Maurice Lacroix release the Aikon x Tide collection
ML have added to the Aikon collection this past weekend with a range of brightly coloured recycled plastic sports watches produced in collaboration with Tide. Supposedly the plastic is reinforced with glass fibre strands making it harder than before and thus more scratch resistant.
With the weather getting warmer for many of us it feels like summer is just around the corner- so these fun, lightweight watches are right on time! The diamond cut/wave patterned dials are quite good looking in these bold colourways.
The theme of recycling continues to the packaging, which comes in the form of a recycled plastic mug- personally I haven't seen many watches from large brands which have come in completely repurposeable packaging- kudos to Maurice Lacroix for thinking of this!
However, there is the bad news...these watches are quartz only, which is not too much of an issue itself- however they retail at $750, or $950 for four references with diamond studded indices.
Maurice Lacroix are targeting new, younger consumers with this collection- however who among them would pick one of these over a watch with strong youth culture ties like a brightly coloured Swatch or G-Shock? It goes without saying these both hugely undercut the price point of the Aikon x Tide collection.
And let's not mention the McDonald's happy meal toy resemblance- especially with the brightly coloured M logo on the straps.
All in all an interesting release from a brand which is trying to stay fresh and create further facets to their popular Aikon collection- just a shame about the prices.
Image credit: Worn and Wound
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Too expensive - was going well until the price reveal.
I quite like the design, and the colours are nice. The dial texturing is spot on. I have little qualm with the plastic. I like the connection with the strap and the darts of colour into the black plastic. The main let down for me is the bezel - it’s drab, and looks cheap and rushed; perhaps they could have tarted it up a bit.
Shame, looks like a fun watch.
Too expensive - was going well until the price reveal.
I quite like the design, and the colours are nice. The dial texturing is spot on. I have little qualm with the plastic. I like the connection with the strap and the darts of colour into the black plastic. The main let down for me is the bezel - it’s drab, and looks cheap and rushed; perhaps they could have tarted it up a bit.
Shame, looks like a fun watch.
From what I understand ML will be experimenting with the Tide plastic case production process so there's potential for the pricing to drop. Apparently the plastic can also take brushing and polishing so the bezels on these could come closer to parity with the brilliant finishing on the steel Aikon's bezel.
From what I understand ML will be experimenting with the Tide plastic case production process so there's potential for the pricing to drop. Apparently the plastic can also take brushing and polishing so the bezels on these could come closer to parity with the brilliant finishing on the steel Aikon's bezel.
That seems like a Catch 22; if no-one buys there is no market so trying to bring the price down is pointless. If you can make it cheaper, then why charge $750, but if it sells out at $750 then why would you drop the price and just enjoy the greater profit margin. I’d like a yellow one because I’m a smiley happy bumblebee, but not for that price. I’d be pissed off if I was an early adopter and the second wave cost less at RRP - that is a guaranteed way to lose my business.
Regardless of whether the bezels can take a polish, they still look particularly underwhelming in plastic compared to the rest of the watch, or the metal version. I’m not sure what I would suggest instead, I’m not a designer for ML, but I just don’t think they are the best choice for this version of the model. Maybe change it up for some sort of bezel that could allow for an insert (even a plastic one) might be a better option. It looks cheap in the black plastic.
Not too crazy about the colors but I’d rock the black version. The price is my biggest issue. For a little more I could buy a stainless steel Aikon.
I am not a fan of ML but these do look funky and fun, if only they didn't cost that much :(((((
I think they're cool, but I suspect they would be too long for me.
The bright colours are beautiful and I would happily rock the orange, but a quartz movement in a plastic case is a nice $350 to $450 watch, not $750.
They seem fun to me for the right person or maybe as something to throw on for a day at the beach, but I think the price point is a bit high. Charge more than a Swatch for sure, but not $750.
I got a chance to try one of these on at the Chicago Windup Watch Fair. There are so many varieties, so likely something for everyone. I actually really liked the black and blue model. It fit quite well and the hard plastic case seemed like it would be quite durable. It was way more substantial than a swatch. Also not quite the same as a G-shock, but it seems like it could fill a similar niche. I sometimes don’t like textured dials, but the wave texture was pretty cool. I still think $750 is too much. Seems more like a $500 watch to me. However, I’m thinking of picking one up as a fun and casual watch to wear while swimming or doing other physical activities like disc golf. I encourage people to check it out in person.