Le Chronographe

An Exclusive New Aesthetic for the Maurice Lacroix Manufacture Movement

Exclusivity, Luxury and Power: The look of the new Masterpiece Le Chronographe in stainless steel exemplifies these very characteristics, a reflection of the ML 106-2 manufacture move­ment functioning at its heart, which was conceived and developed entirely in Maurice Lacroix' own technical department in Saignelégier.

The Maurice Lacroix manufacture ML 106-2 chronograph movement is a work of superlatives and a true original. Moreover, with uniquely grand proportions for a wristwatch chronograph – a full 36.6 millimetres in diameter – it is a genuine technical accomplishment. In this manufacture movement, a traditional column-wheel controls the chronograph functions. The chronograph's cinematic chain, however, has been reinterpreted completely by Maurice Lacroix. The most significant innovation is the use of a release lever, which guarantees optimum functioning of the chronograph wheel. On tradi-tional chronographs, the “start” and “zeroing” sequences are critical, because the blocker, which stabilizes and holds the wheels in position, switches back. This in turn allows the chronograph centre wheel to run free for fractions of a second, until the zeroing lever hits the switching hearts of the chronograph. It is this loss of control that can result in incorrect time or date indications if the watch meets with an impact. Maurice Lacroix' new design has minimized this risk – it guarantees the correct positioning of the individual chronograph components, and hence the accuracy of the information dis­played, by pressing the blocker against the wheels for longer than was heretofore possible. Maurice Lacroix has already registered a patent for this reinterpretation of the chronograph sequence.

The ML 106-2 calibre also features a stop second – when the crown is pulled out, the balance halts and the seconds hand stops. This enables the watch to be set accurately to the second. Last but not least – the counter hand. The vast majority of all chronographs manage with totalizers, which can achieve 30 or, at most, 45 minutes. For the ML 106-2 calibre, Maurice Lacroix has increased this time span to an exceptional 60 minutes. This rare 60-minute counter demands a significantly higher level of watchmaking complexity and is far more difficult to manufacture than the familiar 30- or 45-minute counter. The ML 106-2 calibre also features top-quality components, like an elegant swan neck precision adjustment and two genuine gold chatons in the chronograph bridge.

Where Innovative Aesthetic Meets the Highest Standards of the Watchmaker's Art

The manufacture movement for the stainless steel version of the Masterpiece Le Chronographe has yet to find its aesthetic equal. All bridges have a PVD surface finish in tantalum silver-grey, while the screws are coated in black PVD. This innovative finish lends the calibre its revolutionary appearance. Gold-plated wheels, a Maurice Lacroix logo engraved in a shade matching the bridges and a generously proportioned, coil-shaped decorative motif complete the look of this sensational piece.

Uncompromising Purity of Design

The Masterpiece Le Chronographe impresses by virtue of its audaciously sporty, innovative design. This all starts with the luxurious and finely finished stainless steel case made in the Maurice Lacroix workshops: its appearance is altogether masculine and contemporary. The fine, satinized bezel remains fully open and offers an unhindered view onto the architectonic dial. The case owes its striking character, above all, to the exciting pattern of alternating satinized and polished surfaces. The pure and classical screw-lock crown, which can be engaged with just a quarter-rotation to make the case water-resistant to 100 m, is another innovation by Maurice Lacroix.

Harmonizing perfectly with this extraordinary case is the watch face, meticulously designed to create a three-dimensional effect from the light playing on the contrasts of its refined surfaces. An applied, sliver-hued ring, used for the tachymeter scale, is round-satinized, and the anthracite-coloured solid silver base is vertically satinized. The polished, hand-applied Arabic numerals, 60-minute counter and small seconds hand – in black and accented with a decorative spiral motif – give this face a perfect, modern and unmistakable expression!