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The brand Maurice Lacroix is very interesting and quite underrated among the WIS-es. It is only ~45 years old, but produces the cases in-house, and in addition has 15 in-house movements with some quite impressive complications. Their higher-end watches compete in 10K+ range with whatever you like. I consider it a luxury brand, together with the general public (at least here in Germany - ML have quite a good image). Led by this motivation, some years ago I bought to my older daughter a lady's model from the entry-level dress-casual collection of ML - Eliros (off-topic: she was very happy - it was the day we went together to an Iron Maiden concert, so the excitement was even more amplified). It is very simple quartz watch, but impressed me with the nice finish and general "expensive" feel. I liked it so much, that I bought my wife the same model (different color though). These two watches were the only quartz watches at home, which hit the second indexes in every orientation of the watch!
The Eliros collection was introduced by ML in 1996. The watches of the ladies at home seems to be from the last pieces of the "old" design. In 2016 ML revised the model line, making the geometry of the case more "round", changing the indices from printed to applied, straighten the lines of the hour and minute hands, making the 38mm men's model to 40mm. And this I found underneath the Christmas tree this year - the "new" ML Eliros Date 40mm:
![Analog watch Watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap]()
As the lady's models, my Eliros second hand hits the markers exactly. I know that none of the movements from ETA or Ronda are guaranteed to have such a small gear-play (I have some very nice quartz watches, which barely hit the markers 50% of the time). I assume ML is making pre-selection of the movements OR orders movements with smaller tolerances... it is really a speculation, but 3 out of 3 ML watches at home behave this way and I don't think it is a coincidence.
It is known, that ML makes the cases in-house in Switzerland, I assume the case of Eliros is also produced by themselves. It is a 3-piece case and looking on the "usual suspect" places (like the inner side of the lugs-to-case edges) reveal very high level of finish. The crown has by no surprise the embossed ML logo.
The dial is awesome - it has gray-to-brown sunburst with applied gold roman numerals and indices. The hands are the same color and as I red are 4N red-gold plated. The ML logo is also applied, but it was the case of the old variants as well. Have to admit, that despite being generally good readable, under certain angles the hands "disappear" in the light reflections of the dial. The date disk do not match the dial color... well. One more detailed picture:
![Analog watch Watch Material property Metal Fashion accessory]()
Some 10 years ago, I wouldn't even consider this watch, because it's quartz. But in the last years I start appreciating the quartz watches as well (still not equally with mechanics, but close) and I am happy now wearing this beauty along the mechanicals I have
And a part-family photo, now with my wife we can have kind-a partner-look (I assume this was part of her motivation to buy me the watch). Visible are the differences between pre-2016 models and mine:
![Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap]()
The Eliros collection was introduced by ML in 1996. The watches of the ladies at home seems to be from the last pieces of the "old" design. In 2016 ML revised the model line, making the geometry of the case more "round", changing the indices from printed to applied, straighten the lines of the hour and minute hands, making the 38mm men's model to 40mm. And this I found underneath the Christmas tree this year - the "new" ML Eliros Date 40mm:
As the lady's models, my Eliros second hand hits the markers exactly. I know that none of the movements from ETA or Ronda are guaranteed to have such a small gear-play (I have some very nice quartz watches, which barely hit the markers 50% of the time). I assume ML is making pre-selection of the movements OR orders movements with smaller tolerances... it is really a speculation, but 3 out of 3 ML watches at home behave this way and I don't think it is a coincidence.
It is known, that ML makes the cases in-house in Switzerland, I assume the case of Eliros is also produced by themselves. It is a 3-piece case and looking on the "usual suspect" places (like the inner side of the lugs-to-case edges) reveal very high level of finish. The crown has by no surprise the embossed ML logo.
The dial is awesome - it has gray-to-brown sunburst with applied gold roman numerals and indices. The hands are the same color and as I red are 4N red-gold plated. The ML logo is also applied, but it was the case of the old variants as well. Have to admit, that despite being generally good readable, under certain angles the hands "disappear" in the light reflections of the dial. The date disk do not match the dial color... well. One more detailed picture:
Some 10 years ago, I wouldn't even consider this watch, because it's quartz. But in the last years I start appreciating the quartz watches as well (still not equally with mechanics, but close) and I am happy now wearing this beauty along the mechanicals I have
And a part-family photo, now with my wife we can have kind-a partner-look (I assume this was part of her motivation to buy me the watch). Visible are the differences between pre-2016 models and mine:
