By Jovan Krstevski
Usually, when a watch lands at my doorstep, I like to give it a few hours of wrist time before I even start noting things down. The Maurice Lacroix AIKONIC with the white ceramic bezel and carbon dial didn’t exactly lurk in the shadows once I strapped it on. It’s not flashy, not overbearing, not trying to elbow its way into your attention, but there’s an unmistakable poise in how it sits on the wrist. I’ve been following the AIKON story since its 2016 debut, itself a modern reincarnation of the old Calypso from the brand’s archives. While the original AIKON is positioned as a well-priced urban sports watch that found its way onto the wrists of both newcomers and seasoned collectors. The AIKONIC is its haut de gamme sibling, adding what the brand calls ‘innovative craftsmanship’, and in this case the phrase actually sticks. Better materials, sharper design, and a movement that can go toe-to-toe with the competition.
The case on this model comes in at 43mm by 11mm, stainless steel, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces, a detail simple on paper but only convincing when executed with assured machining. The star feature is the white ceramic bezel (ZrO2), framed with sandblasted ceramic claws, a carryover from the AIKON’s signature six-arm design.
Ceramic is one of those materials you only truly appreciate after you’ve scuffed enough steel bezels over the years. Here, it’s not only a shield against scratches thanks to the matt ceramic nature of it, but also a clean contrast to the steel case, giving the watch a crisp edge that feels fresh without veering into gimmick territory.
I was expecting it to feel bulky but it sits lower and more balanced than the size suggests. Those chamfered flanks make it slip under a cuff without a fight, which is more than I can say for some of its over-padded rivals. I also like the ceramic crown top, it has a grip that makes winding and setting more of a pleasure than a hassle. The sapphire crystal has anti-reflective coating on both sides, something many brands will skip to cut costs, and it pays off with excellent dial legibility in almost any light. Rated at 100 metres water resistance, it will happily deal with poolside life or a summer downpour, though it’s clearly aimed at street and office rather than deep-sea escapades.
The dial is where this AIKONIC steps out of the ordinary. Maurice Lacroix could have gone the easy route with generic texture or flat color, but instead they opted for a carbon fibre dial with vertically aligned fibres. That alignment gives a striped effect under close inspection, but each piece is unique in how the weave catches light. Each dial is unique because the fibre alignment is never identical from one to the next. I’ve seen enough carbon dials to know most of them look like they came off the same production run for a sports car interior. This one avoids that pitfall by feeling more considered, almost architectural. Indices are rhodium-plated and carry sandblasted central lines that split the polished facets, offering a nice play of matte and shine. The hands echo this treatment and are filled with white Super-LumiNova, which, in practice, glows bright enough for night-time glances without turning the watch into a torch. The date window at three o’clock is discreet, doing its job without jarring the symmetry. The combination of the deep carbon texture, the glossy white ceramic bezel, and those polished rhodium details creates what I can only call a modern urban sports look, the kind that works as well with a blazer as it does with a weekend polo.
Straps are often where brands either nail the experience or torpedo it. This AIKONIC’s bi-rubber strap is firmly in the first camp. My review piece has a white rubber base topped with a white textured nylon-look inset, stitching to match. On the wrist, it’s flexible and breathable, with enough give to adjust naturally as the day wears on; unlike some straps that feel like they were cut from a tractor tyre. It has a crisp, summer-ready vibe without looking fragile or disposable. Durability is baked in, resisting sweat, water and UV, so it doesn’t turn yellow or brittle with a bit of real world use. The brand’s new generation patented ML Easy Change system makes swapping straps a zero tool, zero fuss job. A small engineering trick like that is more than a convenience, it changes how you live with the watch. Rubber straps can sometimes feel like a sweaty compromise in hot weather, but this one shrugs off water, sweat, and UV without looking like it’s going to yellow or crack anytime soon.
Through the sapphire back, the ML1000 calibre looks right at home. Developed with Soprod, it runs at 4 Hz, has 26 jewels, keeps time within ±4 seconds a day, and stores up 60 hours of power reserve. On paper, that’s solid. On the wrist, it’s even better, with consistency that wouldn’t be out of place on a certified chronometer.
The finishing is worth lingering over: Côtes de Genève, colimaçon graining, blued screws, an openworked sunbrushed rotor, and that symmetrical balance bridge that does as much for stability as it does for visual balance. Maurice Lacroix could have easily hidden all this behind a solid back and still sold plenty, but showing it off tells you they know this movement isn’t just competent, it’s worth looking at.
While this white-bezel version is the one I’ve been wearing, there are two other personalities in the same family. One goes full stealth with a black ceramic bezel, a matching black and grey carbon dial, and a black bi-rubber strap. It is the sort of configuration you reach for when you want the watch to fly under the radar but still reward close inspection. The other swaps restraint for vibrancy with a deep blue ceramic bezel, blue-accented carbon dial, and matching blue strap, pulling a bit more of a sporty, weekend-ready vibe. Between the three, there is enough variation in character to tempt a collector into owning more than one.
As with any watch in this segment, the conversation inevitably turns to strengths and compromises. The strengths here are clear: the carbon dial’s uniqueness, the scratch resistance and colour stability of ceramic, the high-spec ML1000 movement, and the convenience of the quick-change strap system. It wears slimmer and lighter than you’d expect, making it versatile enough for daily rotation. The white variant in particular has a freshness that works in summer but doesn’t feel out of place the rest of the year. On the other hand, with 100 metres water resistance, it’s plenty for daily life and light aquatic use but it’s not positioned as a dive watch, so if your weekends are spent in scuba gear, this isn’t your tool.
For the collector who values unique textures, dependable precision, and the flexibility of easy strap changes in a modern sports-luxury frame, this urban focused timepiece makes a compelling case. After spending time with it, I can say this is the refined, high-tech evolution of the AIKON that doesn’t just lean on the success of its predecessor but confidently steps forward on its own merits. It is the refined, high-tech evolution of the line, with enough personality in each colorway to tempt more than one into your watch box, but the white ceramic bezel version has the kind of sharp, modern character that might just win you over first. Priced at CHF 2950, it earns its premium positioning through craftsmanship rather than marketing.
