Maurice Lacroix 38.00 mm Watches Collection, Maurice Lacroix 38.00 mm Watch

Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques Steel Chronograph Men's Watch LC1228-SS001-330

Amazing Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques Steel Chronograph Men's LC1228-SS001-330, I will introduce this watch to my friends. AAA++++++

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Thomas Nishimura, From Uk Grittleton

Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques Silver Dial Automatic Stainless Steel Watch LC6027-SS002-111

The price and look is very nice. The band is a very heavy leather band that is also very comfortable

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Susan M, From USA Santee

Maurice Lacroix Eliros Date Silver Dial Black Leather Strap Ladies Quartz Watch EL1084-SS001-110

All OK. Good seller

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by rebecca norman, From Poland Sandomierz

GMT n°29 - Fall 2012

The sky still hasn't fallen on our heads. Watch exports are still doing well : +15% on an annual basis for the month of July and +12.7% in August. Parallel to this, signs of tension are reappearing in the labour market in the watchmaking valleys. It is going to be tough to train the 3,200 new employees required by the sector by 2016, above all given that the watchmaking job market already welcomed 4,200 people between 2010 and 2011. Large listed groups like Richemont and the Swatch Group remain cautious about their medium-term outlook. A slowing of growth in China has been announced. During 2012 and 2013, it is expected to remain above...7.5%. It is not yet time to get out the life rafts.

Departures and associations

Someone leaves and someone else arrives. Swatch Group administrator and responsible for the Swatch brand, Ms Arlette Emch, suddenly retired at the strictly legal age of 65. Her responsibilities have been taken over by Mr Nick Hayek, CEO of the group. On the other hand, Audemars Piguet has appointed a new CEO - Mr François-Henry Bennahmias, hitherto president of the brand's American subsidiary, who is also taking over ad interim Mr. Wolfgang Sickenberg's responsibilities as sales director. Contrary to these separations, we have the pleasure of announcing a wedding - or at least an engagement. Bovet has signed an agreement with Zurich distributor, DKSH. The latter, already a major shareholder of Maurice Lacroix, has acquired 20% of the Fleurier brand and will cover the centralised distribution for the Asian sector.

Openings and launches

Le Sentier has finally re-opened its museum. The Espace Horloger de la Vallee de Joux (EHVJ) was inaugurated after eight months of renovations. Some 60 kilometres from here, the 12th Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix is getting ready. Under the auspices of Mr Carlo Lamprecht, the 70 candidate watches, divided into seven categories, are now being selected. The winners will be announced on Thursday, November 15th. The other long awaited competition will take place in 2013. The Concours International de Chronometrie (International Timing Competition) in Le Locle will organise its third event, confirming the validity of its concept as well as the prevailing interest in an objective confrontation between the brands. On the glamour front, two important launches have taken place. Cartier Manufacture welcomed the introduction of lubricantfree Concept Watch, ID2, made of transparent ceramic, amongst other innovations. The other new release focuses on the power of its aesthetic appeal. Bulgari's Octo has been rethought and launched with great pomp and ceremony in Rome. It is angular and unique and makes an impact which has always been the Italian brand's strength. On this national note, a little word about the Olympic Games' Swiss-Jamaican duo. Richard Mille and Hublot were on the podium. Respective sponsors of Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt, they dominated the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4x100m relay, no less...
 

WORLDTEMPUS - 10 December 2012

What was THE watch accessory of 2012? In all probability, those interchangeable webbed straps worth between 10 and 25 euros known to aficionados as NATO straps. In spite of being more present than ever in the watch scene this year, they are not new and have even withstood the test of time - but seem to have finally left the connoisseur niche to go mainstream with several established brands adopting them in respective collections. NATO straps are comfortable, easily changed out and provide a quick way to add some preppy all-American or rugged military style to a timepiece. Oddly enough, the fact that they are now "out there" more than ever has even produced some backlash in the die-hard watch community due to overexposure.

Still, NATO straps have yet a long way to go regarding consensus and might not ever get it. Those who are not in the know will think one is wearing a cheap watch because of the nylon material; fashionistas will consider it the ultimate way to accessorize a timepiece to make a colorful and casual addition to a specific outfit; and some horological purists will even opine that any ribbon bracelet will make your watch look cheaper…unless it is fitted to a genuine vintage Rolex Military Submariner.
The James Bond connection
It was indeed a Rolex Submariner that catapulted NATO straps to cult status via Bond, James Bond, when Sean Connery flashed a black-and-grey-striped strap tucked inside his white dinner jacket in 1964's "Goldfinger." Up to that point, the woven nylon ribbons were mainly used in the army following the official requisition of an inexpensive and resistant way of strapping soldiers' timepieces to their wrists: enter an item manufactured with exceptionally b sonic welded joints and made of high quality cross-weave nylon that later became known as "G10" thanks to the form used to requisition the strap. It also got the "NATO" label since it has a NATO stock number.

The straps built to military spec are made to last in any environment and have official suppliers such as the Welsh company Phoenix Straps, provider of the British Ministry of the Defense. Meanwhile, the concept has gone civilian, becoming fashionable in a subcultural kind of way and sold mainly on the internet and shops carrying pre-owned timepieces. These days, there are numerous makers of NATO straps around the world boasting different levels of quality, finishing and patterns. Some companies make them in Europe (mainly UK, France, Italy), others in the U.S. and, expectedly, there's a growing number of factories in Asia.
Brands and Modifiers
The hip trend has been picked up by clothing and accessory companies such as Massimo Dutti and Fossil and, of course, by several watch brands of various latitudes. For instance, eco-friendly Tempvs Compvtare - always against the use of animal skin - opts for cotton, woven, NATO-type straps. Companies dedicated to Rolex customization such as London-based Project X Designs use sophisticated, extra-duty G10 webbing of the finest quality to tool up its Stealth Series MK limited editions that are inspired by historic Rolex models of the past and legendary British Military SBS.

At the same time, powerhouse mainstream brand Jaeger-LeCoultre was already showing a James Bond-style striped NATO strap in Cordura to fit the Master Compressor Diving Navy SEALs series in its 2010 catalogue. And Maurice Lacroix's Pontos S chronograph gained a lot of popularity this year with colorful, striped, woven straps. Sandro Reginelli, product director at Maurice Lacroix, knows that the success of the new Pontos S line has a lot to do with the straps. "They are sporty and have a cool attitude, plus they are light and the wearing comfort is great. We have them made in a small manufacture specialized in this kind of strap under strict specification to meet our quality standards."

The Pontos S chronographs exude a sporty, go-getting spirit. "The dynamic strap is a perfect match for the case. Comfortable and hypoallergenic, especially in wet conditions, it demonstrates exceptional strength and popularity with athletes, divers and astronauts, who can easily adjust it according to the thickness of their gear," states Maurice Lacroix.

NATO STRAPS - A Casual Trend (Part 2)