Maurice Lacroix
Switzerland · Founded 1975
Founded 1975 by Desco von Schulthess AG, a Zurich trading company established in 1889; named for a recently deceased board member (there is no historical Maurice Lacroix or Lacroix family). Assembly began at the Tiara workshop in Saignelegier, Jura region; production sites also in Montfaucon. Became an independent legal entity in 2001; DKSH Holding acquired a majority stake in 2011, held via subsidiary Medinova AG. Evolved from private-label assembly into a vertically integrated manufacture, producing in-house ML-prefixed calibers since the ML106 chronograph caliber (2006, developed with Andreas Strehler). Approximately 120,000 watches/year (~50,000 mechanical), 200-250 employees per 2022 reporting; has reportedly been shopped for sale repeatedly while remaining profitable. Sources: Wikipedia, official site (mauricelacroix.com), Monochrome Watches.