A combination of mechanics and architecture, the Pontos Décentrique Phases de Lune liberates time from orthodoxy. In a theatre of bold innovations, the first scene is acted out at 10 o'clock on an off-centre dial, where a new and unique single hand tracks the minutes, while the dragging hours appear at a more leisurely pace on a disk. In the second scene, two superposed disks at 4 o'clock show the phases of the moon and indicate day and night. The final scene, perhaps the grandest of them all, takes place at 6 o'clock: the date is clearly shown in a metallised sapphire crystal window on a disk whose patented return system has been specially developed in-house. Series limited to 500.

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Masculine, monochrome, high-tech. The very athletic case of the Pontos Chronographe Rectangulaire Full Black incorporates an innovative ceramic coating that increases its robustness and puts it unquestionably into the exclusive circle of technological instruments. Black from top to toe, the only concession made by this full black chronograph is the white Superluminova dots on the tone-on-tone architecture of its layers.

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Maurice Lacroix recently unveiled the Masterpiece Lune Retrograde. Following the introduction of the ML 150 and 151 last year, this watch features ML's third in-house caliber - the ML 152. Maurice Lacroix has released no less than three in-house calibers in the past 12 months. Pretty impressive.

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2009 Baselworld Preview

[ via Maurice Lacroix ]

Spearhead of the Maurice Lacroix manufacture, the Masterpiece line is a skilfully proportioned combination of technology, tradition and modern aesthetics. The skeleton dial, sculpted with a goldsmith's precision, reveals all the workings of the movement, a delicate labyrinth in which the gear-trains have been refined to a bare minimum. The structure of the Chronographe Squelette, a veritable metallic sculpture, transforms the lifeless material into a living mechanism. A model that clearly belongs in this century.

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[ Maurice Lacroix ]

Martin Bachmann, 46, has been named the new chief executive officer of Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Maurice Lacroix S.A., effective. Nov. 1.

For the past seven years, Bachmann, an executive board member of the luxury Swiss watch brand, has been actively involved in development of the brand as global director of its Marketing/Country Operations division.

Bachman succeeds Philippe C. Merk, 51, who was named CEO of Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet Holding SA in August, effective Jan. 1, 2009, replacing its long-time CEO, Georges-Henri Meylan. MORE>>

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This is the first mechanical watch in the world to feature a memory function, the Memoire 1.

It has a dial with hands for minutes and seconds and a disk to show hours. There is a push button in the crown which allows you to switch from "Time" to "Chrono" mode. The hands and hour disk switch to measure time and then back to a normal watch with the press of the button. You can even toggle back and fourth while the chrono is running. This watch uses 537 components and has yet to be officially introduced, but you can check out the microsite here.