ver the last 50 years, Maurice Lacroix has demonstrated its expertise in crafting fine watches, some equipped with in-house movements, within the confines of its Manufacture. Likewise, over the years, the brand from the Franches-Montagnes has shown it is not afraid to collaborate with others and has created some fascinating co-branded watches that evince an alternative character.

In 2020, Maurice Lacroix collaborated with Label Noir. This independent company, located in Geneva, was founded in 2011 and built on the belief that style has no limits. It is known for customising timepieces using a palette of black shades, sometimes with an added pop of colour to evoke a sense of excitement. Label Noir was entrusted with creating a limited edition AIKON, the Jura-based brand’s bestselling watch. The resultant timepiece, limited to 50 examples, immediately sold out.

Buoyed by the success of the initial collaboration, the two companies joined forces again in 2024, creating a second limited edition. On this occasion, Label Noir reimagined the Masterpiece Skeleton, viewing it through a monochromatic lens. Imbued with subtle shades of black and executed in an array of finishes, the resultant watch played with transparency and juxtaposed black hues with smatterings of white detail. Once again, this limited edition of 288 pieces promptly sold out.

Now, the two companies have created a third model, this time uniting the AIKON’s popular urban style with an in-house Manufacture Skeleton movement, brimming with refined finishes. Housed in a stainless steel case measuring 45 mm in diameter, the model is endowed with brushed and polished surfaces, executed in black DLC. Black hour and minute hands, lined with turquoise Super-LumiNova, prove highly legible, day or night. A vivid turquoise circlet fringing the display is punctuated with black hour markers, denoting the hours clearly. A turquoise small seconds hand is located at 6 o’clock, pairing white and turquoise markings.

Beyond the dial indications, the wearer can also see the in-house Manufacture movement, the ML234. This automatic movement reveals many components often hidden from view, including the balance, openworked barrel and the sketonised mainplate formed of five concentric circles. An exhibition caseback, featuring a black, smoked sapphire crystal also grants sight of the self-winding movement and bears the inscription ‘Limited Edition of 100’. The watch is supplied with two straps: a dark grey nubuck strap with a debossed M-logo and a turquoise FKM rubber strap, embossed with ‘Maurice Lacroix’ text. Courtesy of the Maurice Lacroix Easy Strap Exchange system, the wearer can easily adapt the look of their watch without the need for tools with just a few user-friendly clicks.

Based on past experience, it is likely this limited edition of 100 pieces will sell out very quickly, hence hesitation is not recommended!

Stéphane Waser, Managing Director of Maurice Lacroix, remarks, “Since we met Label Noir and worked on our first collaboration, a limited edition Aikon Automatic, we have enjoyed a great working relationship. Label Noir has a remarkable talent for reimaging watches using various shades of grey and black, employing different finishes and sometimes adding soupçons of bright colours. In this instance, the turquoise works well against the black bezel, case, etc. The wearer can also see our in-house Manufacture movement with its refined finishing and observe various components in motion. We have responded to customer requests, in some cases from people who missed out on earlier Label Noir models, and worked with the team to create this third limited edition timepiece. If you like this watch, I strongly recommend you don’t hang around!”

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL NAME: AIKON AUTOMATIC LABEL NOIR

Reference: AI6028-DLB0B-030-H

LIMITED EDITION OF 100

CASE

• Brushed and polished stainless steel case
• Black DLC coating.
• Open caseback with black DLC coating and black smocked back glass «LIMITED EDTION OF 100» engraved
• Diameter: 45.00 mm
• Thickness: 12.00 mm
• Water resistance: 10 ATM / 100 meters
• Open case back with sapphire glass

FUNCTIONS

• Hours and minutes, Small second at 6H

DIAL

• Sapphire dial with black smocked gradiant with black M-logo and white printings
• Turquoise external flange printing

INDEX

• Black index

HANDS

• Black facetted hour and minute hands with turquoise SLN
• Turquoise second hand

MOVEMENT

• ML234, Automatic skeleton manufacture movement
• Power reserve: approx. 48 hours
• Frequency: 18,800 vibrations per hour 2.5 Hz)
• 34 jewels
• Black DLC fronte plate «traite tirés»
• Rhodium bridges Colomaçon
• Rhodium skeleton rotor with Colimaçon and «trait tirés»

STRAPS

• Grey nubuck strap with debossed M-logo
• Black DLC butterlfy buckle
• Delivery with a second turquoise rubber strap with ‘MAURICE LACROIX’ embossed on it Easychange system

RETAIL PRICE

• 6’500.- CHF