The last few years have seen watch maker Maurice Lacroix experiment with creating that perfect design which lies smack in the middle between classic watches (looks from makes such as Breguet) and refined futurism. It is up for debate whether they have achieved this effort, but the Masterpiece Lune Retrograde is certainly a step in the right direction. Alas, you'll see classic elements made modern. Liberal use of sharp angles and skeletonization replace traditional decorations such as dial engraving gently sweeping edges.

I can't wait to see this 46 mm monster in action. Very few "classy" watch are born in this diameter. The new in-house made ML 152 movement, offers some useful complications. Included are a calendar with the date and day, moon phase under a textured semi-transparent material, power reserve indicator, and time (of course). The little touches on the watch are what make it standout. For example, the applied Arabic numerals are finely done, the gear-like crown has a great industrial quality to it, and the hands are just right to be both classic and modern. The refined skeletonized utilitarian facade never gets in the way of a classy demeanor as well. Notice the adjustment pushers integrated together in a cluster beneath the crown on the side of the case. Overall, the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Lune Retrograde is is a fine example of modern innovation and traditional sentiment all rolled together in one watch. Look for the official release at Baselword soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Luxury watch maker Maurice Lacroix releases a daunting number of new models each year with an occasional ultra high end addition to their product line. This luxurious model is the limited edition of 30 pieces, Masterpiece Tourbillon Rétrograde timepiece, released in honor of Maurice Lacriox's 30th anniversary. Any "Masterpiece" label on a Maurice Lacroix watch signifies something special above and beyond mere "mainstream luxury." This 43.5mm wide platinum cased wonder is a traditionalist watch collector's dream. The manually-wound hand-built and decorated Maurice Lacroix caliber ML 110 tourbillon movement features and impressive 90 hours of power reserve, with a full visual exhibition through double sapphire crystals. The 232 components in the movement are hand fabricated while every nanometer of polish on the movement is applied by hand.

The functions on the watch are simple and easy to read. The retrograde part of the model's name refers to the date dial on the upper left, and is visually complemented by a power reserve indicator opposite it on the right side of the dial. The double arched tourbillon bridge helps give the watch face a balanced and symmetrical look. Traditional pomme hands complete the artistic yet functional look of this Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Tourbillon Retrograde timepiece. The strap is black crocodile with silver threading. Price is around $150,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Maurice Lacroix has unveiled the romantic designs in their Starside series in advance of the Baselworld watch show.

The Maurice Lacroix Starside Eternal Moon has a 38mm stainless steel case and sapphire crystals. The watch shows hours, minutes and seconds indication with hands, date indication with central hand, weekday and month indication in windows at 5 and 7 o'clock, moon phase indication with disc at 12 o'clock. The softly beautiful dial is lacquered in pink and black or beige and black, set with 32 diamonds with a metallized sapphire crystal for moon phase indication.

The Maurice Lacroix Starside Magic Seconds has a 38mm stainless steel case with a bezel and crown set with with 65 Top Wesselton diamonds. The movement is the automatic caliber ML161 with 31 jewels and the dial is white mother-of-pearl and silver color or lacquered in dark blue and silver color, set with 30 diamonds.

The Maurice Lacroix Starside Sparkling Date with In-House Complications is a limited edition of 250 pieces. The movement is the automatic caliber ML127 with 30 jewels with special complications module designed in-house by ML. It has an indication of hours and minutes, retrograde date indication with diamond in a shaped window at 6 o'clock, moon phase indication with eccentric disc revealed by a cabochon of moonstone at 3 o'clock. The 38mm case is 8K white gold and the bezel and lugs are set with 82 Top Wesselton diamonds. The crown set with 9 diamonds and the dial is lacquered in purple and black.

[via Time Zone]

If last season was the time of brown watches, this year seems to be the time of the gray. Especially for Maurice Lacroix, their last few watches have been stately gray watches that speak of quiet luxury. The Masterpiece Jours Retrogrades has a a retrograde day indication. A small hand at 6 o'clock moves one position further to the right each day to indicate the current weekday and when reaches the end of the scale it goes back to the start. The watch has a 40 mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal and a display back. It uses the hand-decorated automatic caliber ML 102 with 22 jewels, blued steel screws, Incabloc shock protection, a polished steel pallet and escapement wheel, a Glucydur balance, and a skeletonized rotor. The hand can manually be repositioned without dmaging the movement. It has a silver dial with hand-applied Roman numerals.

The watch Maurice Lacroix is taking to Baselworld is a new version of the Masterpiece Le Chronographe in stainless steel using the ML 106-2 manufacture movement, which was developed by Maurice Lacroix' technical department last year. The watch uses a reinterpretation of the chronograph sequence, which Lacroix has sought a patent for, to help prevent incorrect time or date if the watch receives a shock. The watch also features a stop second so that when the crown is pulled out, the balance halts and the seconds hand stops so the watch can be set accurately to the second. The watch has a 45mm case with front and back sapphire crystals. The dial is sterling silver with an anthracite finish and Superluminova coating. Compare this watch to the original Le Chronographe as seen on the Lacroix website, this is essentially a more masculine version and rugged looking version, swapping out the rose gold case and the white dial for something a little more in line with recent trends toward tough guy watches.

The Pontos Decentrique GMT watch from Maurice Lacroix has a unique off-center design and a tonal gray quality that gives it a serenely beautiful look. The titanium watch is a hefty 45mm and has double sapphire crystals. The movement is the automatic ML caliber 121 with 30 jewels. The watch has a moon phase with night and day indicator. A patent is pending on the connection module between the movement and the new type of date indication used in the watch. The watch comes in a limited edition of 999 pieces and sells for $7,150.

How many hands does one watch need? If you ask Maurice Lacroix they will tell you five. Their original Cinq Aiguilles was launched in 1990  and for Baselworld 2006 they have created new versions of the model. According to Time Zone, the new model uses the current in-house movement the automatic caliber ML120 (based on a Technotime TT 738). The five hand show the the hours, minutes, seconds, weekday and date. Each of the five hands is shaped differently and the dial has the days of the week on it. The watch is available in 18K rose gold or stainless steel. The new version is larger than the previous one and comes in understated models similar to the original or in those new bold rainbow look. The more understated version is after the jump.