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Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2018
- Many people in the watchfam find themselves divided on the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic. Love it or hate it, both sides find themselves focusing on the main aspect of this particular timepiece: it's very clearly inspired by the AP Royal Oak.
But is that a bad thing? Aren't plenty of watches (and products) inspired by other designs that came before? Well, of course. But what makes the design choices of the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic so polarizing? The times I've featured the ML Aikon on the TBWS IG feed or mentioned it on the podcast, many people were immediately dismissive thinking that the watch was basically just an homage or a blatant copy. But is it?
Reviewing and really scrutinizing the ML Aikon Automatic is absolutely necessary for us as a watchfam to evolve beyond the point of simply viewing watches within the narrow lens of "Copy or Unique" - this narrow view isn't how we evolve as a community of collectors. So when I received the opportunity to review the Maurice Lacroix Aikon for myself, I knew it was a chance to properly assess the watch based on its own on-the-wrist merits. So with that said, is the Aikon Automatic still worth checking out? Watch my video review.
Also be sure to check out the written Maurice Lacroix Review at TBWS: twobrokewatchsnobs.com/mauric...
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It is actually inspired on their Calypso model from the 90s, not a homage to the AP RO - stands on its own,
The RO actually is a homage of the Buler AstroMaster from 1970
Re-watching this for the I don't know what time, really underrated reviewer. Reviewing a watch for what it is, no snobbery, no pretentiousness. Kudos.
I own it, it's worth every penny
agreed! you get a lot of watch for 1800$! Wears well, comfortable and high quality!
you 2 make me act like a child, i just ordered mine and seeing comments like this makes me so happy
rasmus knudsen It’s the 42mm? I’m debating about getting one but I feel like it will be to big. I know they offer the 39mm but only in blue and black. I wish they had a white dial.
@@leomedina5614 i got 39mm
rasmus knudsen In a white dial!?
Don't kill me, but I think this one looks better then AP... Hot time piece!!!
Lol I totally hear you! Truth be told it's totally possible to see them as different pieces and to have a preference for one over the other - the visuals on that bracelet were certainly something out of this world
Respectfully disagree. Have seen them both IRL; AP is way better finished, feels more luxurious. Plus, the RO is an original Genta design... I mean, one thing is to provide an affordable, well made alternative, but let’s not be carried away.
@@deltropico7 lol
I got two friends who own the Royal Oak and the ML. Both say: the Aikon got for the price a fantastic quality and is made like a watch within the price range of around 8-10K - The AP is better of course but not too far away. Both say the Aikon got own character elements and they like to wear it.
@@deltropico7 You disagree the design's not better looking for reasons that don't have to do with looks?
Great honest review. I just bought this with the blue dial. I am surprised about the pin links as well but I think I’m going to invest in the proper tool for sizing the bracelet🤓👍🏻
I flipped this watch last year too quickly. Wore it may 2x. I just repurchased it a couple months ago and just over the moon about it. It gets more looks/glances than my others. Love the fit and probably one of the best bracelets around. Nice review.
'It gets more looks/glances than my others.' - What are your others, out of interest? I am in love with this watch and going to try on the 39mm this week at an AD.
hows does the watch glow? how bright and clear does it illuminate? thats the only thing I'm missing in order to purchase.
Hi Kaz im a fan of your TBWS podcasts. As someone who can’t afford or justify an AP I think this ticks a lot of boxes. I’ve seen there’s a 39mm which I'm looking at but I’ll have to try one to. Not sure it can size correctly without micro adjusts. Re that intermittent click, I looked into that myself on an ETA and found it was the sound of the slipping bridge or clutch of the automatic winding mechanism. Only happens once fully wound. Maybe that’s it with the ML?
Aren't Patek Philippe Nautilus, IWC Ingenieur, Girard-Perregaux Laureato, and Vacheron Constantin Overseas not very clearly inspired by the AP Royal Oak? whats the use keep mentioning it over and over? perhaps is the the MC Aikon inspired by its own Calypso of the nineties...
I really love the design of this. That bracelet and handset are definitely Royal Oak “inspired”, and the dial is lifted straight from a GP Laureato (itself RO inspired). I definitely appreciate the more VC Overseas style bezel and round dial, not to mention it’s removable bracelet.
I personally struggle with paying $500+ for
Great review. You are right about the Sellita movement. But they can’t get the ETA anymore as Swatch have shut down the market outside it’s own brands. That said: for me it’s fine. I don’t wear any of my watches for more than three days at a time (maybe longer if I’m on holiday) so the movement is secondary. And the Sellita is not crap. It’s very reliable.
Oh and the batons on the bezel. They are a long way from the Royal Oak. But reminiscent of the Rolex Air King - which I really like as that was the first luxury watch I owned - inherited from my father.
As an integrated bracelet watch which can be interchanged with a leather one it’s a seriously lovely piece. I have a Royal Oak. Cost me £8k eight years ago. Worth twice that now. Never wear it. Ok maybe two a couple of functions. So the Aikon does scratch an itch.
This watch is a modern-day version of the Maurice Lacroix Calypso which was popular models back in the 90s they also have the six claws on the bezel. On the modern-day Aikon version of the Calypso the claws are no longer rounded but angled. If ML used an in-house movement they would have had to increase the cost of the watch a thousand or more to be in line with other watches in the lineup that do use in-house movements. I would have rather have them use an ETA 2824 which the Selitta S200 is a copy of but not sure if that is because ML is not part of the Swatch group and ETA movements are harder to come by. I agree with you that ML the quick release strap and bracelet should have been made compatible with aftermarket straps.
Interesting - just looked up the Calypso. I can totally see that now. Does ML not overtly make the design DNA connection very clear to people? They should - helps give the watch more of a long-term, brand specific perspective.
In several intervals with the CEO and others, they do state that the Aikon is based on the Calipso of the 90s. It is also stated that “the Aikon is now the face of ML...” and it’s a gorgeous watch to take that position.
Cheapest price I've seen for this is around 1230 euros (1380 usd) online here in Europe so definitely not bad value for the money. Considering that for example the Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Day-Date is around 1700 euros (1900 usd).
It does resemble the royal oak being an industrial lookan, look but it is inspired by MLs older designs.
I actually like it better than the royal oak, those polished pieces on top of the bezel really catch my eye. I decided today to sell my Pontos and get an Aikon but idk if i should go with the bronze or stainless. I wish they made the bronze with a bronze bracelet instead of leather.
did you have some isuess on the quick realese bracelet from the case?
ML's movement has definitely more decorations than oris' red rotor, given both uses SW200s
Is the ML115 movement ML uses in the current offering the same as you speak of in this review. I never knew what an AP RO was when I fell for this. Can't afford one anyway?!
just brought it yesterday and movement still the same
the case, the bracelet and the quick release system is beautiful. the face and bazel needs a bit more improvement
I watched a couple of videos on this recently. I saw it in a magazine and pretty much decided it would be a 2019 sort of thing. I had a weird feeling about this one surging in popularity and price so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the blue face tonight.
And that’s a good call. ML’s marketing campaign will catch up soon and it will be a brand on the forefront of many people’s consciousness.
What did you end up paying for it?
John Nguyen except it didnt
Just like the Royal Oak, this design is a bit polarising. I’m not a fan personally, but that bracelet and dial texture do look really nice.
On a side note Kaz, might be worth picking up some jewellers gloves if video reviews are going to be a regular thing...keep those polished surfaces nice and shiny 😁
Great review dude 👍
Yea when I started planning I felt super weird about wearing gloves on air. But after spending 5 min polishing the watch and then handling it on air those little smudges started showing up. So sorry about that - I’m going to have to figure something out to make sure that doesn’t happened again. Thanks for checking out the video and thank you for the insight.
@@TwoBrokeWatchSnobsactually nice to see it on real skin. Thanks
For legibility, go for the blue dial version. One question though, does the bracelet pull hair from your wrist? Thanks!
Pavol Vavro I’ve been wearing this a lot and I’ve never had a hair pulled👍🏻
Great review. I have one incoming in blue.
The AP 15400 is a tad bit on my wrist.
I hope the ML has shorter lug to lug so I can wear it comfortably.
Ahh the one in blue def seems like the cooler option among the color choices - I feel like the dial elements will really pop against the blue. Hopefully the lug to lug on the ML works for you - let me know your thoughts when it comes in. Super happy you enjoyed the review!
the watch is worth it.
Patek Nautilus does not have screws in the links and that certainly costs a lot more money!
And a bad clasp for this price range as well!
I have been looking for a timepiece that is an homage to the Royal Oak. I can't afford the original)))) Unfortunately, I agree with you. I don't like the bezel. It is most distracting. I am also surprised that they used pins rather than screws. As for the movement, I have other watches with this Selita movement and happily, no issues or problems.
Yea when I did wrist rolls I really enjoyed the bracelet design but when the light hit the bezel it was distracting for sure. Ah very cool - super happy you've had a smooth run with the selita movement. Thanks for the comment!
I have watches with the Selitta movement dating back 8 years and they’ve performed beautifully-very reliable and durable calibers
Check out the Pelton Persius, it's an homage to theroyal oak , and it's amazing,entirely made in the U.S i beleive the movement is swiss . Bruce Williams does a really good review of it
What size was this? Would be good to out it in the title or video description...
I like it a lot. But ML sucks with their proprietary end links. Only a few weeks ago I found out that my 15 year old Maurice Lacroix Tiago has a fixed bracelet and I couldn’t changed it!
Yea the integrated lug idea in general is a hard sell for most of the watchfam I’ve noticed. I would have really enjoyed my time with this piece more if I had some more freedom with strap changes - I get the sense that it could be a strap monster for sure
I hear you, but for me the bracelet (or even their leather straps) are so well done and attractive that their integrative design is a non-issue. Lots of big watch houses make theirs integrated, and for 10-20 times the cost.
How precise is the watch? Is it one of those that are losing/gaining 20 sec per day?
I heard somthing about 2.5 sec. per day
@@bruderjakob9833 Thanks. I checked around a bit and found +/- 8 seconds per day for this particular movement, but I guess that same movement can be regulated better or worse by different companies.
Still unsure if this is considered a homage 🤔
This watch from ML is a best kept secret. I love mine, with the blue dial; a beautifully crafted piece on the wrist to wear on all occasions.
The Oris Aquis at a similar price point is rated to 300m WR with an exhibition case back.
The Oris is a much better value in my opinion at this price point. It doesn't look like something else.
it's a completely different looking watch...wtf
Video review sweet!
Love the hubnail dial. The bracelet looks nice but no micro adjustments? Bummer. Guess that would be hard with the clasp design. Further on the bracelet; I searched the web site and cant find any straps for sale. Finding a custom strap for that would be difficult. For $1990 MSRP, the movement needs to be better than a SW200. I know you can pick it up for half that, but still. Agree with your issue concerning the bezel. A brushed finish would be nice but maybe to on the noise with the AP.
Anyway, good review Kaz. Hope to see more stuff like this on the TH-cam Channel.
Thanks, man - super happy you enjoyed the review.
Yea there were just weird inconsistencies with the piece that were hard for me to reconcile. It was super hard for me to get past that movement, but for someone who doesn’t care about the guts or the whole AP thing, I imagine they could get some fun out of this thing.
Hm odd - last time I checked they had the leather straps available. Maybe they’ve been discontinued or something. If I see them pop up I’ll let you know so you can put eyes on them and lmk your opinion - maybe I was thinking of the Aikon options that come with a leather strap instead of a bracelet
@@TwoBrokeWatchSnobs I believe that the Aikon will be adding a manufacturer movement in the future but this will also come with a sharp price increase, I am thinking three thousand or more to keep up with the Masterpiece line that uses manufacturer movements.
Not for me but if you are going to put that much into the bracelet put micro adjustment on it.
Exactly my thoughts! If the bracelet is truly the star you need to pull out all the stops as far as I’m concerned.
yes govna. excellent bracelet. my zodiac super sea wolf 53 works the same way
Can you tell me whats your wrist size?
Sure thing - from the point where I wear my watch, my wrist size is just under 7inches - I’d call it like 6.9/6.95
Anyone knows the longevity of this automatic mechanism is ? Can we expect a 30-35 years of quality working?
With good servicing and taking good care of it, you can expect to give it to your great great grandkids, it's a very good (not amazing, but very good for sure) Swiss sellita sw200, it will pretty much last for as much as you take care of it, and probably as long as the next few generations will take care of it, if you don't take care of it maybe 30 years of you are lucky, but I doubt it.
Thanks for info. Every how many years does an automatic watch like this require a service?
@@adriatics.3357 It really depends on use, climate, accidents, and a few other factors but I say if you use it all the time maybe 5 to 10 years on average, a bit more if you are lucky, if you notice the watch not keeping time properly or the movement looking funny take it to service it, otherwise just keep using it, if you wanna be safe even if the watch is working fine take it once a decade or so.
Pedro Thevenard thank you very much!
Ill take a grandea pearlarge and a moca maca nato please
A Really good watch worth the money
I don't want to harp too much on the price, but is it worth $1k?
Totally logical to question the price. Just in terms of the quality of construction on the case and the bracelet id certainly say SOME of the price is justified - however at 2k it’s still on the higher side IMO. That’s why finding something used or getting a good deal from a 3rd party retailer may make it more prospective.
Problem is that at 2k the Aikon is competing with other watches that just offer so much value to people. That’s why I mentioned in the written review that this wouldn’t be the first Watch id recommend to someone looking for something with a bit more horological chops. However if someone has 2k disposable Watch income and they wanted to try something out of the box/their comfort zone, I can see the ML Aikon being an option.
But again, to compete on the same 2k playing field as other watches in the category, the price to feature ratio is tough for sure.
I believe it is definitely worth the price, not many watches have the level of finishing of this watch has for under 2k. How many Swiss made watches that are less than 2k use their own in-house movements. Even lower-end Omegas, IWC's Tags, Breitlings use ETA and Selitta movements do they get flack for doing so? The bracelet on this watch is as good as watches that are twice the price and I am not just puffing here. The textured dial is wonderful as well as the rhodium plated handset and indices and you can spend hours loving the way the light reflects off the dial and indices and handset. The only negatives of this watch that may have not been mentioned is the crown action is very flimsy but that is inherent of the movement, unable to swap straps, and the claws can be a bit sharp, otherwise this watch is a bargain at under 2k, It is not going to appease everybody but for those that like Gerald Genta designed watches like the AP RO and GP Laureate you will enjoy this watch. I do not mean to criticize your review and it was excellent but in fairness to ML I think you are a bit hung up too much on the RO similarities and likenesses since so many credible watch makers have their own Gerald Genta and similarly designed watches, from makers like AP, GP Patek, Hublot, Bulgari, Hublot, and Omega Constellation all have strong similarities.
.
I see your point, but if you consider used watches for the same price, you can get some awesome Omegas for that, like a Speedmaster Automatic (3513.50.00) or an Aqua Terra (231.10.39.60.02.001). I don't know why I care, I will never have anything at this price point :D
I have an Omega SMP Pro Chrono and the fit and finish of the Maurice Lacroix is comparable and the ML is many times more comfortable on the wrist than my SMP Pro Chrono which is almost double the price. The good thing is that most likely you will be able to pick up the ML Aikon at a great price on the resale market in a year or so.
+Robert Honer well, can't argue with experience
Poor man's Royal Oak. Just copped the blue leather version.
very original design
I view this piece as a stepping-stone to an Royal Oak. which is what i intend to use it for :)
BR is even more ex..😁 the leather strap looks cool too..
Love ML and have owned two but if not for the ML name, they would have been ripped for this copy cat. Also owning the AP RO, that bracelet is insulting as you can tell the machine work is nowhere near the hand made bracelet of the AP.
the price is nowhere near AP RO as well. just bought one, worth the $
Are these types of watches considered luxury?
Yes, just at a lower level.
Anything Swiss made with a good reputation in the industry is considered luxury.
God I hope this can come in a 39mm size :)
Whoaa - man this thing would be pretty interesting in 39 actually
@@TwoBrokeWatchSnobs Yes I agree! The general trend is moving towards smaller watches so fingers crossed :) !!
Alexander Lindahl it did 🙂
hahahhah he said i got it for long then was like couple of weeks hahaha i'm dead
Why are dead don't die
it's me 😂😂😂
shiny!!!
Haha indeed!
I just can not believe that $2K Maurice Lacroix is using "pins" to adjust bracelet. I just don't get it. Also, it is a great design and idea to have the easy removal of the bracelet, but it would have been even better idea to make the lug size at 20 mm.
One more thing. The bezel design and waffle dial..etc seem to be too..... busy and confusing.
Good looking watch with few crucial faults.
нет в них души )
Put it on a NATO!
It's have to be a 10mm wide NATO because of these integrated lugs lol
What a terrible idea 😅
@@vtakala6756 it’s an integrated bracelet (Genta). That’s the design.
Old movement
Dude, if it's distracting sell it and buy a timex
If it is an homage, SO the f@%k what? If you like the damned thing buy it