Maurice Lacroix Aikon vs Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: Same DNA, Ten Times Lower Price

The Royal Oak You Can't Afford — and the One You Can

Anyone venturing into luxury sports watchmaking eventually encounters an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The octagonal bezel, the visible screws, the seamless integration between case and bracelet. Gérald Genta designed it overnight in 1971, forever redefining the concept of a luxury sports watch. The issue is the price: a new Royal Oak starts at around €30,000. On the secondary market, models on the waiting list are traded at multiples of the official price.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon exists precisely to answer this question: is it possible to have that aesthetic — integrated case, bezel with visible screws, structured bracelet — with serious Swiss craftsmanship, at a price most people can actually afford?

The answer is yes. But it's an honest answer, not an exaggerated promise.

Who is Maurice Lacroix: A Manufacture, Not an Imitation

Founded in 1975 in Saignelégier, in the Jura Canton, Maurice Lacroix has its own physical manufacture. It is not a brand that assembles watches by purchasing everything externally: it produces its own components, has a fifty-year technical history, and a range — the Masterpiece line — with complications entirely developed in-house that stand up to higher-end competitors.

The Aikon, launched in 2016, is the flagship collection in the sports segment. The dialogue with the Royal Oak is explicit in the design — even Maurice Lacroix has never hidden the inspiration — but the identity is its own: twelve facets instead of eight, different proportions, a recognizable visual signature.

The Comparison That Matters

In terms of historical originality, there's no contest: the Royal Oak is an absolute icon, and Genta's original design remains unmatched for symbolic value. But wearing an Aikon on the wrist means wearing a watch with its own identity, not a copy. Regarding build quality, the perceived gap is much smaller than the price would suggest. AP's finishing is on another level — hundreds of hours of manual work, absolute precision in alternating satin and polished finishes — but the Aikon is carefully constructed with solid materials, in Switzerland, with quality controls befitting the segment.

When it comes to movements, precision is key. The Aikon Automatique houses the ML115 caliber, based on a proven Sellita SW200-1, with a 38-hour power reserve. It is not an entirely in-house developed caliber by Maurice Lacroix, but it is a solid and well-tested Swiss movement, the same type of base found in watches from even more prestigious brands. The Masterpiece models, on the other hand, feature complications developed internally by the manufacture. Audemars Piguet, for its part, produces everything in-house with the caliber 3120 (60-hour reserve): on this front, there is no comparison, nor should there be at those prices.

Numbers Compared

Royal Oak 15500ST in steel: €30,000–€40,000. Royal Oak in gold or with complications: from €60,000 upwards.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatique 42mm: €1,500–€2,500. Aikon Skeleton: €2,500–€3,500. Masterpiece Chronographe: €4,000–€6,000.

The differential is between 10x and 20x depending on the models. For €2,000, you get a Swiss automatic, steel case and bracelet, refined finishing, and the official warranty of an authorized dealer. For the same budget, a Royal Oak doesn't even exist as a hypothesis.

Who is Each For

The Royal Oak is the right watch for those with a real budget to dedicate to a timepiece as an asset or collectible item, seeking immediate and universal recognition, and wanting the most respected manufacture in the segment without compromises. The Aikon is the right watch for those who love the integrated sports aesthetic without wanting to spend €30,000, preferring recognition among enthusiasts over a logo visible from afar, wanting a watch to wear every day without anxiety, and understanding that 90% of the watch pleasure lives on the wrist, not in the price paid.

The Question Worth Asking

Place the two watches on the table, without looking at the logos. Observe the design, the proportions, the light on the surfaces. The difference is there, and those who know watchmaking see it. But is it really worth €28,000 more?

For some, yes. For many others, no. Maurice Lacroix Aikon exists for those who have looked at both and chosen with informed judgment. Not for lack of budget. For spending intelligence.

Discover the Maurice Lacroix Aikon collection available at Cicala Gioiellerie in Genoa, with official warranty and personalized consultation. See all Maurice Lacroix watches →