The original Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver was a fairly short-lived offering that was first launched in 2013 and discontinued just a few years later in 2016 to allow the brand to increase production of its Aikon series of integrated bracelet watches. However, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the collection last year in 2023, Maurice Lacroix revived the Pontos S Diver and gave it a slightly more compact profile to increase its everyday wearability. Now, as its latest release of 2024, Maurice Lacroix has expanded its recently relaunched Pontos S Diver lineup with two new models that offer the same performance metrics as their standard-catalog siblings, although this latest duo of watches embrace aesthetics that are intended to integrate into today’s urban environments.
The new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver watches consist of a special-edition stainless steel version with a black DLC finish (ref. PT6248-DLB00-330-2) and a limited-edition variant that features a bronze case (ref. PT6248-BRZ01-330-3). While the watches that were part of the original relaunch in 2023 are firmly dedicated to aquatic environments, this latest pair of Pontos S Diver models is the brand’s way of recognizing that most dive watches primarily experience urban settings. They feature slightly more refined colorways that allow them to integrate into modern life on dry land. That said, despite adhering to a less purpose-built aesthetic, the new urban-oriented bronze and DLC-finished Pontos S Diver watches still offer the same 300 meters of water resistance that can be found throughout the rest of the Pontos S Diver series.
While the special-edition Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver ref. PT6248-DLB00-330-2 features a stainless steel case with a black DLC coating, the limited-edition ref. PT6248-BRZ01-330-3 has its case crafted from bronze. Aside from their different materials, the new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver watches offer the same dimensions, with cases that measure 42mm in diameter by 13mm thick. Additionally, both models feature sapphire crystals above their dials, solid screw-on casebacks, and a pair of screw-down crowns on the right-hand side of their cases. While the standard crown at 3 o’clock is used to interact with the movement, the secondary crown at the 2 o’clock position operates the internal rotating timing bezel, and it is adorned with a contrasting ring in either black or yellow to complement the colorway of each watch.
Both of the new urban-oriented Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver watches are fitted with black grain-textured dials that offer the same vintage-themed design and layout, which consists of baton-shaped hands and markers, an elongated minute track, and a date window at the 6 o’clock location. An angled chapter ring extends upwards from the periphery of the dial to meet the edge of the internal rotating bezel, and the hands and indexes are all finished with Super-LumiNova to provide them with increased visibility in dark settings. However, while the DLC-coated Pontos S Diver features black-finished hands and markers that are paired with white Super-LumiNova and bright yellow accents, the bronze version features gold-plated hands and hour markers, and it uses beige-tinted Super-LumiNova to provide it with a vintage-themed overall appearance.
Just like the standard-production models that were part of the collection’s relaunch, the new urban-inspired Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver watches are both powered by the brand’s Caliber ML115 automatic movement. Given that the Maurice Lacroix Cal. ML115 is essentially the Swiss brand’s version of the Sellita SW200, it offers the same familiar specs with an operating frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) and a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. Additionally, while the 22mn lugs of the DLC-finished Pontos S Diver are fitted with a black rubber strap that has fitted ends molded to the shape of the case, the limited-edition bronze version is paired with a vintage-style brown leather strap that features an applied signet of the brand’s logo and a matching bronze tang-style buckle.
This isn’t the first time that we have seen Maurice Lacroix create watches that explicitly target an urban-dwelling demographic, and past examples include the Aikon Urban Tribe watch from 2021 and the Aikon Skeleton Urban Tribe that was released last year as a follow-up to the original model. That said, the new urban-oriented Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver models aren’t considered part of this same Urban Tribe series, as they lack the elaborate engravings that characterize the two limited-edition Aikon Urban Tribe models. Instead, the new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver watches represent the brand’s acknowledgment that many of its timepieces are worn in offices and metropolitan settings, and this latest duo of models aims to offer the popular design of the Pontos S Diver in colorways and configurations that are aimed at contemporary real-world lifestyles.
Due to their different materials and finishing, the new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver models are slightly more expensive than their standard-production stainless steel counterparts, although the actual premiums are fairly modest for both watches. The special-edition version with a black DLC-coated case (ref. PT6248-DLB00-330-2) is only fifty bucks more than the regular models with an official retail price of $2,250 USD, while the limited-edition bronze version (ref. PT6248-BRZ01-330-3) costs slightly more at $2,700 USD, with production limited to a total of 888 examples. While Maurice Lacroix’s Pontos collection offers a wide variety of different timepieces, the Pontos S Diver is easily its most utilitarian offering, and these new urban-inspired variants help to bridge the gap between the decidedly sporty standard-production models and the elevated dress watches that are also part of the greater Pontos collection. For more information on the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver collection, please visit the brand’s website.
