Maurice Lacroix

Who are Maurice Lacroix?

Maurice Lacroix is a Swiss watch brand launched in 1975 by Desco von Schulthess, a Zurich trading company, and made in Saignelégier in the Swiss Jura (Europa Star). Since 2011 it has been majority owned by DKSH, a Swiss company that Europa Star describes as an Asia-focused market expansion services provider. This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Maurice Lacroix second-hand in the UK.

The brand makes mechanical and quartz watches. Its current lines include the Aikon, a sports watch with an integrated bracelet (Wikipedia), and its mechanical complications sit in the Masterpiece collection (Europa Star). It does not publish production or sales figures; Wikipedia quotes a 2008 Handelszeitung estimate of about 120,000 watches a year, which is now dated.

The history of Maurice Lacroix

Maurice Lacroix’s history runs from a trading company’s assembly workshop in 1961 to a brand owned by DKSH. The key dates are the launch (1975), the Calypso (1990), Masterpiece (1992), DKSH’s majority stake (2011) and the Aikon (2016).

The Desco years. Desco von Schulthess was founded in 1889 as an importer of raw silk, and by 1946 it was distributing Jaeger-LeCoultre and Audemars Piguet in Asia (Europa Star). In 1961 it opened an assembly workshop, Tiara, in Saignelégier, and in 1975, as electronic movements were hitting Swiss watchmakers, it launched Maurice Lacroix there (Europa Star). The name came from the company’s staff directory: Maurice Lacroix was director of Desco’s silk division in Lyon (Europa Star). Wikipedia gives a slightly different account, saying the brand was named after a board member who had died around that time. Desco also owned Girard-Perregaux from 1978 to 1985 (Europa Star).

Cases and mechanical watches. From 1986 Maurice Lacroix used old mechanical movements as the basis of a collection called Les Mécaniques, and from 1987 it worked on skeletonised watches (Europa Star). In 1989 the parent company bought Queloz, a case maker in Saignelégier (Europa Star). Sources differ on when Masterpiece began: Europa Star says the collection launched in 1992, while Wikipedia says Les Mécaniques was introduced in 1990 and later renamed Masterpiece.

The Calypso. The Calypso of 1990 became the brand’s signature watch. A skeletonised version followed in 1993, and the Calypso was dropped from the catalogue in the early 2000s (Europa Star).

Own movements. Maurice Lacroix developed its own chronograph calibre, the ML106. Wikipedia dates it to 2006 and says it was developed with Andreas Strehler; Europa Star places its development in 2008, under Philippe Merk. In 2010 the brand became the first to use Michel Vermot’s square wheel, developed with the Haute Ecole Arc in Le Locle, and Vermot later ran movement development at Maurice Lacroix (Europa Star, 2011). By 2011 it also had in-house automatic movements, the ML 190 and ML 191 (Europa Star, 2011).

DKSH. After the 2009 financial crisis, Desco began handing distribution to DKSH, which had held exclusive rights for Maurice Lacroix in Asia since 2008 (Europa Star). In July 2011 DKSH took a majority shareholding. At that time Maurice Lacroix had about 200 staff in Saignelégier and Zurich (Europa Star, 2011).

The Aikon. Stéphane Waser, who joined in 2008, became chief executive in 2014. In 2016 the brand launched the Aikon, a reinterpretation of the Calypso, with a quartz movement; automatic versions followed in 2018 (Europa Star). For its 50th anniversary in 2025 the brand launched a dress watch called the 1975 (Europa Star).

What is Maurice Lacroix known for?

Maurice Lacroix is known for the Aikon, for mechanical complications in the Masterpiece collection such as the square wheel, and for making cases at its own sites in the Jura.

The Aikon. The Aikon descends from the Calypso of 1990 (Europa Star) and has an integrated bracelet (Wikipedia). Maurice Lacroix lists Aikon Automatic and Aikon Quartz separately, so two Aikon listings with similar dials can have very different movements. Our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference.

Masterpiece complications. Masterpiece holds the brand’s mechanical complications, including the square-wheel models that began in 2010 and retrograde displays (Europa Star, 2011). Monochrome reports that a later Masterpiece Square Wheel Retrograde uses a Sellita SW200 base movement with a Maurice Lacroix module, so not every Masterpiece has a calibre made entirely by the brand. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why that matters.

Jura production. Maurice Lacroix’s manufacture is in Saignelégier, in the Franches-Montagnes (Maurice Lacroix), and Wikipedia lists a second site in Montfaucon. At a similar price point, buyers often also look at Mido, another Swiss brand built on dependable automatic movements rather than haute horlogerie.

Which Maurice Lacroix collections are there?

The current range is Aikon, Masterpiece, 1975, Pontos and Fiaba, with Eliros also listed on the brand’s site (Maurice Lacroix).

The collections table on this page covers the three lines whose history we could source; the brand does not publish launch dates for Pontos, Fiaba or Eliros. When reading listings:

• Aikon variants. The site lists Aikon Automatic, Aikon Quartz and Aikon-IC separately (Maurice Lacroix). Read the full model name and reference.
• The 1975. The site lists automatic and quartz versions of the 1975 as well (Maurice Lacroix).
• Older names. Calypso watches from the 1990s turn up second-hand; it is the forerunner of the Aikon, not a current line (Europa Star).
• Masterpiece movements. Ask which calibre a Masterpiece has, because some use the brand’s own movements and some use a supplier base with a Maurice Lacroix module (Europa Star; Monochrome).

Who owns Maurice Lacroix?

Maurice Lacroix is majority owned by DKSH Holding, which took a majority shareholding in July 2011 (Europa Star, 2011). DKSH had held exclusive marketing and distribution rights for the brand in Asia since 2008. At the time, Zino Davidoff AG also took a stake and Desco von Schulthess stayed on as a shareholder; the financial terms were not disclosed (Europa Star, 2011).

DKSH has tried to sell the brand. Bloomberg reported in July 2015 that DKSH had put Maurice Lacroix up for sale, and Wikipedia, citing Bloomberg, says that in April 2022 the company described itself as profitable but still for sale. We found no report of a completed sale.

Buying a Maurice Lacroix watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check whether the watch is quartz or automatic, that the serial number matches the papers, what warranty is left, when it was last serviced, and that it is not recorded as stolen.

1. Movement. Aikon and other lines come in both quartz and automatic versions (Maurice Lacroix). Make sure the listing states which, and that it matches the reference.

2. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

3. Warranty. Maurice Lacroix’s own US shop terms give two years for claims of lack of conformity from delivery (Maurice Lacroix), but we could not confirm the international warranty or whether it passes to a second owner. See watch warranties explained.

4. Servicing. Maurice Lacroix recommends a water-resistance check every two to three years (Maurice Lacroix). Ask when the watch was last serviced and for the paperwork.

5. Bracelet. The Aikon’s integrated bracelet is part of the design. Ask whether all links are present; our guide on resizing a watch bracelet covers what to expect.

6. Authenticity and theft. Buy from a seller who accepts returns and will put authenticity in writing. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at, and our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Maurice Lacroix?

DKSH Holding has held a majority stake since 2011 (Europa Star).

When was Maurice Lacroix founded?

The brand was launched in 1975 by Desco von Schulthess (Europa Star).

Was Maurice Lacroix a real person?

Yes. Europa Star says the name came from Desco’s staff directory: Maurice Lacroix was director of its silk division in Lyon. Wikipedia says he was a board member.

Where are Maurice Lacroix watches made?

In Saignelégier, in the Swiss Jura (Maurice Lacroix).

Does Maurice Lacroix make its own movements?

Some. It has made calibres such as the ML106 chronograph and the ML 190 and ML 191 automatics (Wikipedia; Europa Star), while other models use supplier movements (Monochrome).

What came before the Aikon?

The Calypso, introduced in 1990. The Aikon of 2016 is a reinterpretation of it (Europa Star).

Are Maurice Lacroix Aikon watches automatic or quartz?

Both. The Aikon launched with quartz in 2016 and automatic versions followed in 2018 (Europa Star).

What is the Maurice Lacroix square wheel?

A mechanism using a wheel that looks square rather than round, invented by Michel Vermot and developed with the Haute Ecole Arc in Le Locle. Maurice Lacroix became the first brand to use it, in 2010, in watches within the Masterpiece collection (Europa Star).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Maurice Lacroix or DKSH.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.