Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity (New Limited Edition Versions)
When the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity was launched at Baselworld 2014, it was the first timepiece to feature a fully silicium assortment, proving highly popular and quickly selling out.
Since 1975, Maurice Lacroix has been at the vanguard of horological creativity, embracing new technologies, depicting time using thought-provoking design and harnessing fine Swiss craftsmanship. This year Maurice Lacroix combines many of its innovations in a limited edition of the Masterpiece Gravity featuring a stunning blue dial, produced to celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary.
The Masterpiece Gravity 40th features many of the remarkable attributes synonymous with Maurice Lacroix including a manufacture movement, a silicium assortment, partly skeletonized dial, an offcentre hour and minutes display, striking use of colour, all stylishly presented in an eye-catching POWERLITE® case.
POWERLITE® is incredibly robust, durable and light. The anthracite colour of the case is created using an anodisation process. The benefits POWERLITE® offers made a compelling case for its selection by the design team at Maurice Lacroix and a worthy material for this important timepiece in the company’s history.
The new Masterpiece Gravity 40th is joined by two further limited editions, delivered in a choice of classical and contemporary executions, each limited to 250 pieces.The Masterpiece Gravity inspires and challenges convention. It is an innovative timepiece, at the cutting-edge of progress, which does not merely convey time but emotionally engages with the wearer with creative expression. It presents its oscillator and assortment centre stage on the dial side of the watch. The spectacle of seeing the oscillator beating, along with the pallet lever moving, is mesmerising and emits an attractive force few can resist.
The Masterpiece Gravity was the first timepiece to feature a fully silicium assortment. Developed in house by Maurice Lacroix, it is a further example of the company’s forward thinking approach to watchmaking. Maurice Lacroix’s Head of Movement Construction, Michel Vermot, in collaboration with Haute Ecole Arc, based in Le Locle, was the first person to develop and produce a complete assortment made in silicium.
Silicium, a self-lubricating, glass-like material, is three times lighter than steel. The low mass consumes less energy, is more accurate and does not require regular lubrication.
The frequency of the Maurice Lacroix automatic manufacture Calibre ML230 is 18,000 vph (2.5Hz). It is a cadence that is ideally suited for silicium as it proves gentler to the glass-like substance than those experienced in some higher oscillating movements. The brand has minimised the number of components to 188, avoiding unnecessary parts and, by default, providing a clean appearance and enhanced reliability. Maurice Lacroix is, understandably, very proud to feature a complete assortment produced in silicium. The Calibre ML230 is its 13th manufacture movement, reaffirming the company’s know-how and technical progress.
The Masterpiece Gravity 40th imparts the hour and minutes display on a blue lacquered, off-centre dial which is domed at its centre and secured with two mirror-polished screws. Diamond cut indexes and rhodium plated hands exhibit cool refinement. Encircling this dial is a rhodium plated minute track. The vibrant use of colour is typical of Maurice Lacroix who has gained a reputation for selecting shades that deliver stunning aesthetics.
The sense of modernity is reinforced with the main bridges, positioned adjacent the hour and minutes display, that have received an eye-catching sandblasted finish. Moreover, these bridges feature polished bevelled edges accentuating their extremities to comely effect. In contrast, four additional bridges, presented dial-side of the watch are rhodium finished and circular brushed. The screw sinks on these four bridges are sandblasted, providing a cohesive link to the main bridges.
The classical execution includes an off-centre hour and minutes display featuring a pure white lacquered dial, retained with two mirror-polished screws. Hours are marked with black Roman numerals, hands are gold plated and the minute track consists of blue and black markings. Adjacent the hour and minutes display, the surrounding canvas is decorated with circular Côtes de Genève motif.
For those seeking a more avant-garde form of expression, the contemporary execution may be their preferred timepiece. In this instance, the off-centre hour and minutes display features a captivating black lacquered dial. Hours are marked with diamond cut indexes which sparkle with a brilliant gleam and the hands are delivered in a matching rhodium finish. Framing the extremities of the dial is a flat rhodium plated minute rail, featuring red and white markings. Adjacent the hour and minutes display, vertical Côtes de Genève stripes, accentuated with black gold treatment, provide a modern and highly attractive appearance.
The “glass-box” sapphire crystal is also domed and magnifies the oscillator and assortment, making them appear to sit high within the case and according a sublime three dimensional characteristic to the dial. A small seconds display, presented on a subdial partially projects over the disclosed balance assortment, masterfully exploiting depth and curving line. Finally, the case back of the watch is equipped with a sapphire crystal, according a view of the automatic Calibre ML230.
Maurice Lacroix has shown over the last 40 years a remarkable ability to innovate, explore new technologies and create ingenious means of displaying time. The Masterpiece Gravity 40th wonderfully integrates several cutting-edge technologies in one true masterpiece.
Technical details
Case
Ø 43 mm Anthracite Powerlite alloy case or
Ø 43 mm stainless steel case, satin and polished“Box” sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Screwed case back with wide sapphire crystal
Water-resistant to 50 m/5 atm
Dial
White lacquered with black roman numbers printings, blue minutery, black and blue second printings, 4N Logo
Black lacquered with rhodied indexes and logo, rhodied minutery, red and white second printings
Blue lacquered with rhodied indexes and logo, rhodied minutery and external second.
Hands: 4N Gold plated or rhodied hours, minutes and seconds hands
Movement
Automatic calibre ML230
Assortment and oscillator ML10
Vibration: 18 000 alt/h, 2.5 Hz
Power reserve: 50 hours
Jewels: 35
Adjustments: 5 positions when fully wound and 2 positions after 24 hours
Decorations: Classic execution: Rhodium coated bridges, with “Cotes de Geneve“ in“Colimaçon“, sandblasted finishing and diamond cut edges on all bridges.
Modern execution: Black gold coated bridges, with vertical “Cotes de Geneve“, sandblasted finishing and diamond cut edges on all bridges.
Functions
Hours, minutes by off-centered hands at 2 o’clock
Small second by off-centered hand at 4 o’clock
Visible ML assortment and oscillator between 6 and 8 o’clock
Strap/Bracelet
Genuine black or brown crocodile-skin strap
Genuine black soft touch crocodile-skin strap
Buckle
Folding steel clasp with push buttons
Satin and polished finishing
Black PVD Buckle
Versions
Masterpiece Gravity N° 1 Gravity Limited (Ref. MP6118-SS001-112)
Manufacture movement ML230
Ø 43 mm stainless steel case
White lacquered plated dials
4N hands
Genuine black or brown crocodile strap with folding clasp
Limited edition of 250 pieces
N° 2 Gravity”40th Anniversary” Limited (Ref. MP6118-ALB01-430)
Manufacture movement ML230
Ø 43 mm anthracite Powerlite alloy case
Blue lacquered and rhodium dials
Rhodied hands
Black soft touch genuine crocodile strap with black buckle
Limited edition of 40 pieces
N° 3 Gravity Limited (Ref. MP6118-PVB01-330)
Manufacture movement ML230
Ø 43 mm anthracite PVD case
Black lacquered and rhodium plated dials
Rhodied hands
Black genuine crocodile strap with black buckle
Limited edition of 250 pieces
