The Maurice Lacroix Pontos Day Date Blue (Ref. 6158-SS001-43E) boasts an attractive three-dimensional blue dial and… not much else. Still, its compact stainless steel body, which is only 40 millimeters in diameter and not particularly thick at 12.50 mm, is nicely sculpted and is also perfectly finished giving the three-hander that sporty, energetic appearance that some money-savvy customers may find more than attractive.
Maurice Lacroix has recently updated its Pontos line of dressy watches with this version of the elegant Pontos Day Date model.
The Ref. 6158-SS001-43E version features a “solar” sun-brushed blue dial that looks quite noble and may look good with dark-colored business attire. Like with the rest of the series, the dial features two apertures at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock for the day of the week and date displays respectively.
Both apertures are visually connected with an inner chapter ring and elongated hour markers that, together with the curvy “Maurice Lacroix” inscription that looks like a natural part of the minute track, gives the dial a more interesting -albeit a bit too sporty for my taste- appearance.
As usual, the diamond-cut hands feature generous amounts of white Superluminova at their tips that contribute greatly to the timekeeper’s nighttime readability.
The Pontos Day Date Blue Dial will be sold on a black crocodile strap with a stainless steel folding clasp that greatly contributes to the gadget’s overall level of comfort.
The watch sports the ML Caliber 09 automatic movement. It is based on an ETA 2836-2 caliber (it can also be a Sellita, which is as good as the ETA model) and features nothing but standard decoration, like Cotes de Geneve on its winding rotor and circular graining on bridges.
The way the caliber is finished is more or less standard for the price range (the Swiss brand plans to offer the watch at an MSRP of just below $2600,) but I always feel sort of cheated when a brand like this, at a price premium like this tries to save a penny or two on the interior finish.
I mean, it’s actually not that expensive to disassemble the movement and, at least, put a nice set of diagonal stripes on the visible parts of the mechanism (like bridges and quarter-plates) and put some burst pattern on the visible gears. Even if Maurice Lacroix finds it economically unfeasible to do this on their premises, this can always be outsourced to a third-party company.
Yes, this will hurt profit margins, but that would also be a more honest way to conduct business. After all, let’s face it, there is nothing in an automatic three-hander that would make it as expensive as an Apple MacBook besides the “Swiss Made” inscription on the dial.
See also: Maurice Lacroix Pontos Decentrique Phases de Lune
WWR Verdict
Originality 5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4/5
Overall Legibility: 4/5
Nighttime Legibility: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Photos: Maurice Lacroix
Maurice Lacroix Pontos Day Date Blue Dial (6158-SS001-43E) specification
Price: $2550 (MSRP)
Movement: ML Caliber 09, (base ETA 2836,) Swiss Made
Winding: Automatic
Jewels: 25
Cadence of balance: 28,800 vph
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, day of week
Power reserve: 38 hours
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 40.00 mm
Case height: 12.50 mm
Dial: Blue
Hands: Polished steel
Water resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Black crocodile leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, domed, antireflective treatment on both sides
Back: Sapphire