This Affordable Audemars Piguet Alternative Takes Aim at the Royal Oak’s Bolder Brother

These days, there is no shortage of affordable integrated sports watches that emulate the look of the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for a tiny fraction of the price.

The Christopher Ward Twelve, Tissot PRX, Citizen Tsuyosa, Maen Manhattan, Yema Wristmaster … the list goes on. But there’s one model that predates them all, while also coming closer to AP in looks and, arguably, quality.

The Maurice Lacroix Aikon.

Maurice Lacroix

First introduced in 2016, the Aikon has — like the Royal Oak with AP — effectively taken over the brand responsible for it. When people think of Maurice Lacroix today, they think of the Aikon, and it’s become the brand’s best-selling watch by what I assume is a wide margin.

Today, Maurice Lacroix is expanding the Aikon line again with a brand-new spinoff that recalls one of AP’s more adventurous Royal Oak offshoots, the Royal Oak Offshore.

Audemars Piguet

Isn’t it Aikonic?

I always assumed Aikon was pronounced like “icon,” but I have also heard people say it like “Akon,” the singer. Well, Maurice Lacroix’s new model should finally put to bed any debate over the name. The new watch is called the Aikonic, which is obviously pronounced “iconic” because “akonic” makes no sense.

Now, onto the watch itself. There’s quite a bit to unpack here, but my main takeaway is that this is very clearly meant to be ML’s take on the Royal Oak Offshore. It’s bigger, bolder, sportier and more experimental than the standard Aikon; all adjectives that describe the Offshore when compared to the Royal Oak. Maurice Lacroix is also categorizing the Aikonic as a separate line from the Aikon within its catalog, just as AP does with the Offshore.

Maurice Lacroix

The other major thing to note about the Aikonic is that it’s a seriously impressive watch.

For starters, it mixes materials in a way the Aikon does not. The watch’s beefy 43mm case is in stainless steel or titanium, but the thick bezel — complete with the Aikon’s signature six pairs of claws — is made of ceramic. The bezel features a mix of brushed and polished finishes, while the claws are sandblasted, creating a good deal of visual interest. The crown is made from the same ceramic used for the bezel.

The integrated strap is a unique rubber configuration consisting of two different rubber sections: a standard layer and an overlaid panel of stitched, nylon-effect rubber. The combination of the ceramic bezel and crown with a rubber strap, again, brings to mind some AP Offshore references.

Maurice Lacroix

The strap also introduces a new patented quick-release system called ML Easy Change, a more refined version of the Aikon’s Easy Strap Change system that not only requires no tools, but also features no visible levers or hooks. Instead, you effectively twist the strap off and then snap it back on.

The dial is made of carbon fiber, replacing the more Royal Oak-ish waffle dial from the Aikon and introducing yet another high-tech material to the Aikonic.

Finally, we have the movement, which is also brand-new. Dubbed the Calibre ML1000, it’s a Maurice Lacroix-exclusive developed in conjunction with Swiss manufacture Soprod. It boasts heavy decoration visible through a sapphire caseback — blued screws, perlage, Côtes de Genève, a skeletonized rotor — along with a power reserve of 60 hours and an impressive accuracy rating of +/- 4 seconds per day.

Maurice Lacroix

Pricing and availability

Maurice Lacroix says the Aikonic name is derived by combining “Aikon” with “IC,” for “innovative craftsmanship.” Uh, sure. I think it’s a lot more likely that someone came up with the punny name “Aikonic” and the brand worked backwards from there to justify it when, really, doing so wasn’t necessary.

Regardless of how ML came up with the name, though, this is a cool watch. Through its use of new materials, technology and styling, I think it’s distanced itself enough from the Aikon to stand on its own twelve claws, and I’m excited to see where the collection heads next.

Maurice Lacroix

To start, there are five Aikonics to choose from. Three feature black ceramic bezels: one all-black version with a black DLC titanium case, one black version with a plain steel case and one steel version with a bright blue strap, hands and indices. There’s a steel version with a blue ceramic bezel that also features a matching blue strap, and then there’s my favorite, which combines a rare white ceramic bezel with a black and white strap and stainless steel case.

The four stainless steel models are each priced at $3,400, while the lone titanium Aikonic goes for $3,700.

Maurice Lacroix

Maurice Lacroix Aikonic

Specs

Case Size	43mm
Movement	Maurice Lacroix Cal. ML1000 automatic (Soprod base)
Water Resistance	100m

• $3,400 at Maurice Lacroix

Related Topics