For years we’ve been calling for watch brands in every category to embrace color, and to give us more than the standard array of white/black/blue when it comes to dial variants. And for the most part, we’ve reached a point where most watchmakers are providing consumers with a healthy choice of dial variants beyond the standard. A new release from Maurice Lacroix, however, has me wondering if case color is the next frontier. The new Aikon PVD collection, a small series of just two watches, has the brand’s popular contemporary sports watch getting a PVD coating. One in gunmetal gray (admittedly, not super uncommon) and the other in a metallic shade of dark blue.
The Aikon so often spoken about as a far less expensive alternative to the Royal Oak that it’s hard not to think of AP’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in blue ceramic when considering the blue PVD Aikon. Obviously there are enormous differences. The aforementioned Royal Oak QP is, by all accounts, one of the most sought after watches in the world, full stop. The Aikon has a cult following, but it’s nowhere near the cultural touchstone of the Royal Oak. And the AP is complicated, and the Maurice Lacroix is time only. But still, from across the room (way, way across the room) the Aikon can play tricks on you – it has a similar silhouette and is a watch in a similar style as the Royal Oak, and now you can have one in blue, if you’d like.
The blue PVD version of the Aikon measures 39mm in diameter, while the gray version comes in at 42mm. Both have a Clous de Paris motif on the dial, adding a layer of texture and visual complexity, and the gray version also has a subtle fumé effect, with darker tones at the dial’s outer edge. The gray version is certainly the more conservative and traditional of the two, and I think it makes sense to offer one version in an uncommon color variant and another in a shade that is going to be more familiar. I can’t help but wonder, though, about potential future versions. Gold and green PVD treatments seem like obvious options, but it might be fun if Maurice Lacroix were to get really adventurous. They’ve shown a willingness to experiment with color in the Aikon line previously, particularly with watches in the Aikon TIDE collection, and they’ve gone full avant–garde in the past with engraved and skeletonized Aikons. Carving out a niche as the affordable and experimental integrated bracelet sports watch might help to differentiate the Aikon further from some of the competition.
Both versions of the Aikon PVD run on the ML115 automatic movement, a rebadged Sellita SW200 which can be seen through the exhibition caseback. Each is mounted to a rubber strap that can be switched easily with Maurice Lacroix’s Easy Strap Exchange system, which allows for simple strap swapping without the use of tools. Given that the design of these watches is so rooted in case color, and how that tone extends to strap, it’s tough to imagine making a change here unless you desperately wanted to power clash, but it’s nice to know the option is there if you want it.
Each variant of the Aikon PVD is limited to 888 pieces. The retail price is $2,450. Maurice Lacroix
