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Maurice Lacroix unveiled the brightest, funkiest range of watches, offered in an array of eye-popping colours. The Aikon #tide shares the same attributes as other members of Aikon family, but is formed of #tide ocean-bound upcycled plastic combined with glass fibre.
The resultant composite material is twice as hard as standard plastic, five times more resistant and has a carbon footprint significantly smaller than the production of virgin PET. The bezel, case, case back, crown, end-piece and buckle on this new model are all made from this composite material. It takes 17 bottles to make one watch and its customised packaging, 100% made of #tide ocean material.
Beyond its vibrant hues and its case, the dial is adorned with a “vague du Jura” motif, a stylish reference the ocean and its own waves. The case measures 40mm in diameter and features a flat sapphire crystal, augmenting readability. For an additional touch of glamour, several references are also available with diamond-set hour-markers. The Aikon #tide is endowed with a screw-lock crown together with a screw-in caseback, details that contribute to the model’s impressive water resistance of 100m. The model is also endowed with the Easy Strap Exchange system, allowing the wearer to swap the strap for an alternative without the need for tools. Later, in 2022, Maurice Lacroix intends to unveil a second version of the Aikon #tide equipped with a bracelet made of composite material.
Maurice Lacroix, in collaboration with #tide, a specialist in “upcycling ocean-bound plastic waste”, is playing a key role in contributing to cleaner oceans. The Swiss watch brand has entered into a ground-breaking, long-term partnership with #tide to collect plastic bottles from the seas surrounding various islands in Thailand as well as Indonesia and the Philippines. Maurice Lacroix has made a commitment to saving 10 million plastic bottles. This involves providing significant financial support. Indeed, the Maison will sponsor plastic collection activities, pay for longtail boats and warehouses, fund educational programmes and finance various types of equipment.
These bottles are sorted, shredded into flakes, washed and compacted close to the point of collection and then transported to #tide’s upcycling facilities where the flakes are compounded into smaller granules and then combined with an undisclosed formula, culminating in the creation of upcycled plastic which is used for making Aikon #tide watches.
May 19, 2022