Maurice Lacroix Watches

About Maurice Lacroix Watches

Maurice Lacroix was founded in 1975 as part of the parent company Desco von Schulthess. Desco von Schulthess has a longstanding presence in the watch industry, having represented a number of Swiss watch brands over the years. This experience fostered their passion for the fine art of watchmaking, which spurred them to create their own brand, Maurice Lacroix.

After five years of producing their own watches, Desco von Schulthess discontinued production for other Swiss watch brands and shifted their focus to working solely on the Maurice Lacroix line. In 1989, Maurice Lacroix acquired the case maker Queloz S.A., who was based in the same town of Saignelegier. Maurice Lacroix’s ability to produce their own cases in-house gives them distinction among other brands.

1992 was a monumental year for the brand. That’s when they debuted their now-iconic Les Mecaniques line, later renamed the Masterpiece line. The Masterpiece collection is composed of limited edition models based on historic or heritage movements, making these watches incredibly unique. This line quickly launched Maurice Lacroix into overwhelming success. With the Masterpiece watches, Maurice Lacroix showcased their commitment to the traditional art of Swiss watchmaking, allowing them to achieve the level of credibility held by other Swiss watch manufacturers.

The brand used their momentum to expand. They opened their first U.S. store in 1995, and refurbished their case manufacturing plant in 1999. This renovation helped them respond to the growing demand for their watches by allowing them to increase production and improve their quality standards.

The turn of the century marked another major moment for Maurice Lacroix. In 2006, the brand unveiled their first in-house movement, the mechanical caliber ML-106. Their creation debuted in the Masterpiece Le Chronographe. Since then, the brand has continued to innovate a number of other in-house movements, including an automatic movement just five years later in 2011.

2017 marks the 25th anniversary of the brand’s famous Masterpiece collection. To celebrate, they introduced two new models to the collection—the Masterpiece Double Retrograde and the Masterpiece Gravity Blue—both of which debuted at Baselworld.

Maurice Lacroix is still a relatively young brand, backed by a watch powerhouse with decades of experience in the industry. As they continue to ride of the momentum of their early successes, there’s no telling what amazing innovations and creations they’ll come up with in the future.