Maurice Lacroix has released the Pontos S Regatta, a sailing-minded watch that blends performance, precision and style to better tackle the high seas.

For 30 plus years, Maurice Lacroix has been producing mechanical timepieces of high precision in its own watchmaking facilities. Increasingly rare these days, the Swiss brand produces its movements in-house, having released 14 of them to date. In fact, the relatively new company has grown to the point where it produces around 90,000 watches per year, with half of them running on mechanical movements, and the balance running on quartz.

Part of the brand’s added notoriety these days has come from its official partnership with F.C. Barcelona. The fact that the club won the rare “treble” (Spanish league, cup and Champion’s League) surely added to its exposure.

But football is not the only sport that Maurice Lacroix is associated with. The company’s new Pontos S Regatta wristwatch, as you might expect, is inspired by the world of sailing. And by virtue of its name, it is a watch born to race and compete.

Maurice Lacroix’s Pontos S Regatta

Maurice Lacroix has made a name for itself through its outstanding expertise in retrograde displays, as well as chronograph and moon phase indications. The Pontos S Regatta showcases that expertise with a large and arcing aperture below the 12 o’clock position. It reveals numbers descending from 10, which is particularly important for the serious sailors out there.

Prior to the start of a sailing regatta, a 10 minute warning is given to competitors to prepare for the impending race. At this point, the wearer of the Pontos S Regatta has at his disposal a push piece at the 2 o’clock position. Once pressed, it begins the countdown sequence on the dial. The numerals indicating 10 to 6 minutes remaining are displayed in blue, but red numerals are used from 5 to 1, imparting a sense of urgency. Indicated with a black triangular pointer, the word “Race” appears on the dial of the watch when the initial 10 minutes expire.

Pontos S Regatta case back

The watch also has other features which make it perfect for fighting the seas. For one, the Maurice Lacroix designers ensured to maximize visibility in the mist of the sea and restricted light. The hour and minutes are indicated with rhodium plated hands featuring luminescent coating. The minute hand features a white tip and the red central chronograph seconds hand is also tipped in vibrant orange.

Rest assured, back on dry land, the Pontos S Regatta looks perfectly at ease as well. Often objects created to perform at speed exhibit a certain style, and the Pontos S Regatta proves to be no exception. The central area of the dial is silver with a sandblasted finish which provides a unique texture to the surface.

Pontos S Regatta with a 10 minute countdown

The 45mm diameter case of the Pontos S Regatta is also visually striking. Made from cutting-edge forged carbon, it is both light and strong. The complex construction process results in an interesting casing, made of grey and black elements . Given this aesthetic, it’s no wonder that the brand is a “red dot design award” winner.

Maurice Lacroix has done well to synthesize the feeling of speed and style in the Pontos S Regatta. Based on the name alone, the watch is clearly focused on the sailing market. That also means that the brand will likely not equalize its present day gender balance, which favours men 80% to 20%. (VJ)

Technical information

CASE

• Ø 45 mm, “Forged Carbon” case
• Black sandblasted turning scale ring with white indications
• Engraved case-back
• Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides
• Black elapse time controller crown system ring
• Water-resistant to 200 m/20 atm

DIAL

• Black sun-brushed hours and minutery and silver sand-blasted center dial
• Applied indexes with large SLN zone for excellent legibility

HANDS

• Rhodium plated hour and minute hands diamond cut, faceted with luminescent coating
• Minute hand with white tip
• Red second hand with orange tip

STRAP/BRACELET

• Black rubber strap

BUCKLE

• Black PVD buckle

MOVEMENT

• Automatic movement ML162; Hours, minutes and seconds indicated by central hands; 10 minutes countdown indication at 12 o’clock
• Vibration: 28 800 alt/h, 4 Hz
• Power reserve: 38 hours
• Jewels: 44
• Adjustments: 3 positions after full winding and after 24 hours
• Decorations: rhodium plated movement