It is no secret that the renewed Aikon has been a big hit for Maurice Lacroix. Bringing the brand back to its glory days of the 1980s and 1990s when this line was called the Calypso, the Aikon in its current incarnation was first introduced in 2014. It is a well-made watch with a dose of character that can best be described as a competitively priced contemporary classic.

As a watch journalist and collector with two decades in the industry, I have no problem admitting that I am spoiled. Yet seeing the Aikon is always a pleasure. For Maurice Lacroix, it also proved to be the perfect canvas through which the brand can cater to almost an entire spectrum of clients. That is quite an accomplishment.

More established collectors might get excited by the Aikon Mercury, while first-time buyers might find their perfect first watches in the more modest three-handers of the collection.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm

Skeletonization is a unifier

The watch by Maurice Lacroix to which perhaps all watch enthusiasts might flock today is the new Aikon Skeleton 39mm. To see the movement and (nearly) all its parts, the way they interact and work, remains captivating. Maurice Lacroix was already aware of this as the brand has had quite a few skeletonized models in its collection throughout the years. And even for the Aikon collection this isn’t the first.

So what’s new here? The 39 mm sizing. As Quill & Pad’s resident gentleman I am quite happy that there is a current trend toward more modest sizes for watches. I don’t expect everybody to suddenly share my love for ultra-thin 32 mm dress watches, but this Aikon shows that less can be more in many ways.

The Aikon Skeleton 39mm is imposing in its character rather than its size. It is very well proportioned with the added advantage that proportionality increases wearing comfort and that now the beautifully made bracelet also gets more spotlight as the case doesn’t entirely cover the wrist.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm on the wrist

When it comes to proportion, height also plays an important role. At 11 mm, this is spot on too: it is not too bulky but there remains enough to provide the heft that most people appreciate in a sportier watch.

Up until just fairly recently openworked watches were dress watches that looked good but were a bit fragile; thanks to the advent of machine skeletonizing, this has changed. The Aikon Skeleton is anything but fragile with a water resistance of 200 meters (20 atm). This allows the wearer to enjoy the watch whenever they want, practically regardless of the activity.

Closeup of the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm dial

An affordable challenge

Making a skeletonized movement in the classical way sounds simple: just remove as much material from the main plate, bridges, and other components as possible. While it is technically quite a bit more complicated than that, price is also an important aspect at Maurice Lacroix.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm

To tackle this challenge, Maurice Lacroix teamed up with movement manufacture Sellita, who made some design tweaks to its celebrated Caliber SW 200-1 for machine skeletonizing. The result is quite spectacular as this industrial look suits the design of the Aikon very well, which is particularly important with a skeleton watch as the movement, case, and bracelet become one. The edges of the skeletonized bridges are kept slightly higher and were given a polished finish, too.

While Maurice Lacroix delivers the Aikon Skeleton on a metal bracelet, the quick-change system allows the wearer to switch it out to any of the available straps in seconds. This increases the versatility of the watch.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm

All told there a lot to love with this new Maurice Lacroix, and I firmly believe that this model will push the appreciation for the brand in general, and the Aikon especially, to new heights.

For more information, please visit www.mauricelacroix.com/ch_en/watches/watches-aikon/aikon-automatic-skeleton-39mm.

Quick Facts Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm
Case: 39 x 11 mm, stainless steel, 200-meter water resistance
Movement: automatic Caliber ML115 (based on Sellita SW200-1), 38-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph/4 Hz frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds
Price: €3,200 / CHF 3,200
Remark: quick-change strap and bracelet system

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