Maurice Lacroix Adds a New Pontos Day Date with an Appealing Khaki Dial

Maurice Lacroix is probably best known to readers of this site as the brand behind the Aikon line of sports watches, which have more than a passing resemblance to certain highly coveted integrated bracelet watches with years long waitlists and high markups on the secondhand market. While the Aikon has many fans and Maurice Lacroix deserves credit for bringing some undeniably interesting designs to market, we shouldn’t forget that the brand has other collections with their own distinct aesthetic that aren’t weighted down with comparisons to specific hype watches of the moment. 

The Pontos line is a good example. These are, largely, handsome, classically styled watches, notable for a distinctive stepped lug design. They’re affordably priced and easy to wear, and likely meet the criteria of many coming into this world looking for a single “nice, Swiss watch” to wear day in, and day out. For the most part these aren’t collectors or enthusiast centered watches – they’re just old fashioned good solid watches that don’t require a ton of explanation or context, and that in and of itself has its own kind of appeal. Still, every so often Maurice Lacroix will unveil a special version of the Pontos that makes us take notice, and might even have some crossover watch nerd appeal. 

So here we have the Pontos Day Date in a limited edition black and khaki colorway. This one hits a lot of notes that we tend to enjoy around here. What at first appears to be a straightforward drab green dial execution paired with a DLC coated case is actually a bit more complicated. The Pontos seen here is actually a sleek and understated sector dial, with sections of sunray brushed khaki separated by an interior minute track in black and large black hour markers providing connective tissue to the dial’s perimeter. The geometry is weirdly satisfying, and capped off by a “V” sector at 12:00 with the brand’s logo, wordmark, and day of the week indicator. This area mirrored at 6:00 with a triangular sector housing the date. There’s a lot of symmetry here, which is uncommon for a watch with a day date layout, so enthusiasts who prize this complication but bristle at awkward aperture placement should take note. 

Even more than the layout, though, the color combination of this Pontos just really works. I don’t know if we’re approaching “trend” status yet, but it seems like black watches are once again finding favor with a larger segment of the watch collecting public, and as you quickly see when performing a survey of watches with coated cases, it’s tough to find dial matches that really work. You see lots of blacks and grays, and some poorly thought through brighter colors as well, proving that it’s difficult to be adventurous with a black case. While the green shade used here isn’t exactly breaking new ground or particularly innovative, it’s perfectly complementary, and gives off a vibe that is both sleek and stylish as well as toolish and tactical. Those can be tough notes to pull off simultaneously, but the Pontos gets pretty close. 

The case here measures 41mm in diameter, so it’s not diminutive by any means, but is a perfectly average size for a modern watch of this type. The Pontos is notable for lugs that angle sharply downward at their endpoint, so the ergonomics of the case should favor those with an average wrist size. The watch is powered by the ML143 caliber, a rebadged version of the Sellita SW200.

The new Pontos Day Date is limited to 1,000 pieces, and available now from Maurice Lacroix authorized dealers and the brand’s own ecommerce platform. The retail price is $2,150. Maurice Lacroix