By Jovan Krstevski
Racing inspired watches have never been this exciting to wear, at least that is what the company promises to give to everyone. We, avid fans of horology know exactly what race watches are, the sturdy face, the sporty looks, and most importantly what lies underneath the hood. Most race watches are made of fantastic materials but they all come as high-specced. This time, we’re right again about the new Maurice Lacroix, the so called “born to race” watch.
Unlike any other race watches, this one capitalizes on pure carbon looks and the bold representation of racing on its dial. I’ve been tying to find a hint of horse racing on it, but the only thing I see is the RPM like element on the dial which turns out to be sailing regatta inspired. Perhaps, the strap is meant to highlight the horse racing stuff, maybe it’s just me but the strap does look like it’s meant to be worn by jockeys. If you’re familiar with sailing regatta, we all know how tough it is. The water, the wind, the rapid body movements, the watch is simply made for sailing regatta. Nonetheless, racing or not, overall this fantastic watch has still quite a lot upon its sleeve to surprise most horology fans.
The 45mm diameter case is just about the right size for a sporty watch. What’s very interesting about it is that it’s made of cutting edge forged carbon, known for its strength and incredible feather-like weight. The case design is where I get the race car aesthetics, the lines, the oversized crown and the two unique pushers that resemble almost like tiny knobs. The gauge on the bezel and the accuracy numbers are also present on the case, knob by knob, turn by turn. The combination of black and white elements, including a general steel appearance makes it appear more sporty. If you’re looking for a hint of racing colors, it’s right on the dial were your eyes are most likely to gaze first.
The dial appears light on racing inspirations but there’s a lot of functionality built into it such as speed reading. The 10 minutes warning for sailing regatta stands out and strategically placed at 12 o’clock position. Those into sailing will just love this feature. It’s kind of exciting to turn the pusher at the 2 o’clock to activate the countdown. Even if you’re only doing rudimentary stuff, the sense of urgency when the countdown begins right to the final element when the word “Race” appears on the dial yields an exhilarating experience. I particularly like the black sun-brushed hours and minutes hands. The rest of the stuff on the dial are all reminiscent of the racing spirit. I have a slight annoyance for the large branding at the 6 o’clock position tough which we all know about Maurice Lacroix watches. All of these goods are protected by a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
What powers the watch is an automatic movement ML162 with a power reserve of 38 hours, although you’ll never run out of static energy since you’ll be moving most of the time. Since this is specced for sailing, it comes as water-resistant up to 200 meters with topnotch durability.
The black rubber bracelet is fantastic for that race feel as it’s proven great for stable grip. The engraved case-back may not show you the movement but the 44 jewels under the hood and the rhodium plated movement will ensure that this timepiece is indeed built to race. For more info, please visit mauricelacroix.com
Jovan Krstevski – Founder, Proprietor & Executive Editor
Watch collector, aficionado and an Event profile in the Swedish nightlife. He launched Watchgeek back in 2011, which is now known as WristReview and is one of the most widely read watch blogs on the Web. He quotes ’WristReview is a site to help people find, explore, discover and enjoy wristwatches.’ His passion jump started in his early teens, when he was given his first mid-range wristwatch which was an Omega Seamaster. Since then he has always been in love with wristwatches! Besides WristReview, he also writes for a number of publications. Read his articles here.
