Maurice Lacroix has always had a particular feel for visible mechanics, especially when the complication has a little theatre to it.
The 1975 Master Grand Date Rétrograde leans into that strength with a sapphire dial, a large date display and a retrograde day indication that turns a weekly cycle into a small mechanical performance.
It’s a watch built around legibility, but it doesn’t pretend that reading the time is the only pleasure on offer.
At a glance
- Maurice Lacroix has introduced the 1975 Master Grand Date Rétrograde with a new in-house automatic calibre.
- The watch combines a large date at 12 o’clock with a retrograde day display at 6 o’clock on an open sapphire dial.
- Its 42mm stainless steel case, black alligator-style strap and tool-free Easy Strap Exchange system position it as an expressive everyday complication.
A 1975 case with Masterpiece mechanics in view
The watch sits in a 42mm stainless steel case, giving the dial architecture enough room to breathe without turning the complication into a crowded technical sketch.
Maurice Lacroix uses a sapphire dial to reveal part of the movement beneath, including the sandblasted mainplate and rhodium-plated bridges.
That choice matters because the 1975 Master Grand Date Rétrograde isn’t simply skeletonised for visual drama.
Instead, the open construction is used to frame the functions, giving the date, day indication and central time display their own zones across the dial.
The contrast between the sandblasted surfaces and polished accents brings depth without making the watch difficult to read.
Faceted hour and minute hands are treated with Super-LumiNova, a practical detail that keeps the design from drifting too far into exhibition-piece territory.
The charm of a grand date and a jumping week
The large date is placed at 12 o’clock, where its mechanism becomes part of the visual identity of the watch rather than a hidden utility.
It gives the model a strong vertical balance, with the retrograde day display positioned directly opposite at 6 o’clock.
The retrograde indication is the more animated of the two complications.
A blued hand tracks the days of the week before snapping back instantly at the end of the cycle, creating the kind of mechanical gesture that has long made retrograde displays appealing to collectors.
It’s a complication that’s easy to understand at a glance, but still rewarding to notice in motion.
That balance between practical information and mechanical expression is where this Maurice Lacroix feels most convincing.
The ML302 calibre marks another in-house step
Inside the watch is the ML302 automatic calibre, described by Maurice Lacroix as its 26th Masterpiece movement.
That point gives the model more weight than a simple dial variation, as the watch continues a line of complication development that now stretches beyond 25 years.
The calibre runs at 4Hz and delivers approximately 38 hours of power reserve.
Winding is handled by an openworked oscillating weight, keeping the mechanical theme visible even beyond the dial side.
The movement’s role here is not just to power the functions, but to become part of the design language of the watch.
It reinforces a familiar Maurice Lacroix idea, where complication and accessibility aren’t treated as opposing priorities.
Strap system and daily wear appeal
The 1975 Master Grand Date Rétrograde is paired with a black alligator-style strap, a conventional dress-watch cue that reins in the more technical dial layout.
It also uses the brand’s Easy Strap Exchange system, allowing the wearer to change the strap without tools.
That may sound like a small convenience, but it makes sense on a watch with this much visual character.
A piece like this can shift noticeably with a strap change, moving from formal to more casual use without needing to alter the case or dial.
For Maurice Lacroix, the appeal is clear.
This is a complication watch for someone who wants to see the mechanism at work, but still wants a dial that can be read quickly and worn regularly.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Maurice Lacroix |
|---|---|
| Model | 1975 Master Grand Date Rétrograde |
| Case size | 42mm |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Dial | Sapphire dial revealing the sandblasted mainplate and rhodium-plated bridges |
| Movement | ML302 in-house automatic calibre |
| Complications | Large date and retrograde day indicator |
| Frequency | 4Hz |
| Power reserve | Approximately 38 hours |
| Hands | Faceted hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova |
| Strap | Black alligator-style strap with Easy Strap Exchange system |
The 1975 Master Grand Date Rétrograde is at its best when viewed as a watch about observation as much as measurement.
It tells the time clearly, but its stronger argument is the way it invites the wearer to watch time being organised, displayed and reset by a mechanism that’s been deliberately brought into view.
