A Familiar Shape With an Unexpected Pulse
Maurice Lacroix and Label Noir refine the AIKON Skeleton with black DLC, turquoise accents and an exposed manufacture calibre.
Maurice Lacroix’s collaboration with Label Noir has reached a point of confidence where refinement matters more than novelty.
Their third joint release, the AIKON Manufacture Skeleton Label Noir, builds on two earlier sell-out editions by focusing on proportion, contrast and mechanical clarity rather than reinvention.
Limited to 100 pieces, the watch uses the familiar AIKON Manufacture case, finished in black DLC-coated stainless steel.
At 45 millimetres, it remains firmly contemporary, yet careful alternation between brushed and polished surfaces keeps the presence controlled.
In black, the signature bezel feels sharper and more architectural, reinforcing the watch’s urban character.
Label Noir’s influence is most evident in the disciplined use of colour. Turquoise appears only where it serves a purpose, outlining the hands in Super LumiNova, framing the dial via the external flange and animating the small seconds at six o’clock.
Against the darkened case and smoked sapphire dial, the contrast feels modern and intentional rather than decorative.
The skeletonised dial allows the in-house ML234 automatic movement to define the visual experience. Components typically hidden from view are clearly exposed, yet the layout avoids visual overload.
Legibility remains intact thanks to black indices and a considered arrangement of elements. The same restraint continues on the reverse, where a smoked sapphire caseback reveals the movement and discreetly marks the limited edition.
Two straps are supplied, a dark grey nubuck option and a turquoise rubber strap, both compatible with Maurice Lacroix’s Easy Strap Exchange system. Together they underscore the watch’s versatility, shifting easily between understated and expressive.
Priced at 6,500 Swiss francs, the AIKON Manufacture Skeleton Label Noir offers genuine manufacture watchmaking, a coherent design language and true scarcity without theatrical excess. It is a confident, well-judged release that rewards attention rather than demanding it.
