Maurice Lacroix  Pontos  Watches

Maurice Lacroix Pontos: The Epitome of Athleisure

Maurice Lacroix turned the century with the launch of the Pontos. Today, it is one of the bestselling luxury watches from the brand. It is an integral part of the brand’s catalog, as it carries the most essential timepieces available to its patrons. Pontos has always been defined by the clean lines on its case, which give the watch a very relaxed look — not too formal but not too casual or sporty either. 

The Pontos collection features three-hand watches, chronographs, GMT functions, and even moon phase indicators. Its cases do not differ much in size, mostly ranging between 41mm and 43mm in diameter. Occasional 45mm cases do exist, although this typically applies to the limited edition watches. Most watches from the collection come in round cases, which makes the Maurice Lacroix Pontos Rectangulaire a particularly stand-out piece. Regardless of the shape of its case, you can expect to find Swiss movements powering each watch. Calibers based on ETA and Sellita movements power the Pontos with great precision and accuracy, as you would expect from a Swiss watch manufacturer.

Maurice Lacroix Pontos Watch Prices

Maurice Lacroix Pontos Watch Models

Maurice Lacroix Pontos Day Date

An everyday watch can get away with the most basic of functions. If you need a timepiece that is perfect for everyday meetings or weekend social gatherings, the Maurice Lacroix Pontos Day Date watch is for you. This is a classic among all the Pontos models, which is why it is offered in a variety of different dial colors, such as silver, blue, black, and even anthracite. 

You can find the date display of the watch at 6 o’clock while the day display is arched at 12 o’clock. This sub-collection comes with the Automatic ML143 movement, giving it a power reserve of up to 38 hours. It also functions at a high frequency, vibrating at 28'800 VPH or 4 Hz for greater time-telling accuracy. You can see this movement through the exhibition case back of the Pontos Day Date. It allows you to see the sunburst finish and the Geneva stripes on the rotor of the movement. This 41mm watch comes with a depth rating of 100 meters or 328 feet, which is not bad, especially for a watch that is meant for everyday or dressy use.

In particular, the Pontos Day-Date Ref. PT6358-SS001-430-1 comes with a stunning sun-brushed and sandblasted blue dial. Its hands and indices are rhodium-plated and coated in white Super-LumiNova. Paired with a black calf leather strap, this $1,599 USD watch is comfortable to wear and feels supple against the skin.

Maurice Lacroix Pontos Chronograph

The Pontos collection has its own chronograph models housed in 43mm stainless steel cases. Aside from the subdials at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, each chronograph watch also has a chapter ring containing minute markers. This allows for a more accurate telling of time, aligned with the idea of a chronograph. Each watch also has a depth rating of 100 meters or 328 feet. The dial colors for this timepiece range from classic silvers and whites to sunburst blues.

The Pontos Chronograph Ref. PT6388-SS002-331-1 for instance, has a classic slate-grey dial accented by beautiful gold baton-style indices and hands. You can also find golden rings around the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock subdials, which provide an easier reading of the chronograph counters.  The chronograph functions can be easily accessed through the rectangular pushers beside the crown of the watch. Powering this timepiece is the automatic chronograph caliber ML112. This $2,549 USD model comes with a stainless steel bracelet. While this particular model has stick indices, some of the newer models like the PT6388-SS001-220-2 uses Arabic numerals as hour markers.

Pontos Chronograph Monopusher Limited Edition

As part of the collection’s 20th-anniversary release, Maurice Lacroix launched a vintage-style chronograph. It features a monopusher, and is limited to just 500 pieces. Powering this Maurice Lacroix watch is the ML166 automatic mono-pusher chronograph caliber. This watch is a collector’s must-have, defying all expectations of a typical chronograph with the asymmetry brought by the single pusher alone.

Unlike the regular edition chronographs under the Pontos collection, the Pontos Chronograph Monopusher has a 41mm case that comes with a black PVD coating. Staying true to the watch’s vintage look is it’s gradient dial, which has black corners that turn gray towards the center. In the middle of the dial, you can find a telemeter in red and a tachymeter in blue. A central hand indicates its scale. 

Crossing the telemeter and tachymeter are two chronograph counters — one for a minute and another for small seconds. This timepiece displays just how modern a Pontos watch can be: more than just a simple chronograph, it can also double as a sports watch too. This watch retails at around $4,000 USD. As a limited edition watch, you can expect the value of this watch to continue to rise in the future, making it a truly worthwhile investment piece.

Maurice Lacroix Pontos GMT

The most popular GMT model in the Pontos collection is the Maurice Lacroix Pontos Décentrique GMT. It looks a lot like the Décentrique Phase de Lune. The main dial of the Décentrique GMT is placed quirkily off-center, leaning towards the left of the watch. On the dial, you can find a regular three-hand function – including (off)-central hour, minute, and seconds hands. A crescent-shaped date window can also be found at the 6 o’clock position. Then, on the lower right side of the dial is a subdial that is displayed with 12-hour Arabic markers and a day/night indicator. This sub-counter is used to indicate a handy second time zone. The Maurice Lacroix Pontos Décentrique GMT costs around $5,600 USD in retail. 

Maurice Lacroix Pontos Phase de Lune Décentrique

Yet another off-center design from the Décentrique sub-family is a moon phase timepiece, the Pontos Phase de Lune Décentrique. A popular iteration of this sub-collection is the limited edition Maurice Lacroix Pontos Phase de Lune Décentrique PT6218-TT031-330. This is an oversized watch, housed in a titanium case that measures 45mm in diameter. It features a sleek black dial with an off-center main hours and minutes subdial. The hour can be seen via a rotating disc at 10 o’clock. There is another disc window at 6 o’clock, indicating the date. Meanwhile, the silver-toned day/night and moon phase aperture sits at the 4 o’clock position. As a dress watch, it is water-resistant up to 50 meters only. Limited only to 500 pieces, it is powered by the automatic caliber ML122, modified from a Sellita SW200 movement. You can own this model for just $6,900 USD in retail. However, some pre-owned pieces are up for sale and cost a few hundred dollars less.

Maurice Lacroix Pontos Rectangulaire Chronograph

The Pontos collection does not just consist of round watches. Although the majority of the Pontos catalog is made up of circular watches, Maurice Lacroix also took a sharp turn with its release of the Rectangulaire Chronograph. This timepiece comes in a rectangular shape, which even extends to the chronograph pushers of the watch. 

There are different cases available for the Rectangulaire Chronograph — stainless steel, ceramic, and even titanium. However, the ceramic case proves to be most popular among watch collectors. This is largely due to its handsome all-black aesthetic, from the dial, case, and even to the rubber strap. This watch is also powered by the Caliber ML112, which is a modified Valjoux 7750 movement. It is water-resistant up to 50 meters and has a sapphire crystal to protect both its dial and caseback.  A pre-owned mint condition piece retails at around $3,200 USD. 

Pontos vs. Pontos S: The Differences

People often mislabel the Pontos S as a Pontos watch. In essence, they are the same thing — a dive watch with modern and sporty details. However, the Pontos S proves to be a lot sportier than the Pontos. The Pontos S is made for the sea and is the evolution of the Pontos, in a sense. Not only does it have better depth ratings, but it also has editions that prove more appropriate for the trenches, such as the Pontos S Regatta.

To differentiate a Pontos S from a Pontos wouldn’t be a challenge. The Pontos S has a sportier look to it — think a tool watch. It is not much of a dress watch, unlike the Pontos. Models also include internal rotating bezels, which are convenient for divers. Its most impressive models feature outstanding water resistance ratings at 600 meters, or a whopping 1,969 feet. That is the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver, a professional-grade diver watch with a helium escape valve.

The Pontos S collection launched in 2012, a decade and two years after the initial release of the Pontos. Other impressive models include the Pontos S Extreme, with its Powerlite alloy. Powerlite is a mixture of aluminum, magnesium, titanium, zirconium, and ceramic. Meanwhile, you also do not want to miss out on the oversized Pontos S Supercharged, a 48mm luxury diver watch with a chronograph and an internal rotating bezel.

History of Maurice Lacroix Pontos Watches

Maurice Lacroix is not as old as other Swiss watch manufacturers but it also hails from the watchmaking capital of the world. With its headquarters in Zurich, it functions as a subsidiary of Desco von Schulthess. Curiously, in 1889, the company operated in an entirely different industry, namely, the silk trade industry. Only in 1975 did the company open a watch manufacturing arm under the brand name Maurice Lacroix. 

Just like other companies, they began by producing watch components for other vendors alongside making their own. However, in 1980, the company found success in the business. They stopped supplying watch components to other companies and focused on their own products. By 1990, Maurice Lacroix was sitting alongside other well-known watchmakers as a brand of affordable luxury watches.

It was in 2000 that they launched Maurice Lacroix Pontos. This is a collection of luxury diver watches with water resistance capacities of 100 meters. Sure, it is not the best depth rating you can find in a dive watch. However, the Pontos definitely holds its own underwater, as a sturdy and reliable diver timepiece. As such, the watch stays true to its name, “Pontos”, which is derived from the Greek primordial god of the sea, Pontus, son of Gaia. The design of Maurice Lacroix watches from this collection strips a watch to its most essential. It has a simple layout and promotes readability more than anything else.

However, as the years passed, so did the evolution of the Pontos collection. It has since inspired more complicated designs like the Décentrique and its off-center dials. What remains consistent across every incarnation of the Maurice Lacroix Pontos is its ample 41mm to 45mm diameter size, which allows no detail to go unseen. 

Reasons to Buy Maurice Lacroix Pontos Watches

Buying a Maurice Lacroix watch can be a form of investment in itself. However, not all Swiss mechanical watches carry the same aesthetic as the Pontos. For more than 20 years now, the collection has been leading the brand’s sales and history, and for good reason. Here are a few more things you should consider when buying a Pontos watch today.

• 1. The basic design of the Pontos is stripped to its essentials, making it an instant classic.
• 3. Its top models include more robust complications such as a GMT function, chronograph, and a moon phase display.
• 3. Each function works best in a more casual setting, but the look and feel of the Pontos definitely boasts luxury.
• 4. As a timepiece developed and manufactured in Switzerland, you will surely get value for your money with this reliable watch.
• 5. Watches from this collection are made from tough, durable materials such as stainless steel, titanium, or even ceramic, promising the Pontos a long shelf life. 

Pontos: A True Millennial Watch

Maurice Lacroix first launched the Pontos as a dive watch. While it may not meet the same criteria as a more modern dive watch, it definitely set the brand’s standards for luxurious utility. The Pontos is a great introduction to the brand. It is classy without being too fancy, and sporty without being too intimidating. This collection is a great way to understand what Maurice Lacroix watches are all about — innovation and excellence one step at a time.  Born in 2000, the Pontos represents everything that the youths of today are — a modern classic that evolves with time and technology.