Maurice Lacroix 1975 Legacy
1975 Legacy Unveiled
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THE 1975 LEGACY: 50 YEARS OF CRAFTING WATCHES IN THE FRANCHES-MONTAGNES
Commemorating its 50-year anniversary, Maurice Lacroix is now pleased to unveil three limited-edition watches. Graceful and sleek, these classically styled timepieces are ideally suited to modern-day living. Enriched with refined details, they pay tribute to the company’s home, located in the Franches-Montagnes. Unequivocally new, the 1975 Legacy embodies everything the Swiss brand stands for. Proudly crafted in Saignelégier.
Photo Courtsey: Maurice Lacroix
A CELEBRATION OF OUR ROOTS
Founded in 1975, Maurice Lacroix is based in Saignelégier, a small village located in the heart of the Franches-Montagnes. Throughout its history, the natural beauty of this region has positively influenced the company’s timepieces. Now, wishing to mark this historical milestone, Maurice Lacroix has created three limited edition models that pay tribute to its home, the verdant landscape of the Swiss Jura. Each watch has its own unique character but shares the same refined case finishing. Usually the preserve of the brand’s Masterpiece collection, the execution of each case serves to uphold the company’s reputation for delivering a remarkable blend of quality and value.
1975 AUTOMATIC SAIGNELÉGIER BLUE – 888 PIECES – Available now
The dial of the 1975 Automatic Saignelégier Blue pays homage to its place of origin with its distinctive dial motif, Vagues du Jura. This intricate pattern, unique to Maurice Lacroix, depicts the rolling hills overlooking the Manufacture. First employed on a Masterpiece model, the motif imbues the dial with depths that play with light. Moreover, the Manufacture has delved into its archives and discovered a historic colour from the past, Saignelégier Blue, a shade that now makes a return appearance for this limited edition watch.
Facetted, dauphine-style hour and minute hands unite with hand-applied, trapeze-shaped hour markers to indicate the time with clarity. At 3 o’clock, the date is shown with a combination of white numerals sits atop a blue disc. Framed with a silver-toned border, Maurice Lacroix has chosen to match the colour of the date disc with the main dial hue. This is a detail that is considered a horological etiquette among watch aficionados. A slender central sweep seconds hands completes the functions.
The 40 mm steel case unites brushed and polished surfaces, conferring sumptuous contrast. It plays host to the automatic ML155 calibre, visible on the back with a sapphire crystal. This movement is thinner than the standard 1975 model, contributing to the limited edition’s of just 9 mm. Despite its compact dimensions, the movement has a prodigious power-reserve of 56 hours. Additional movement refinements include perlage, colimaçon and an oscillating mass that is again adorned with the Vagues du Jura; details that makes this model special.
The 1975 Automatic Saignelégier Blue is presented on a matching leather strap and comes equipped with the Maurice Lacroix Easy Strap Exchange system, allowing the wearer to adapt the look of their watch, swapping the strap for an alternative, with just a few user-friendly clicks. The caseback is engraved, ‘Limited Edition of 888 pieces’.
1975 AUTOMATIC DAY DATE SAPIN GREEN – 500 PIECES - Available this autumn
The second limited-edition model features a Vagues du Jura dial motif, but on this occasion is executed in a distinctive shade of Sapin Green, a colour that has been inspired by the fir trees (‘sapin’ in French) that adorn the hills surrounding Saignelégier. The dial sits beneath a box sapphire crystal that drinks in light, accentuating the nuanced composition of the verdant scene.
Consistent with its fellow 1975 Legacy siblings, the dial features dauphine-style hour and minutes hands along with trapeze-shaped hour markers, a date display at 3 o’clock and a central sweep seconds. However, as its name implies, this watch also has a day display that’s located at 12 o’clock.
The solid caseback bears the inscription, ‘Limited Edition of 500 pieces’ and includes a depiction of two horses standing among fir trees, a reference to the famous ‘Franches-Montagnes’, a breed of horse native to the area.
Measuring 40 mm in diameter, the 1975 Automatic Day Date Sapin Green is presented on a 5-row stainless steel bracelet, uniting polished and brushed links. The watch features the Maurice Lacroix Easy Strap Exchange system.
1975 AUTOMATIC GMT SILVER MIST – 200 PIECES – Available now
The final version of the 1975 Legacy, created to mark the 50th Anniversary of Maurice Lacroix, features a dual-time indication. On this occasion, the dial captures the appearance of the rolling hills at dawn when the vista is dressed in a blanket of silver mist, imbuing the Vague du Jura motif with a sense of calm. Moreover, the vintage-inspired box sapphire crystal accentuates the dial’s richly textured surface.
The hands and hour markers share the same design as the other 1975 Legacy models except in this instance they are executed in golden tones. Close examination reveals the presence of an additional co-axial hand that’s openworked and features a red tip, indicating the prevailing time at ‘home’, a useful function when travelling.
In common with the Day Date Sapin Green, the GMT features a solid caseback, adorned with the same nature-themed engraving but carries the inscription, ‘Limited Edition of 200 pieces’. The automatic ML165 calibre sits behind the intricately adorned caseback, delivering Swiss precision and reliability.
The 1975 Automatic GMT Silver Mist is presented on a black alligator imitation leather strap that secures to the wrist with a stainless steel deployant buckle. Furthermore, it features the Maurice Lacroix Easy Strap Exchange system.
PROUDLY CRAFTED IN SAIGNELÉGIER
Stéphane Waser, Managing Director of Maurice Lacroix, remarks, “Our dedicated team of designers, watchmakers and craftspeople who work in the Manufacture have all played an important role in our success and I’m incredibly grateful to each and every one of them. But I’m also thankful to be located in the Franches-Montagnes, a place of immense beauty that influences the products we make. Indeed, collectively we are proudly crafted in Saignelégier. As we celebrate our legacy, we look ahead, seeking to employ the same passion and dedication that have defined our journey since 1975.”
YOUR TIME IS NOW WITH MAURICE LACROIX
Since 1975, Maurice Lacroix has united urban style and Swiss craftsmanship while simultaneously delivering high perceived value. Located in the heart of the Franches-Montagnes, the Manufacture has repeatedly demonstrated its watchmaking expertise, producing an array of Manufacture movements, in-house mechanisms and several groundbreaking models, including the MASTERPIECE Square Wheel (2010), MASTERPIECE Mysterious Seconds (2013) and the Triple Rétrograde (2021). These innovative watches, along with many others, have proved firm favourites among the watch collecting community and have led to the company receiving more than 15 awards.
In 2014, following requests to bring back the Calypso, a former model that was discontinued in 2003, the brand’s creative team sought to reimagine it for a modern-day audience. Two years later (2016), Maurice Lacroix released the inaugural AIKON, an urban timepiece that immediately resonated with Millennials and Genzers. The collection has proved a box-office sensation, incentivising the Maison to release new expressions of the AIKON. Today, Maurice Lacroix finds inspiration in the world’s great metropolises, capturing the vibrancy of street life and creating watches ideally suited to city living.
For further information visit mauricelacroix.com