Maurice Lacroix introduced a new version of their popular Aikon over the weekend. The Aikon Tide has the same familiar shape as the Aikon (an integrated case/strap design that shares more than a passing similarity with watches in the Royal Oak family) but is made largely with recycled ocean plastics. The quartz movement keeps the Aikon Tide under $1,000, and the array of vibrant colors and message of sustainability represent a concerted effort by Maurice Lacroix to reach a new, younger consumer.

Maurice Lacroix has partnered with Tide Ocean SA for this project. Tide Ocean is a Basel based firm that specializes in refining and upcycling ocean plastics. To create the material used for the Aikon Tide, plastic is combined with glass fibre, with the end result being a case that Maurice Lacroix claims is twice as hard as standard plastic, making it suitable for a watch case. The brand says that it takes the equivalent of 17 plastic bottles to produce the material for one watch, which uses Tide Ocean?s material in the bezel, caseback, crown, and buckle, in addition to the case (the integrated strap is made of rubber, but Maurice Lacroix has indicated they are actively working on on a bracelet/strap solution made from the same recycled plastic material as the rest of the watch).
Aesthetically, the Aikon Tide is (mostly) all about bright, vibrant colors. With this case material, Maurice Lacroix is able to produce dials in any color imaginable, and they?ve gone with bright...