If you are looking for a sporty GMT watch with a bold character and a reasonable price, then the fresh model of Swiss watches from Maurice Lacroix - the Aikon Venturer GMT 43mm - is worth your attention. The Maurice Lacroix Aikon is a popular watch with an integrated bracelet that has established itself well as a brand in recent years. Later, they released the Aikon Venturer, which continued the dive watch line in the Aikon family. Now, the Aikon Venturer GMT repeats the main appearance of the Aikon Venturer and adds the useful GMT complication.
One of the most interesting elements of the Aikon Venturer's visual design is the bezel. The steel bezel features a black ceramic insert and another steel layer that forms six protrusions, adding overall depth to the design of this model.
The worst you can say about the Maurice Lacroix Aikon is that its case and bracelet try to imitate the Royal Oak, and the best you can say about the Aikon is that its case and bracelet try to imitate the Royal Oak. The level of style, detail, and functionality you get in the Aikon Venturer GMT for relatively little money is impressive. Audemars Piguet offers nothing even close to this price. The Aikon Venturer dial is also relatively distinctive and actually looks better than in photos.
Currently, Maurice Lacroix offers the Aikon Venturer GMT 43mm with either a black or silver sunray dial, each coming with a black rubber strap and a matching steel bracelet. The silver dial Aikon Venturer GMT features an orange GMT hand, while the black dial model has a red GMT hand. The 24-hour markers for the second time zone complication are located on the unidirectional rotating bezel.
The watch is equipped with a Swiss-made automatic movement, which Maurice Lacroix calls their caliber ML 165. I believe this is an automatic ETA 2893 movement with a GMT complication and date (or a similar movement). It's a decent movement operating at 4 Hz with a power reserve of about two days. Some people call them GMT watches for those who don't travel, because instead of having an independently adjustable local hour hand (the main hour hand), you can only set the GMT hand in one direction. Thus, this GMT movement style is somewhat less suited for regular travel. There are not many GMT watches with independently adjustable hour hands in this price range that I know of right now, but I like these watches so much that I would like to see them with a different movement offering a bit more convenience for adventurers who want to keep their home time while traveling, and more precisely adjust local time.
Legibility is one of the things the Aikon Venturer GMT does very well, despite having many reflective elements on the dial. The sapphire crystal has a good amount of AR coating, and the dial is designed so that the shiny elements do not distract too much from reading. It's also good that the hands and hour markers seem somewhat familiar but also unique to this collection. In my opinion, it's very important to look for something new in watches that should be modern (as in the case of the Aikon Venturer).
When viewed from the side, the case has many small details. On the wrist, it is quite comfortable at 43mm wide. Given that the watch is based on the diver Aikon Venturer, the GMT watch is water-resistant up to 300 meters, making it an excellent diver-style watch in addition to being a travel watch. Maurice Lacroix likely expects someone to take their Aikon Venturer GMT anywhere they need a sports watch (with a rubber strap), and then, with a switch to a metal bracelet, the watch transforms into a timepiece for a business dinner or romantic date. In my opinion, the Aikon Venturer GMT offers exactly this style and functional versatility.
Both the included steel bracelet and the special rubber strap are attached with quick-release systems that do not require tools. If you need something more, you really need to purchase Maurice Lacroix branded straps, but the ability to easily swap the bracelet for a strap in seconds is a game-changer when you really want to get the most out of your luxury sports watch. Usually, I would mostly wear the bracelet with such a watch (because the bracelet is so cool), but the rubber strap is stylish and very comfortable, and cannot be discounted as a worthy part of this product's value proposition.
What works best in the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Venturer GMT collection is that the watches are conservative but add a slight modern twist, allowing them to feel like wristwatches of today, not models of the past. This makes them unique and relevant, especially in this price range, where it's very difficult to find a similar product with the same functionality and quality.
The Maurice Lacroix Aikon Venturer GMT watches are reliable in every respect with comfortable wrists and a versatile appearance. They are a strong contender in this category and an excellent symbol of what the Swiss manufacturer Maurice Lacroix is known for today.
The price of the Maurice Lacroix reference AI6158-SS00F-130-A (silver dial) or model AI6158-SS00F-330-A (black dial) is $2,690