used factors critical to the successful pro- duction of excellent watches with high perceived value converge such as watchmaking know-how, skilled crafts- manship, industrial expertise, and technological capabil- ity. They have also accumulated numerous awards and achieved patents and designs for new movements and complications. This year has seen some new Maurice Lacroix timepieces such as the AIKON Chronograph Skeleton, a contempo- rary and sculptural creation that combines the powerful, angular, and masculine lines of the AIKON Automatic with one of the brand’s most iconic movements. The skel- eton silhouette enhances the structure of its hands, bezel, and push-pieces. Thanks to its sharp lines, which alter- nate between circles and hexagons, it creates a steel piece with a strong watchmaking impact. The AIKON Chronograph Skeleton has a strong 44 mm diameter case with an elegantly designed thickness. A re- duced bezel allows the wearer to admire the movement in its entirety, featuring the six characteristic AIKON arms placed directly on the crystal which is engraved 10 by 10. The prominent push-pieces with a hexagonal base protrude to trigger the chronograph, while the long, large serrated crown is designed with a black PVD finish. It is said the higher the components are on the Chrono- graph Skeleton, the clearer they become. The arms and bezel of the crown are produced in satin-finished steel and the front of the dial features four hour-markers and coun- ters that are also satin-finished but darker. The grooves of the counters are micro-bead blasted and even darker in colour. The lower levels are occupied by the movement, treated with DLC black gold and highlighted by the lower layer, which becomes light grey again to create a contrast. With a stainless steel case, this timepiece has a skeleton dial on a sapphire base plate with black print on the exter- nal and the other prints in silver powder. The hour-min- utes are rhodium plated with white SLN, with the small second at 9 o’clock and the 30 minutes chronograph at 3 o’clock made from standard rhodium. You will find the chronograph second by the central hand in blue. The black strap with white stitching is made from calf leather with the folding clasp in stainless steel.