The Hourstriker Verdict
As part of Maurice Lacroix's 50th Anniversary celebration, the brand has taken their popular 1975 collection and sized it down to a very small 33 mm. These watches still retain the look of their larger counterparts but allow them to fit more petite wrists. The quartz powered movements ensure 5 years of grab and go ease as well. The model with the pink mother of pearl dial and matching pink strap instantly grabbed my attention the most from the range.
— Peter, Editor-in-Chief
Maurice Lacroix has announced the expansion of its 1975 collection with the introduction of the 1975 Quartz 33mm, a series of eight new references designed to offer a more compact alternative to the existing lineup. Released to coincide with the commercial window surrounding Valentine's Day, this expansion marks a continued effort by the Jura-based brand to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1975. While the collection itself was formally launched in 2025 to commemorate this jubilee, the new 33mm variants represent a strategic downsizing, moving away from the larger case profiles that characterized the initial launch. The design language remains heavily indebted to the "Les Classiques" series from 1988, utilizing a retro-modern aesthetic that blends late-20th-century geometries with contemporary manufacturing tolerances. This release targets a demographic seeking smaller case dimensions without the functional complexity of mechanical escapements, positioning the line as an entry-point into the brand's "Masterpiece" standard of finishing.
The decision to introduce a 33mm platform addresses a specific gap in the current market for mid-sized dress watches, which has seen a resurgence in demand for sub-36mm diameters. By offering a diverse range of references—spanning from utilitarian all-steel models to diamond-encrusted variants—Maurice Lacroix is attempting to cover a broad spectrum of price points and aesthetic preferences within a singular case architecture. The collection relies heavily on high-contrast finishing and material variety, such as Mother-of-Pearl and PVD gold coatings, to differentiate between the stock keeping units (SKUs). This approach allows the manufacturer to maintain a streamlined production process for the case and movement components while offering significant visual diversity to the consumer. The new references also maintain the brand's focus on "perceived value," a corporate strategy centered on delivering finishing techniques typically associated with higher price brackets, such as complex case anglage and integrated bracelet designs.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
The Case and Dial
The chassis of the new 1975 Quartz 33mm is machined from stainless steel, featuring a diameter of 33mm and a relatively slender profile height of 8.5mm. This thickness is achieved largely through the utilization of a quartz movement, which lacks the vertical bulk of an automatic winding rotor and the associated bridge architecture. The case geometry adheres to Maurice Lacroix’s "Masterpiece specification," a term the brand uses to denote its higher tier of exterior finishing. This is evident in the alternating surface treatments; the case band and lugs feature a satin-brushed finish that contrasts with high-polished bevels. This technique, known as anglage when applied to movement components, is here applied to the external lugs to define the silhouette against the wrist. The lugs themselves are relatively short and curved, designed to mitigate overhang on smaller wrists and ensure the bracelet or strap drops vertically from the case edge.
Regarding environmental protection, the case is rated for water resistance up to 10 ATM (100 meters). This is a notable deviation from the standard 3 ATM or 5 ATM ratings typically found in dress-oriented quartz watches of this size. A 10 ATM rating suggests a robust system of gaskets. This level of sealing allows the timepiece to withstand static pressure equivalent to a depth of 100 meters, rendering it suitable for surface swimming and general aquatic exposure, a practical feature often omitted in this category in favor of slimmer case profiles. The crystal is sapphire, treated with a neutral anti-reflective coating to minimize glare and maximize the legibility of the dial underneath.
The dial configurations are divided into three primary categories: silver-toned sun-brushed, white Mother-of-Pearl, and pink Mother-of-Pearl. The sun-brushed finish is achieved by using a wire brush to create imperceptible radial lines extending from the center of the dial, which diffracts light to create a rotating shimmer effect. The Mother-of-Pearl options utilize the inner shell layer of mollusks, a calcium carbonate material known as nacre. Because nacre is an organic composite, the optical properties and iridescence vary between individual dials, ensuring that no two units are identical in refractory output. The "pink" variant suggests the sourcing of nacre from specific mollusk species capable of depositing reddish pigments during the shell-forming process, offering a distinct warm hue compared to the standard white.
Indices on the 1975 Quartz 33mm follow a strict geometric code, utilizing an elongated trapeze or "lozenge" shape. These markers are diamond-polished, a machining process that uses diamond-tipped tools to cut the metal at high speed, leaving a mirror-like surface without the need for subsequent buffing. This ensures crisp edges and maximum light reflection, which is critical for legibility on a dial that may lack luminescent material. The hands are fashioned in the Dauphine style, characterized by their triangular, tapered form. On the two-tone reference (751006-PVY12-131-1), these hands and indices are treated with a 2N yellow gold PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating. PVD involves vaporizing a titanium nitride or gold alloy in a vacuum and bonding it to the steel substrate, creating a surface hardness superior to traditional gold plating. A date window is positioned at the 3 o'clock index, cutting into the dial plane to reveal the date disk of the underlying quartz caliber.
For the gem-set references, Maurice Lacroix employs natural diamonds certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). The RJC certification is a critical industry standard that verifies the stones have been sourced through supply chains compliant with strict ethical, social, and environmental guidelines, mitigating the risk of conflict stones entering the production line. The top-tier reference (751006-SD502-170-1) features a bezel set with 60 SI2-grade diamonds totaling 0.67 carats. The SI2 clarity grade denotes "Slightly Included," meaning inclusions are visible under 10x magnification but generally not to the naked eye. An additional 12 diamonds (0.08 carats) are used as hour markers on specific references, replacing the metallic lozenges.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
The Movement
Powering the 1975 Quartz 33mm is the Ronda 515 caliber, a Swiss-made quartz movement. The choice of the Ronda 515 is consistent with the industry's requirement for a robust, serviceable three-hand quartz engine with a date complication. Unlike generic, non-repairable movements often found in lower-tier fashion watches, the Ronda 515 features a metal base plate and bridges, allowing for greater stability and potential servicing. It operates at a standard frequency of 32,768 Hz, regulated by a quartz crystal oscillator. The movement drives the hours, minutes, and central seconds, along with the instantaneous date function visible at 3 o'clock.
A key operational advantage of this caliber is its power efficiency. The movement is specified to provide a battery life exceeding 60 months (5 years) using a standard 371 silver oxide cell. This extended autonomy is significant for the target demographic, reducing the frequency of service intervals compared to standard quartz movements which typically require battery replacement every 24 to 36 months. The long-life system is achieved through a reduction in the consumption of the stepping motor and optimized gear train friction. From a user standpoint, the "grab-and-go" nature of the quartz mechanism offers a distinct practical advantage over automatic counterparts, particularly for owners who may not wear the watch daily and thus would require a watch winder to keep a mechanical movement running.
The utilization of the Ronda 515 also dictates the dimensional possibilities of the case. With a movement height of roughly 3mm, it allows the total case thickness to remain at 8.5mm while still accommodating the dial, hands, and 10 ATM water-resistance seals. A mechanical equivalent, such as an ETA 2824 or Sellita SW200, would require a height of 4.6mm for the movement alone, necessitating a case thickness in excess of 10mm. Therefore, the selection of quartz is not merely a cost-saving measure but a structural decision to maintain the "finesse" and slender profile marketed for this specific 33mm iteration.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
The Strap and Bracelet
The collection is supported by a dedicated five-row stainless steel bracelet, engineered specifically for the 1975 series. The five-row architecture—often referred to as a "jubilee" style in broader horological terms—enhances the bracelet's flexibility and articulation. Smaller link segments allow the bracelet to drape more fluidly around the radius of a smaller wrist, minimizing gaps and pinching. The finishing on the bracelet mirrors the case, with satin-brushed outer links flanking three rows of polished center links. This interplay of light serves to integrate the bracelet visually with the case lugs. On the two-tone model, the second and fourth rows of links are treated with the same 2N yellow gold PVD coating as the dial accents, creating a longitudinal stripe effect that reinforces the vintage 1980s aesthetic.
The bracelet is secured via a butterfly clasp (double deployment), which remains hidden beneath the bracelet links when closed, creating a seamless aesthetic on the underside of the wrist. This type of clasp is generally preferred in dress watches for its symmetry and the reduced bulk compared to a single-fold diver's clasp. For references supplied on leather, Maurice Lacroix provides calf leather straps in white or pink, color-matched to the Mother-of-Pearl dials. These straps feature tone-on-tone stitching and are embossed with the brand's stylized "M" logo, which was redesigned for the 50th anniversary. The leather straps are secured with a traditional stainless steel pin buckle.
A functional highlight of the strap system is the inclusion of the "Easy Strap Exchange" mechanism. This system utilizes a quick-release spring bar integrated directly into the strap or bracelet end-link, featuring a small tactile lever. This allows the wearer to disengage the strap from the lugs without the use of a spring bar tool, mitigating the risk of scratching the lugs during changes. This modularity supports the current industry trend towards user-customization, enabling the owner to swap between the metal bracelet and leather straps to alter the formality of the timepiece instantly.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
Pricing and Availability
The Maurice Lacroix 1975 Quartz 33mm collection is positioned in the accessible luxury segment, with a price range spanning from $850 to $3,450 depending on the material configuration and gem-setting. The entry-level price point of $850 likely applies to the all-steel references on leather straps or the non-diamond steel models, offering a competitive entry into Swiss-made manufacturing. The price ceiling of $3,450 is reserved for the reference 751006-SD502-170-1, which commands a premium due to the 0.67 carats of diamonds on the bezel and the 0.08 carats on the dial.
This pricing strategy places the collection in direct competition with quartz offerings from other mid-tier Swiss conglomerates, such as Longines or Raymond Weil, while undercutting the entry-level quartz models from higher-tier manufactures like Cartier or Omega. The wide delta between the base model and the flagship diamond version indicates a strategy to capture both the pragmatic buyer seeking a daily wearer and the gift-oriented buyer looking for a significant jewelry piece. The watches are available immediately through authorized Maurice Lacroix retailers and the brand's e-commerce platform.
Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix
Technical Specifications
Case: Stainless steel, 33mm diameter, 8.5mm height, sapphire crystal with neutral anti-reflective coating, polished bezel (or diamond-set options), water resistance 10 ATM (100m).
Movement: Quartz Ronda 515, > 5 years battery life (60 months), functions: hours, minutes, central seconds, date at 3 o'clock.
Dial: Silver-toned sun-brushed, white Mother-of-Pearl, or pink Mother-of-Pearl; indices in PVD 2N, rhodium, or RJC-certified diamonds (0.08 ct); hands in PVD 2N or rhodium-plated.
Strap: 5-row stainless steel bracelet (brushed/polished or two-tone PVD 2N), or calf leather strap (white or pink) with embossed M logo; Easy Strap Exchange system.
Price: USD $850 - $3,450
Reference Number: 751006-PVY12-131-1 (Two-tone), 751006-SS002-130-1 (Steel), 751006-SS002-160-1 (White MOP/Steel), 751006-SS001-160-7 (White MOP/Leather), 751006-SS002-560-1 (Pink MOP/Steel), 751006-SS001-560-6 (Pink MOP/Leather), 751006-SS002-170-1 (Diamond Indices), 751006-SD502-170-1 (Diamond Bezel/Indices).
Notes: Diamond versions feature 60 bezel diamonds (0.67 ct) and/or 12 dial diamonds (0.08 ct), all RJC certified SI2 grade.