Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece

The Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece collection is home to this Swiss watch manufacturer's most exquisite timepieces. Many models feature intricately skeletonized movements encased in sapphire crystal from above and below. In fact, Maurice Lacroix was a pioneer of the display case back.

The Masterpiece collection also contains a large number of watches with retrograde displays. The hands on this type of display jump back to their starting position at the end of every cycle. In addition to its retrograde date display, the Masterpiece Square Wheel boasts a square fourth wheel that doubles as a small seconds display. Maurice Lacroix holds the patent for the square wheel mechanism, meaning you won't find it anywhere else. The Masterpiece Embrace also comes with a unique small seconds in the form of two rotating heart-shaped gears.

Maurice Lacroix challenges modern design conventions with their avant-garde Masterpiece Gravity. Decentralized displays and an exposed in-house caliber define these timepieces. Furthermore, the movement's balance cock is skeletonized, providing a view of the silicon escapement below.

Retrograde displays are one of the defining features of the Masterpiece collection. Maurice Lacroix produces many timepieces with this interesting complication, including the Masterpiece Calendrier Rétrograde. This wristwatch boasts retrograde date and power-reserve displays. Central hands indicate the hours and minutes, while the seconds are shown in a subdial at 6 o'clock. You can purchase a stainless steel model with a manual movement, such as the ref. MP7268-SS001-310, for around 4,800 USD new and 3,200 USD pre-owned. The automatic ref. MP6508-SS001-130 sells for between 2,700 and 4,300 USD.

Maurice Lacroix takes things one step further with the Masterpiece Double Rétrograde, adding a retrograde GMT display at 12 o'clock. The power reserve indicator sits at 3, the retrograde date at 6, and the small seconds at 9 o'clock. The Double Rétrograde is available with a manual or automatic caliber. The automatic ref. MP6518-SS001-130 has a stainless steel case and costs anywhere from 2,700 to 4,900 USD, depending on its condition. The ref. MP7018-SS001-110 is also made of stainless steel but has a manual movement. This model changes hands for about 6,100 USD in mint condition and 2,800 USD pre-owned.

If you're looking for a moon phase watch with retrograde displays, you may enjoy the Masterpiece Phases de Lune. More recent models have a moon phase display within the small seconds at 6 o'clock, as well as retrograde date and day displays at 10 and 2 o'clock, respectively. The ref. MP6608-SS001-410-1 measures 43 mm in diameter and comes with a blue dial. You can purchase this watch for about 4,400 USD new. Older versions with a central pointer date and a day-month display sell for between 1,100 and 2,300 USD.

The chronograph is among the most popular watch complications. Of course, this means it also makes an appearance in the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece collection. The company equips more recent models with the caliber ML206. Maurice Lacroix and independent movement manufacturer Concepto create this movement by modifying a Sellita SW500. The resulting caliber has a 48-hour power reserve and can measure periods of time of up to 30 minutes. The 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock resembles the kind of wheel rims you might find on a sports car. A small seconds with a prominent Maurice Lacroix logo sits across the dial at 9 o'clock.

Thanks to its blue PVD coating, the ref. MP6028-PVC01-002-1 feels especially sporty. This 45-mm stainless steel watch is water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft). Its heavily skeletonized dial also has a blue PVD coating and provides a view of the skeletonized chronograph movement within. A matching blue chronograph seconds hand and alligator leather strap complete the look. You can get your hands on this Masterpiece Chronograph Skeleton for around 6,000 USD.

Maurice Lacroix outfitted earlier Masterpiece chronographs with the automatic caliber ML15 with a flyback function. This movement is based on the ETA 2892-2 and offers a month display and an oversized date display in addition to its chronograph function. What's more, its stopwatch feature can time up to 12 hours. Depending on their condition, prices for these flyback chronographs fall between 1,800 and 3,000 USD.

Fans of skeleton watches have plenty to choose from in the Masterpiece collection. Maurice Lacroix intricately skeletonizes the movement components, which are visible from above and below thanks to sapphire crystal.

More recent models, such as the ref. MP7228-PVB01-005-1, use the in-house caliber ML134. This manual movement has a 45-hour power reserve, central hour and minute hands, and a small seconds at 9 o'clock. It ticks at a frequency of 18,000 alternations per hour (A/h), or the equivalent of 2.5 Hz. The ref. MP7228-PVB01-005-1 features a black PVD coating on its bridges and case. This 43-mm timepiece comes with a depth rating of 50 m (5 bar, 164 ft). Mint-condition models change hands for roughly 4,800 USD. Versions without a PVD coating cost about the same.

The Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Mysterious Seconds does the Masterpiece collection justice. Its seconds hand seems to float around within the large subdial at 6 o'clock. This sophisticated mechanism alternates between the hand's two ends to display the seconds. Maurice Lacroix has had this technology patented, so you won't find it anywhere else. The hours and minutes are relegated to a subdial at 2 o'clock. Powered by the caliber ML215, the Mysterious Seconds has a 50-hour power reserve. This is all packaged within a 43-mm stainless steel case with a depth rating of 50 m (5 bar, 164 ft).

The Masterpiece Mysterious Seconds is available with a black or white dial. The white version comes with a brown crocodile leather strap, while the black edition is paired with a black crocodile leather strap. Both models cost between 10,500 and 12,000 USD.

Silicon components offer several advantages: They are less sensitive to magnetic fields, low maintenance, and corrosion resistant. Maurice Lacroix uses this material for the complete escapement and oscillation system of the Masterpiece Gravity. A decentralized dial displays the hours and seconds at 2 o'clock. The small seconds is located just below the hours and minutes in a smaller subdial. Both displays sit atop the movement's beautifully decorated base plate with a colimaçon finish. The French word colimaçon means "spiral staircase" in English.

The Masterpiece Gravity's 43-mm case contains the in-house caliber ML230. This automatic movement has a 50-hour power reserve and balance frequency of 18,000 A/h. If you're interested in the Masterpiece Gravity, be sure to have about 9,100 USD on hand for a never-worn timepiece. For something even more exclusive, there's the ref. MP6118-PVB01-332-1. This watch is limited to a run of 25 pieces and costs around 10,400 USD.

The first thing you'll notice when looking at the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Square Wheel ref. MP6058-SS001-310-1 is its small seconds at 9 o'clock. Instead of a conventional round subdial, it combines one square and one clover-shaped gear to show the seconds. The hour and minute hands take their usual central position. Newer models also boast a retrograde pointer date display that stretches from 4 to 6 o'clock. Older editions had the small seconds at 6 o'clock and a power reserve indicator at 3.

The automatic caliber ML258 powers the ref. MP6058-SS001-310-1 and provides it with a 36-hour power reserve. The seconds display rotates smoothly thanks to the movement's balance frequency of 28,800 A/h.

Its stainless steel case is 43 mm in diameter and water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft). Maurice Lacroix mounts the case on a black alligator leather strap with a stainless steel folding clasp. Plan to spend roughly 5,900 USD on a new Masterpiece Square Seconds.

Masterpiece Embrace: In the Name of Love

The Masterpiece Embrace is the Square Second's more feminine counterpart. Instead of square and clover gears, this edition features two heart-shaped gears that seem to embrace while they rotate. The hearts represent the ups and downs of any relationship and how a pair can persevere together. Like the men's models, these women's watches have a retrograde date display on the dial's lower right. At 40 mm, Embrace watches are slightly smaller than Square Seconds timepieces.

The Masterpiece Embrace comes with your choice of a white mother-of-pearl or blue aventurine dial. Aventurine is a type of quartz with shimmering mineral inclusions. Both versions cost about 6,400 USD new.