Just ahead of Watches & Wonders, Maurice Lacroix has unveiled a pair of new chronographs in their Pontos line. While most enthusiasts are probably looking at Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon line of integrated bracelet sports watches, collections like the Pontos have their own charm and help paint a fuller picture of the brand, which is always straddling a line between sporty and refined, and doing it at a price point that welcomes a wide range of collectors.
The new Pontos chronographs seen here feature dials in black and slate gray, the former with white accents, and the latter with hints of rose gold. The Pontos has a familIr three register layout, but the sub registers at 12:00 and 6:00 (minute and hour totalizers, respectively) are larger than the running seconds subdial at 9:00. It’s a subtle shift from the norm but gives the dial a little bit of additional visual interest and funk. It’s like a “Big Eye,” but with two eyes. I’m sure the community can come up with an appropriate nickname.
The most significant changes in these new versions of the Pontos concern the hour markers and handset. Time is now read via Arabic numerals at the dial’s perimeter, with a minute track located in the rehaut. Maurice Lacroix has also refined the hands with a modest bit of skeletonization at their base.
Both the black and gray have a sunburst effect applied to their surfaces, and in these Maurice Lacroix supplied photos, it looks particularly striking in gray. Black dials, of course, are always a classic choice, and I’ve always felt there’s something special about a simple black dialed chronograph in particular. But the gray dial combined with those rose gold accents offers something subtly different. Gray is a somewhat underutilized dial color, and pairing it with gold here gives it a luxurious impact that usually we don’t see with a color that’s normally associated with more tactical watches.
The stainless steel case measures 43mm in diameter and is 15mm thick. That’s an imposing size, but it’s in service to a case that is actually fairly unique, with a stepped lug design that recalls Art Deco motifs. By the numbers, it’s chunky, but that step visually narrows the watch a bit, and I would imagine makes it appear just a bit trimmer.
Given the size of the case, it’s no surprise to see that the Pontos is specced like a true sports watch, with 100 meters of water resistance and an Oyster style bracelet. Both variants are also available on a more formal black leather strap, as well. On a strap, the retail price comes in at $3,200, while the bracelet version sells for $3.250. More information can be found at the Maurice Lacroix website right here.
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