Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques – Collection Overview

Maurice Lacroix might be just 35 years old, but one watch after another in its Les Classiques line manages to be impeccably conservative but with a contemporary twist that keeps it interesting. Indeed, it would not be exaggerating to say that the brand has managed to separate out the DNA of the classic watch that others have spent years developing.

At its core is the idea that less is more. Maurice Lacroix has just added five new 'Classiques' to its collection, each more austere and rigorous than the last. Its chronograph automatique features three classic chronograph mini-dials and a date aperture at three o’clock, yet its dial manages to seem remarkably uncluttered. The same goes for its new moonphase and retrograde models, while the ‘date’ version is positively minimalist. “Three hands and a date, that’s all there is to it,” jokes Lacroix. Well, almost.

There is the odd flourish. Its new Classiques ladies’ moonphase features a bezel and hour markings on the dial studded with diamonds. The men’s range includes models with bezels in yellow gold. But they barely impinge on the dominant tone of the collection, which remains sober and restrained. Where there is extravagance it is never overbearing, and you also feel that Maurice Lacroix has earned it. That is surely the mark of a classic watch.