With its new Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde hand-wound watch the Swiss watchmaker ones again proves that a wheel doesn’t necessarily have to be round. It can be square, too.As one may gather, the new Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde Uhren comes as a successor to the ML Masterpiece Regulateur Roue Carree limited edition proof-of-concept watch introduced in 2010.This new timekeeper, however, makes the concept of a square gear wheel even more fascinating to look at.The original watch used the setup of a rotating square wheel activated by a toothed clover-leaf wheel to display current hour. Making a complete turn in 12 hours, the square wheel rotated at a glacier speed of half a degree per minute and effectively appeared motionless for a normal man.

In 2011, however, the setup is employed to replace a standard subsidiary second indicator. Rotating 720 times faster than the previous version of the module, the new complication is almost as fascinating to look at as a flying tourbillon.

Another interesting thing about this lacroix uhren is that its dial, which is decorated with the traditional Grand Colimacon treatment and can be either black or rhodium-plated, is technically the main plate of the ML 156 manual wind movement that powers the new ML Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde.

The movement is protected by a mid-sized –by today’s standards– round stainless steel case 43 millimeters in diameter. Featuring sapphire crystals on its front as well as on the display back, the case provides optimal view at the sophisticated ML 156 movement.

The watch will go on sale later in 2011.

MSRP and international availability are not specified, yet.

Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde manual-wind watch specification

Price: N/A

Movement: Hand-wound, ML156, 18,000 vph, 34 jewels, Swiss Made

Functions: Hours, minutes, power reserve

Power reserve: 45 hours

Case material: Stainless steel

Bezel material: Stainless steel

Case shape: Round

Bezel shape: Round

Case size: 43.00 mm

Lug width: N/A

Case height: N/A

Dial: Black or Rhodiumed

Numerals: N/A

Hands: Steel

Water resistance: 50 meters

Strap: Large-scale black crocodile-skin strap, lined with black calfskin and black over-stitching; folding steel clasp with push buttons (satin-brushed and polished finish)

Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflective on both sides

Case back: Sapphire

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