Introducing: The Maurice Lacroix 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde With The Brand’s 26th Masterpiece Caliber
When you type in “retrograde” in the search box on the Fratello homepage, the results are watches in the upper echelons of high horology. The presence of a Longines is the exception that proves the rule. However, there is a brand that can be categorized as “affordable luxury watchmaking” and has quite a reputation for watches featuring some kind of retrograde display. For more than 25 years, Maurice Lacroix has been creating retrograde indications, and these rarely seen displays have become one of the brand’s defining signatures. ML’s 26th Masterpiece caliber once again showcases this technical feature. The 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde shows a retrograde day display with a grand date and, as a bonus, comes with a monochromatic open-worked dial for dramatic effects.
What do you think of when you read the name Maurice Lacroix? A few things come to my mind — mid-range watches, the M-shaped brand logo on the strap, and retrograde displays. The last of those made a strong impression on me when the brand from Saignelégier in the Swiss Jura Mountains sought to impress with a collection of complicated Masterpiece watches in the mid-2000s. It was a time when mid-range watch brands sought to outgrow their category. They wanted to play and compete with the big brands that produced in-house movements and marketed them at very profitable price levels. It was the era of “Manufacture,” so to speak, when everything with an ETA movement was frowned upon. In all fairness, that also stemmed from the fear of a possible cut-off from the Swatch Group-owned movement supplier.
Maurice Lacroix 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde
Maurice Lacroix, the brand created by the Zurich trading company Desco von Schulthess AG, changed direction when it learned that its upward trajectory was stalling. It returned to creating more affordable watches. Also, it brought back the beloved “M” on its straps. The characteristic and distinct eyecatcher had been discarded when the brand was chasing waterfalls. But moving forward almost always means going up in the world of watches. The Aikon became a success, and ML became more confident. That confidence is shown through the 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde powered by ML’s 26th Masterpiece movement. The price of this watch is €7,950 / US$8,600 / CHF 6,950. You can be the judge of whether or not that’s affordable.
Retrograde watches of the past and the present
The new 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde builds upon the foundations laid by the 1999 Calendar Retrograde and the 2002 Double Retrograde. Both watches featured proprietary movements, just like the new one. The 42 × 12.75mm steel case of the 2026 retrograde watch features a box-shaped sapphire crystal. Underneath, the retrograde weekday indication sits at 6 o’clock, and the big date takes its place at 12. A rhodium-plated external flange frames the dial. The alpha-like central hour and minute hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova. And together with the seconds hand, they sweep over an open-worked dial, revealing the in-house calendar module, which sits atop a Sellita SW200 base. Through the skeletonized dial, you can see the front-facing bridges, showcasing refinement and symmetry with a contemporary look.
The underside of the mainplate is visible from the dial side. It shows a sandblasted finish as well as black rhodium to accentuate the indications above. Rhodium-finished trait tirée bridges rest atop the mainplate, providing contrast.
What do you think of the 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde? Is this Maurice Lacroix offering one that you would consider when looking for an affordable watch with a twist, such as an open-worked dial and/or an original way of displaying functions? Additionally, do you consider this nearly €8,000 timepiece an affordable watch? Let me know in the comments section below.
