Charisma is a tricky thing to design for in watchmaking. A timepiece that falls flat in some colorways can be transformed by something as simple as a new set of colors and materials, and the difference between a charming, unified whole and a discordant jumble can often be exceedingly narrow. The sporty, integrated Maurice Lacroix Aikon line is a strong example of this principle in action. Its “greatest hits” approach to integrated sports watch design can have a hard time standing out in a stacked field of competitors, but when the brand allows this design to step out of the shadow of its influences, this confluence of familiar cues shines brightly. The new limited-edition Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Bronze is arguably as charismatic as it’s ever been with a warm, characterful blend of color, material, and (potential) patina that immediately sets it apart from the pack.

Although it’s certainly on the larger side for modern trends at 42mm wide, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Bronze’s bronze case wears remarkably well for several reasons. Most obviously, there’s the integrated lug design — not only are these lugs very short, but they also feature a pronounced, sharply angular downturn. Coupled with the shaped, tapering integrated strap, this allows the case to wrap seamlessly around smaller wrists without overhang. In addition, the balanced, manageable 11mm overall case thickness helps the main case body to sit low and wide on the wrist, further reducing perceived bulk on the wrist. On the other hand, Maurice Lacroix’s approach to finishing the Aikon Automatic Bronze makes it significantly more eye-catching than its stainless steel counterparts. Not all bronze alloys are created equal, and the warm, bright, slightly orange-tinted bronze Maurice Lacroix uses here gives off nearly the same hue and luster as a newly minted penny on the wrist. With that said, part of the charm of bronze is its evolving, patinating nature, and the sharp facets, narrow chamfers, and six raised, architectural bezel “claws” should provide a multitude of intriguing anchor points for darker contrasting patina or pale verdigris as the watch naturally ages. Maurice Lacroix accentuates this potential for unique aging by fully abandoning polished surfaces on this case – even traditionally polished elements like the even case side chamfers and the facets of the broad, raised bezel are executed with crisp, deep linear brushing, along with the broader case surfaces. The only appreciable areas of this case that aren’t brushed are the bezel “claws,” which are instead matte-blasted. That’s not to say this case doesn’t have visual highlights on the wrist — the sharply angled case geometry ensures that at least one surface is catching the light at nearly any given perspective — but it does change the character of these highlights. It’s less ornamental-feeling and more purposeful, which suits bronze’s long history of maritime use and ancient associations with armor and weapons well. The brand tops the Aikon Automatic Bronze with a sapphire display caseback and gives the watch a hefty 200-meter water resistance rating. Although this is impressively sporty and should allow the Aikon Automatic Bronze to perform well as an all-in-one “vacation watch,” it also results in one of the watch’s biggest potential missed opportunities — more on that later.

With a warm, bright case color palette such as fresh bronze, the natural impulse is to opt for a darker complement for the dial, and the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Bronze demonstrates just how effective that pairing can be. The dégradé dial surface is a deep, rich coffee brown around the dial edge, fading to a warm light cocoa tone at the center. It’s a combination that almost seems to glow in hard, direct light, and when paired with the clous de Paris dial texture and the subtle, underlying sunburst finish, this is a dial that can take on a multitude of personalities depending on lighting conditions. Maurice Lacroix accentuates this dial surface with rose gold plated, fully polished baton indices, along with slender matching stick hands. This tone-on-tone look is impressively rich and characterful on the wrist, but the cohesive feel of these colors all together makes the standard white date display at 3 o’clock feel even more out of place. A brown date wheel or a no-date layout would have elevated this design to another level, although the layout as it sits is still deeply attractive.

Maurice Lacroix powers the Aikon Automatic Bronze with the Sellita-based ML 115 automatic movement. Given its familiar underpinnings, the ML 115’s overall performance figures should feel recognizable to most enthusiasts, including a 28,800 bph beat rate and a rather antiquated 38-hour power reserve. On the other hand, the ML 115 is commendably well decorated for this price point, with select blued screws, tight perlage for the bridges, and an impressively complex custom rotor incorporating arabesque and linear brushing, matte-blasting, polished surfaces and anglage, and slender skeleton cutouts.

So much of the personality of an integrated watch is tied up in its bracelet pairing, and it’s rare to see an integrated watch on a strap come across with more personality than its bracelet-equipped stablemates. The Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Bronze, however, is one of those rare integrated watches. The Aikon’s integrated bracelet design is, shall we say, very familiar to watch fans at large thanks to its close resemblance to the classic Royal Oak bracelet, and by separating this watch design from its bracelet, it goes a long way towards establishing a distinct personality for the Aikon line. Not to mention, this watch on a full bronze bracelet would likely be both cumbersomely heavy and seriously flashy on the wrist. Instead, Maurice Lacroix pairs the watch with a deeply impressive integrated distressed leather strap. The tapering form flows well into the case design here, and the blend of deep, variegated medium browns with off-white contrast stitching complements the case and dial colorway handsomely. Not only is this a strap that looks and feels aged by years of adventures right out of the box, but as time goes on, this worn, nuanced look should pair even better with the case as it develops a patina. While this pairing is attractive and suits the overall design well, the leather strap here does have one major downside: water resistance. The watch itself may be capable of 200 meters, but this strap would be ruined long before any extended diving takes place. There is a quick-release system for this strap, but it presents an unusual issue. Due to the way the Aikon’s quick-release system is designed, when removed, the strap takes the central segment of the integrated lugs along with it. All of Maurice Lacroix’s available optional straps are designed with the standard-production stainless steel case in mind, so the only way to fit the Aikon Automatic Bronze with a water-friendly rubber strap or bracelet is to accept a mismatched stainless steel segment alongside the bronze case. It’s a small concern, but given the limited-run nature of this case in bronze, it’s one that’s unlikely to be addressed.

Making a watch feel charismatic is no simple task in design, but the right combination of colors, materials, and straps can give a watch design depths of character that the rest of the product line can’t match. The limited edition Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Bronze is a brilliant example of this principle at work, with a warm, characterful look and feel that stands well above the rest of the Aikon line on the wrist. Only 888 examples of the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Bronze will be made, and the watch is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for this watch stands at $2,650 USD as of press time. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.