Maurice Lacroix finishes Powerlite (a name they gave it I believe) with a bead-blasted finish that is soft to the touch and doesn’t seem to catch fingerprints well (which is good). To be honest, if you just saw the case from afar you’d be forgiven for thinking it wasn’t metal at all. The alloy is also quite light and apparently very sturdy. I don’t know much about it aside from the fact that it is an alloy made from titanium, magnesium, aluminum, zirconium, and ceramic (I said there was sort of some ceramic). I have a feeling it has some qualities that will help it be a great watch case material aside from having mere novelty value.

The black version of the Pontos S Extreme was said to be designed by Henrik Fisker, who is a Maurice Lacroix brand ambassador. Aside from his name on the back, and the red section of the rotating inner bezel, there isn’t much different about this model. However, it does happen to have a cooler strap. I don’t really know what he designed – unless it was the strap. Kudos to Henrik if he did. “His” version in black and red is limited to 999 pieces. If you like that model go for it as the material is neat. Having said that, if Maurice Lacroix is pricing it too much higher than the non-limited blue and green models, I say it isn’t worth the premium as there are lots of other great black-cased watches out there.

Dial-wise, this is the existing Pontos S that we know and love. Modern and legible, the color accents are appreciated, and the careful combination of class and sport is a testament to the good design practices that seem to be going on a lot at the brand these days. Don’t forget about the rotating inner bezel that is operated via a crown that is integrated into the chronograph start pusher. The pushers and crown are made in titanium, and the 43mm wide case is water resistant to 200 meters. In addition to the interesting leather straps, Maurice Lacroix also throws in a NATO-style strap with the watch.

Between the Pontos S and the Pontos Diver, Maurice Lacroix has a duo of pretty fantastic sport watches. They didn’t deny that Pontos collection watches are their best sellers, which isn’t hard to imagine. Inside the Pontos S Extreme, is an in-house Maurice Lacroix regulated Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic. If the pricing and distribution prove to be good in the market then Maurice Lacroix has some healthy new regulars for their lineup. Price for the Pontos S Extreme in blue (ref. PT6028-ALB11-331) or green (ref. PT6028-Alb21-331) is $5,980. The limited edition version in red (ref. PT6028-ALB01-331) is a much steeper $6,520. mauricelacroix.com

Tech Specs from Maurice Lacroix

CASE
■ New Powerlite® alloy case, sandblasted, with titanium case back
■ Ø 43 mm diameter
■ Available in black, khaki and racing blue
■ Integrated pushers and tube in titanium
■ Screwed crown in titanium water resistant 20 atm
■ Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides
■ Case-back with titanium screws
DIAL
■ Black sun-brushed, snail counters
■ Diamond cut, faceted, applied indexes, luminescent coating
■ Diamond cut, polished applied counters
HANDS
■ All hands diamond cut, faceted, luminescent coating (beside sec. hand)
■ Second and Minute hand matching color with inner rotating bezel and elapse time controller crown system
STRAP/BRACELET
■ Genuine leather strap with contrasting stitching
■ NATO strap, light, comfortable, sporty with personalized standard buckle in titanium
BUCKLE
■ Stainless steel black PVD coated or titanium standard buckle to match case finish
MOVEMENT
Personalized Valjoux 7750 caliber, with guaranteed quality and precision
Self-winding caliber ML112 based on the Valjoux 7750 movement
■ Functions:
– Hours, Minutes, Seconds indicated by central hands
– Small seconds at 9 o’clock
– Chronograph seconds indicated by a central hand
– 30-minute chronograph counter at 12 o’clock
– 12-minute chronograph counter at 6 o’clock
– Date indicated in an aperture at 6 o’clock
■ Vibration: 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4Hz
■ Power reserve: 46 hours
■ Jewels: 25
■ Adjustments: 3 positions when fully wound and after 24 hours.
■ Decoration: rhodium-plated movement