Maurice Lacroix Unveils Aikon Tide Benzilla Special Edition
Thursday - 07 July 2022
The new Benzilla Art special edition watch from Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon Tide series joins the company’s 2022 novelties and comes in a striking palette of colours to match its orange composite case developed by Tide Ocean, along with a dial that has been uniquely designed by the Thai artist, Benzilla himself.
To mark the sporting milestone of becoming Official Timekeeper for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, Maurice Lacroix released four new special edition watches that also underscore a continuation of the watchmaker’s plea to support ocean conservation in its latest bid to reduce plastic waste and raise awareness surrounding its devastating impact on our seas. A few weeks ago, the manufacturer partnered up with Tide Ocean to release an upcycled watch made from plastic bottles. In doing so, it aims to sponsor plastic collection activities and pay for educational programs around the world.
The new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Tide FIBA 3X3 Special Edition watches bring something innovative and vibrant to the company’s 2022 novelties. Alongside a Cool Grey & Black, a sophisticated Black & White, and an Official Colours variation, Maurice Lacroix is also releasing a colourful and incredibly artistic iteration designed by Thai artist, Benzilla that we’re going to look at in more detail here.
Having immersed himself in pop culture from an early age, Benzilla began seriously pursuing his love of art ten years ago and now lines the bustling streets of Bangkok with his bold and vibrant creations. He explains that he never tires of finding inspiration or new concepts to interpret in his field of expertise: “I love the idea that my art emits a positive and quirky energy. My work is an outlet that erases every doubt or discouragement from daily life. I’m proud to be in Maurice Lacroix’s circle of friends! I love its urban and contemporary aesthetics! The AIKON design represents and inspires me a lot! If I had to describe the brand with one word, I would think of borderless! For me, art is comparable to watchmaking. I love the idea that we can offer a quality creation without breaking a bank!”
Maurice Lacroix extends on this shared view at having the opportunity to work with the artist: “We love Benzilla’s boundless creativity, that is expressed just as much in his street art and sculpture as it is in his consumer products. His openness to the world, curiosity and undeniable talent make him a friend that our brand wants to support!”
Tide Ocean’s innovative case composite material
As with the Cool Grey & Black, the Black & White, and the Official Colours iterations of the new Aikon Tide FIBA 3X3 Special Edition launches - the Benzilla edition is made from Tide Ocean’s incredibly hard and resistant composite material. A few weeks ago, Maurice Lacroix pledged to recycle 10 million bottles in collaboration with Tide Ocean. Continuing with this commitment, the watches are all crafted from a special composite material achieved through the use of plastic bottles that are first collected then washed before being sorted and then shredded into flakes. These flakes are then compacted to be transported to Tide Ocean’s Switzerland-based facilities, where the flakes are then converted into an even finer granule and combined with glass fibre (and other undisclosed materials) to yield the correct composite material for this new watch design. The composite material is double the hardness of standard plastic, not to mention five times more resistant. Each watch requires a total of 17 plastic bottles that are then transformed to recreate one of Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon watches. The innovation comes at a great time when many watch manufacturers in the industry are beginning to turn their attention towards conversation efforts around the world to create interesting yet ethical watches using the latest cutting-edge technology in the field of material research and development.
The new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Tide 3X3 Benzilla Special Edition watch
Keeping in line with the other three releases, the new Benzilla Special Edition watch from Maurice Lacroix’s latest Aikon Tide watch collection features a 40mm diameter and has been crafted from Tide Ocean’s composite material in a vibrant and sporty orange colour. Adding to this palette is a cool blue shade used for the background of the dial, surrounded by a fixed black bezel. Benzilla has designed the dial using his own choice of colours and modern art motifs that bring a resolutely youthful feel to the timepiece. All other characteristics of the Aikon watch are still present, including the simple three-handed dial layout with a date aperture positioned t 3 o’clock against a black background. The surface of the hands has been treated with a strip of Super-LumiNova, yet the hour track goes without any markers for a unique spin to this popular sports watch design. The entire surface of the dial is protected by a strong lens of anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass.
As with the remaining three special edition watches released under the Aikon Tide line, the new Benzilla art edition is powered by a quartz movement and fitted on a supple rubber strap - this time on the same cool blue shade adorned with a vivid orange Maurice Lacroix logo.
If you’d like more information on the new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Tide Benzilla Art watch, you can check out more details here, or call and speak to a member of our sales team at Jura Watches on 01335 453453
