Maurice Lacroix has long occupied a distinct position within the sphere of Swiss horology, balancing a dedication to accessible luxury with a penchant for mechanical creativity that often surpasses the expectations set by its price bracket. Established in 1975 in the Jura mountains, the brand has spent decades cultivating a reputation for technical ingenuity, particularly in the realm of retrograde displays. While many manufactures rely solely on traditional circular motion to indicate the passage of time, Maurice Lacroix has made the linear and arcing snap-back motion of the retrograde hand a central pillar of its identity. The introduction of the 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde serves as a culmination of this specific expertise, merging the brand's founding year with its twenty-sixth Masterpiece caliber. This timepiece is not merely a nod to the past but a demonstration of how modern industrial design can reinvigorate classic complications.
The 1975 collection, while a recent addition to the brand's portfolio, carries the visual weight of a mature design language. It eschews the overly baroque ornamentation often found in skeletonized watches in favor of a cleaner, more architectural approach. The watch presents itself as a study in transparency and depth, prioritizing the visibility of the mechanism without sacrificing legibility—a notoriously difficult balance to strike in open-worked dials. The aesthetic is definitively contemporary, utilizing industrial finishes and sharp geometric bridges to frame the timekeeping functions, yet the case silhouette retains a softness that hints at the vintage inspirations suggested by the collection’s name. It is a design that speaks to a confidence in manufacturing, allowing the components themselves to serve as the primary decoration.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
The case of the 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde measures 42mm in diameter, a size that commands presence without becoming unwieldy on the average wrist. Constructed from stainless steel, the case architecture is a interplay of brushed and polished surfaces that manipulate light to reduce the visual mass of the watch. The height of 13mm is substantial but necessary to accommodate the vertical stacking of the movement modules and the dramatic arch of the crystal. The finishing is executed with precision; the brushing is uniform and follows the curvature of the lugs, while the polished chamfers provide a sharp definition that separates the case flank from the upper surfaces. This alternating finish extends to the pushers and crown, creating a cohesive visual package that feels substantial and well-engineered.
One of the most striking features of this timepiece is the expansive sapphire crystal box that encapsulates the dial. Unlike a flat crystal which can leave a dial feeling two-dimensional, the box crystal rises significantly above the bezel, creating a dome that acts almost as a cinematic lens. This design choice allows light to enter the dial from oblique angles, illuminating the skeletonized movement from the sides as well as the top. When viewed from a profile, the crystal distorts the internal components slightly, adding a layer of visual intrigue and emphasizing the three-dimensional nature of the construction. The double anti-reflective coating is a critical addition here, as a crystal of this shape would otherwise become a mirror; instead, it virtually disappears, leaving nothing between the observer and the mechanics.
The dial itself is less a traditional face and more of a framework for the complications. A sapphire crystal disk serves as the canvas for the time-telling elements, floating above the movement to provide a mounting point for the indices and logo without obscuring the view below. The mainplate, visible through the sapphire and the open-worked bridges, is treated with a sandblasted black rhodium finish. This dark, matte background is crucial for contrast, allowing the rhodium-plated bridges above to stand out in sharp relief. The bridges feature a "trait tirée" or drawn line finish, adding texture that catches the light differently than the sandblasted depths. This layering of finishes—matte black against brushed silver—creates a sense of immense depth, making the watch feel like a miniature city of gears and levers.
At the twelve o'clock position, the Grand Date complication asserts itself as a focal point of the display. Maurice Lacroix has leveraged its experience from the AIKON Master Grand Date to implement a system that is both mechanically robust and visually legible. The mechanism utilizes two separate discs to display the tens and units, a solution that allows for much larger numerals than a standard single-disc date wheel. Because of the skeletonized nature of the dial, the wearer is not limited to seeing just the current date; the entire mechanism of the date discs is exposed. One can trace the circumference of the stenciled numerals as they wait their turn to rotate into the aperture. The framing of the date window is substantial, with a metallic border that guides the eye and separates the current date from the background noise of the movement.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
Counterbalancing the date at the six o'clock position is the retrograde day indication, the feature that anchors this watch in Maurice Lacroix’s historical lineage. The retrograde complication is a rare specialty in the watch industry due to the energy management required to snap the hand back to its starting position instantly. Here, the day of the week is indicated by a blue-plated hand that sweeps across an arc labeled from Monday to Sunday. The choice of blue for this hand is a subtle but effective piece of design, providing the only splash of color on an otherwise monochromatic dial. This pop of blue ensures that the day indication is easily distinguishable from the hour and minute hands, aiding in rapid information intake.
The mechanics of the retrograde day are a source of constant fascination for the mechanically inclined. As the week progresses, the hand advances incrementally across the scale. The tension in the spring builds with each passing day, storing the energy required for the return trip. At the transition from Sunday to Monday, the mechanism releases this stored energy, and the hand flicks instantly back to the start of the arc to begin the cycle anew. This dynamic action transforms the passive act of time-telling into an active event, giving the watch a kinetic quality that standard three-handers lack. It is a complication that requires tight tolerances and precise lubrication to ensure reliability over years of operation, a testament to the brand's manufacturing capabilities.
Legibility is often the Achilles' heel of skeletonized watches, where hands can easily get lost against the visual clutter of the movement. Maurice Lacroix has addressed this by employing trapeze-style hour and minute hands that are rhodium-plated and generously filled with white Super-LumiNova. The shape of the hands is distinct, broad enough to carry sufficient luminous material for low-light visibility but tapered to maintain elegance. The rhodium plating allows them to catch even faint ambient light, reflecting a bright flash that separates them from the darker movement bridges below. A rhodiumed external flange encircles the dial, carrying the minute track and serving as a visual boundary that contains the energy of the skeletonized center.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
Powering this complex display is the Manufacture automatic caliber ML302. This movement represents the brand’s twenty-sixth foray into proprietary Masterpiece calibers, highlighting a sustained commitment to vertical integration for their complication modules. The movement beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, a standard modern beat rate that offers a good compromise between precision and durability. The power reserve is rated at 38 hours. While this figure might seem modest by some modern standards, it is important to consider the energy consumption required to drive the heavy Grand Date discs and the spring-loaded retrograde mechanism. The 39 jewels within the movement attest to the complexity of the gear train and the friction-reducing measures taken to ensure smooth operation.
The view through the exhibition caseback reveals the finishing standards that Maurice Lacroix applies to its movements. The rotor is decorated with Côtes de Genève, providing a traditional Swiss flourish to the automatic winding system. Beneath the rotor, the movement plates feature a mix of perlage (circular graining) and colimaçon (spiral finish). These decorations are not merely aesthetic; historically, they served to trap dust and prevent it from migrating into the escapement, though today they primarily serve as an indicator of quality and attention to detail. The open caseback, protected by sapphire glass, allows the owner to appreciate the movement from both sides, reinforcing the transparent philosophy of the watch.
The 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde is secured to the wrist by a high-quality black calf leather strap. The strap has been stamped with an alligator-style texture, providing the upscale look of exotic skin with the durability and suppleness of calfskin. It features the Maurice Lacroix "m" logo debossed into the leather, a branding touch that is discreet yet identifiable. The strap tapers from a lug width of 20mm down to the buckle, creating a comfortable profile on the underside of the wrist. The closure is a stainless steel butterfly buckle, which reduces wear on the leather compared to a traditional pin buckle and offers added security against accidental drops during donning and doffing.
A significant feature of the strap system is the inclusion of the "Easy Change" system. In an era where collectors increasingly prefer to swap straps to suit different occasions, the ability to remove the strap without tools is a highly practical addition. Small quick-release bars integrated into the spring bars allow the wearer to detach the strap with a simple pinch of the fingers. This versatility means the watch can easily be dressed down with a rubber strap or given a different character with a colored leather option, although the stock black leather perfectly complements the monochromatic industrial look of the dial.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
The water resistance of the watch is rated at 5 ATM, or approximately 50 meters. While this does not classify it as a sports watch suitable for swimming or diving, it is more than sufficient for the daily hazards of splashes, rain, and hand washing. Given the complex nature of the retrograde and grand date complications, and the lack of a screw-down crown, this level of water resistance is standard for the category. It ensures that the watch is a capable daily companion for the urban environment, protected against the elements without pretending to be a tool watch.
The visual experience of the watch on the wrist is dominated by the interplay of light. The "box" sapphire crystal collects light from the surroundings, creating reflections that dance across the polished indices and hands. The skeletonization invites close inspection; there is always a new detail to discover, whether it is the pulsing of the balance wheel, the slow rotation of the date discs, or the texture of the sandblasted plates. It is a watch that rewards the wearer who takes the time to look closer, revealing layers of mechanical interaction that are usually hidden behind a solid dial.
In the broader context of the Maurice Lacroix catalog, this model serves as a bridge between their heritage and their future. The brand has been crafting retrograde watches since 1999, starting with the Calendar Retrograde. Over the subsequent decades, they have refined the technology, improving shock resistance and long-term reliability. The 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde benefits from this quarter-century of iterative improvement. It is not an experiment; it is a polished execution of a signature technology. The integration of the Grand Date with the retrograde day creates a calendar watch that prioritizes the most useful information—the date and day—while discarding the less frequently needed month indicator, resulting in a cleaner and more focused display.
The concept of "accessible excellence" is central to understanding the value proposition of this timepiece. Achieving a functional retrograde mechanism combined with a grand date display and a fully skeletonized aesthetic usually commands a price point significantly higher in the luxury market. Maurice Lacroix has managed to industrialize these high complications, bringing them to a segment of the market where such features are scarce. This democratization of the retrograde complication allows a wider audience to experience the joy of non-linear time displays, a feature that was once the exclusive preserve of high haute horlogerie.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
The user interface of the watch has been designed with the owner in mind. The crown handles the winding and time-setting functions with a tactile assurance. The adjustment of the date and day is likely handled through a combination of crown positions and possibly recessed correctors on the case flank, a common configuration for modular complications. The large date digits are printed in a font that is modern and highly legible, avoiding the serif styles that would clash with the industrial skeleton aesthetic. The contrast of the black numerals against the silvered discs ensures they can be read at a glance, further aided by the metallic frame that isolates the current date.
In terms of pricing and availability, the Maurice Lacroix 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde (reference 758008-SS001-090-2) is positioned at $8,600 USD. This pricing reflects the complexity of the manufacture movement, the extensive finishing, and the unique combination of the Grand Date and Retrograde Day complications. As a special edition within the new 1975 collection, it represents a premium offering from the brand, targeted at serious enthusiasts who understand the engineering required to execute these features. The watch is available through authorized Maurice Lacroix retailers, offering collectors a chance to own a piece of the brand's evolving history.
Case: 42 mm stainless steel case with brushed and polished finishes and a height of 13 mm. Features a sapphire crystal box with double anti-reflective coating and an open case back with sapphire glass. Water-resistant to 5 ATM.
Movement: Manufacture automatic ML302 caliber beating at 28,800 vph with a 38-hour power reserve and 39 jewels. Rhodium-plated movement decorated with Perlage, Colimaçon, and Côtes de Genève on the rotor. Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, weekday indicator at 6 o’clock, and grand date.
Dial: Sapphire crystal dial with a skeletonized display. Features rhodium-plated hands with white Super-LumiNova and a blue-plated retrograde day hand.
Strap: 20 mm black calf leather strap with alligator-style texture and debossed 'm' logo. Equipped with a stainless steel butterfly buckle and an easy strap exchange system.
Price: 8,600.00 USD
Reference Number: 758008-SS001-090-2
Notes: Special Edition model from the 1975 collection. Represents the brand's 26th Masterpiece caliber, combining a retrograde day indication with a grand date complication.