DISCOVER THE AIKON AUTOMATIC WOTTO LIMITED EDITION
Maurice Lacroix unveils the incredible AIKON Automatic Wotto Limited Edition! Limited to 1,000 pieces, this wearable masterpiece doesn't just shake up codes, it blows them out of the water. With the ultimate fusion of urban culture, artistic engraving, and Swiss watchmaking, this striking design marks its entry into the Urban Tribe series.
A truly modern tale, this story begins in 2021 when Hungarian artist @Timeengraver engraved an AIKON watch and presented it to the world via Instagram. This independent artistic expression would trigger a completely unexpected chain of events. Maurice Lacroix was inspired to launch the highly sought-after and limited AIKON Automatic Urban Tribe and AIKON Automatic Skeleton Urban Tribe, with the designer's approval. Two years later, @Timeengraver raised the bar by unveiling a new piece, this time adorned with illustrations by British artist Wotto, a prominent figure in the street art scene.
Today, we've come full circle with the AIKON Automatic Wotto Limited Edition, a watch that fuses Swiss watchmaking expertise with Wotto's unbridled creative universe. That's the power of urban culture: an artistic dialogue in perpetual motion, where inspirations intersect and respond to each other. With this collaboration, Maurice Lacroix explores more than ever the frontier between watchmaking and art.
Does Wotto, or Craig Watkins, to use his real name, still need an introduction? This British expatriate living in California has become a leading figure in urban art thanks to his unique style of doodles, with a wonderful mix of cute and weird, chaos and emotion. Recognisable among a thousand, his works are a festival of colours and original characters, taking the viewer into a twirling spiral of stories that we suspect are somewhat mysterious.
This new AIKON is much more than just an engraved watch, it's a true work of art to be worn on the wrist, incorporating all the elements of Wotto's work. The 42 mm steel case, bracelet and bezel are entirely engraved with motifs from Wotto’s prolific imagination. Mushrooms, little hearts, skateboarding ghosts, and lightning flashes surround the artist's signature capital W that follows one another in hieroglyphs on the links of the AIKON's elegant integrated bracelet, extending onto its case and bezel. Like a rebus, each link tells its own story. These ideograms are enhanced by the contrast between the shine of the polished finish and the engraving of the ornaments, giving the watch a striking depth.
And then there's the real star of the show: the dial. For the first time in the Urban Tribe series, Wotto was given carte blanche to create his own graphic universe. On a simple grey background serving as a canvas, the artist has placed a round of mischievous characters in a gradation from yellow to blue. Placed in the centre of the monochromatic timepiece, this colourful design is particularly eye-catching. So as not to overshadow this picture, the indexes are discreet and marked simply with a metal tip.
Nestled beneath this twirling work of art is the automatic ML115 calibre with a 38-hour power reserve. The case, water-resistant to a depth of 200 meters, has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal on the reverse side – a transparent back that allows the mechanics to be admired – which is itself a work of art of a different kind.
The AIKON Automatic Wotto Limited Edition embodies the perfect blend of bold design and watchmaking expertise. True to the Maurice Lacroix philosophy, the timepiece offers exceptional quality and a remarkable level of finish, while remaining resolutely affordable. With its striking aesthetic and artistic DNA, this piece is sure to turn heads and inspire admiration in all who cross its path.