When is a dress watch a dive watch? When is a dive watch a dress watch? And what happens when the two cross over? You get the Aikon Venturer.
Aikon Venturer is 43mm, but doesn’t wear as large as that might sound, due to the excellent proportions of the case. It’s water resistant to 300 meters, and the example we have arrived on the blue rubber strap, suitable for use in the water.
The brilliant thing about the strap is that it has quick release lugs. They look almost as if they’re a part of the case when connected, and use two quick-release pins to remove them. Even better, they snap back into place slidly.
The Aikon Venturer has a rotating bezel that takes inspiration from the normal, fixed Aikon bezel, and tops it off with a ceramic insert to mark time under water.
The dial is a beautiful blue sunburst sitting in the stainless steel case, with pencil hands to indicate the time. The date resides in the traditional spot at 3 o’clock.
The indices on the dial are large and glow brightly in dim light. The movement inside is an excellent 28,800vph 26 jewel ML115 with 38 hours of power reserve.
If you like a watch that isn’t another diver, or a dress watch that doesn’t look like a Royal Oak or DateJust, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Venturer ticks a lot of boxes. There’s definitely room in the world for this sort of crossover – a watch that looks sporty without being pure tool watch. The Aikon Venturer is available from Mauricelacroix.com for $1,890 USD.
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Maurice Lacroix Aikon Venturer AI6058-SS001-430-1
- Price: $1890 USD
- Who we think it might be for: You want a dive watch, but want something that’s a little more modern, more refined.
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: I really like the bezel and the case profile.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: I’d like to see a dial like those used in the quartz Aikon in this automatic.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The round bezel with its raised metal surfaces to protect the ceramic and crystal work really well with this case shape. The lugs and end links for the strap are outstanding.
Tech Specs from Maurice Lacroix
- Case size: 43
- Case material: stainless steel
- Crystal: sapphire
- Strap: blue rubber strap
- Movement: Swiss-made ML115
