Maurice Lacroix 40.00 mm Vintage Watches, Copy Maurice Lacroix 40.00 mm Watch

Maurice Lacroix Fiaba Silver Dial Ladies Watch ML-FA1003-SS002-110

good Maurice Lacroix Fiaba Silver Dial Ladies ML-FA1003-SS002-110, i received my package quickly after purchasing the watch

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

Review by DOTS N DAISIES, From USA Santee

Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques Black Dial Black Leather Men's Watch LC1007-SS001-330

Bought this for a Christmas gift. It is a very attractive, substantial watch.

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

Review by Adam R, From USA Shreveport

Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques Phase de Lune Silver Dial Men's Watch ML-LC6068-YG101-13E

The Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques watch was broken when I recieved it. Returned to the store and exchange for a Coach watch instead.

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

Review by Antonia Belio, From China Ghouangzhou

  
IW Magazine - July 25, 2012
 
In just eleven years, Technotime has earned itself a reputation as a credible and reliable independent movement supplier that is an alternative to established Swiss movement manufacturers.
A producer of modules, mechanical manual-winding and automatic movements and tourbillons, its products are customizable both technically and decoratively, allowing for brand differentiation.
One of Technotime's characteristic features, which it considers a competitive advantage, is its use of twin barrels to generate a full five-day power reserve, an optimal torque for driving complications. Additionally, Technotime is one of the few companies capable of making its own balance springs.
Established in 2001, Technotime is located in Les Brenets in the heart of Swiss watchmaking country. It is the successor of a French-Swiss tradition, born from the remains of France ebauches, the last French company to produce mechanical and quartz ebauches and movements. Technotime acquired that company's assets after its bankruptcy. A major turning point for Technotime was in 2003 when it turned its attention to high-end mechanical movements. It launched a complete series of new mechanical movements derived from a basic tractor, then the TT741 automatic column-wheel chronograph with date and small seconds.

According to Sebastien Gigon, Technotime's Sales Manager, the company in 2003 analyzed the market and saw that the Swatch Group was alone in producing mechanical movements.
"The situation was that some brands asked us also to be a producer of mechanical movements," he explains. "We decided to become a competitor of Frederic Piguet, the producer of high-end movements for Breguet and Blancpain."
Introduced in 2003, Technotime's first mechanical construction was the TT651.00 module for either hand-wound or automatic movements, featuring a patented big date with quick-change correction at 12 o'clock, and second time zone with hours and minutes at six o'clock. About thirty brands use it, and this year the module is being updated with an oversized day/night indicator disc making one full rotation every 24 hours, placed on the same axis as the second time zone hands with independent setting of the second time zone that doesn't affect the central time display.
A 10-mm diameter surface area is available on the disc for a brand's designers to customize, and may be fully revealed or left partially visible. Various display options are possible: the second time zone display may be used on its own, without a pointer, by careful transferring of the disc, or the disc may be combined with only the hour hand or with both hour and minute hands. Two discs may also be superimposed, with no hands, where a color appears through the cut-out numerals of the upper disc.

Majority owner
In 2004, Hong Kong-based Chung Nam became a shareholder of Technotime and the group, led by billionaire Charles Chong, now holds a majority of the shares. But in an age where watch brands aim to achieve vertical integration, Technotime moved in the opposite direction. Originally housing the necessary equipment to produce a large part of its movement components, it gave up this capability and near complete integration due to supply chain limits and high costs. This was further aggravated by the economic crisis, which forced the company in 2009 to close its French subsidiary in Valdahon (specializing in bar turning and watch component production) and slash staff numbers.
Instead of complete in-house creations, the company works closely with a network of partner subcontractors, experts in their respective areas of competence. For example, Technotime collaborates closely with Mercier in Breuleux, a company specializing in the finishing of movements and watches, for the assembly of different calibers, such as the TT718 and TT738.
Yet Technotime continues to produce and adjust its own hairsprings at its Les Brenets factory.
"We currently use two alloys to produce the spring and have just launched a partnership with a well-known European research center to test a new alloy with very promising characteristics," explains Gigon. Technotime today employs twenty-two and last year delivered about 11,000 mechanical modules, movements and tourbillons.
Competitions
To prove the quality of its products, one of Technotime's movements was tried and tested at the second edition of the International Chronometry Competition.
A first-time participant, the company subjected its specially-built timepiece to the competition's strict and objective criteria. After its in-house made hand-wound tourbillon Caliber TT791.50 went through three rounds of shock and magnetism tests imposed by the Haute ecole Arc, all validated by the Besançon Observatory and the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), it won third place in the tourbillon category, scoring 791 points out of 1,000, placing behind Greubel Forsey's Double Tourbillon Technique (first) and Chopard's L.U.C Tourbillon Tech Twist All Black (second).
Although that piece was a standard movement, Technotime gave it special attention, especially regarding escapement adjustment and trimming operations to optimize chronometric performance. One week was required for movement assembly, four weeks for adjustment, control and chronometric performance follow-up and two days to design the case, with a subcontractor brought in to make the case.
That competition validates Technotime's work and the recognition marks an important step for Technotime in terms of its watchmaking credibility. The company already has plans to participate in the third edition of the competition in 2013, hoping to score another win.

"Technotime participated in this competition to prove the quality of its movements, and also to demonstrate that a product does not necessarily need to be the most expensive in its class to deliver excellent performance," says Gigon.
Products
Technotime's Calibers TT738.00, a popular "all-terrain" movement (available in self-winding or hand-wound versions), and TT791.00 can be personalized to respond to a client's need to distinguish itself. Its current portfolio offers two modules, one manual-winding movement, one automatic movement and one tourbillon movement.

The movements and tourbillon are available with additional complications (retrograde date, power-reserve indicator and soon a chronograph) or any other specific modules developed by clients. Equipped with in-house manufactured balance springs, these movements may be optionally chronometer-certified by COSC. Technotime obtained its first COSC certification in March 2010.
The company today works with between sixty and eighty customers, including Blacksand, Ebel, Louis Erard, Edox, Hanowa, Andersen Geneve, Maurice Lacroix and Yeslam. Gigon refuses to reveal the full list, saying, "As an engine supplier, to avoid causing prejudice to brands that use our movements by presenting them as their own manufactured movements, we do not disclose the names of our customers, except customers clearly indicating the origin of their movements."
In an environment where the Swiss watch industry is tightening its grip on movement supply, and watch brands are moving to secure provision of movements, Gigon says he expects steady demand for his firm's wares.
"We hope to be able to manage a controlled growth that respects the product and that meets customer expectations, both in terms of quality, meaning the functionality of our movements, and value for money."

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)

Out of 4,515 registered entries to the annual Red Dot design prize, more than 1,000 actually received the coveted recognition in two categories, "Living" and "Doing." Of these, only 60 entrants were awarded the honor of becoming the "best of the best," representing just 1.3 percent of all entries: 30 each in the Living and Doing categories. The best of the best are not otherwise category-referenced, but represent a cross section of what the jury found to be the best industrial designs submitted, regardless of categorization or the objects' purpose.
The companies and design studios awarded with the coveted "best of" prizes by the 30 international design expert judges from 19 different countries are of world renown. These laureates included Porsche (for the Carrera S), Apple for the iPad 2 and its truly innovative cover, Toshiba for a backup disk, and Porsche Design for two products: an outside television and a leather blazer - the only piece of clothing given the award on July 2. Porsche and Porsche Design, in fact, went home with a combined total of four awards that evening, a fitting tribute to Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, who passed away on April 5 of this year.
 

Red Dot Watches
Among these objects and names of world renown, one watch brand had the honor of being included: Ventura, who was awarded this highest design honor for the inimitable mechanical quartz Sparc MGS with its visible rotor on top of the case.
 

Ventura founder and owner Pierre Nobs and the designer of this interesting watch, Simon Husslein, could hardly have expressed more joy over the honor. Nobs, already having been awarded this highest of design honors for the timepiece simply called Watch designed by Flemming Bo Hansen in 1992 - followed by other awards in 1995 (best of the best), 1998 (Red Dot) and 2000 (Red Dot) - should have been old hat at this. However, his joy seemed unbridled, and the reason is fairly clear: the 2007 bankruptcy of the company he originally founded in 1989 was surely a large personal blow. Able to resurrect the brand in 2009 (

Husslein, the relatively young designer of this watch, had perhaps even more reason for joy at this confirmation of his abilities. His place of business is Studio Hanneswettstein, the Zurich design establishment founded by industrial designer Hannes Wettstein (

Out of the many watches submitted to the 2012 Red Dot jury, nine received Red Dot citations: the Louis Moinet Geograph, Maurice Lacroix's Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde and the second-generation 43 mm Double Retrograde, Duo 24, Jacob Jensen 700 Series, Mutewatch Touchscreen, Halda Space Discovery, and the Porsche Design P'6620 Dashboard. The Ventura Sparc MGS topped the heap by winning the "best of the best," which was celebrated at a gala event at the Aalto Theater and an exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen on July 2. The honor makes Ventura's Sparc MGS one of the 60 best industrially created objects to be released in 2011 in the eyes of Red Dot - the most coveted design prize in the world. "The design of the Sparc MGS is a skillful presentation of innovative technology. It features a highly functional and ergonomic implementation. It is a successful merging of tradition and modernity," the jury aptly wrote in the official Red Dot yearbook.