Maurice Lacroix dutifully ensures a strict visual separation between the minute, hour, and seconds hand as a further (and proper) means to ensure legibility. I am not always a fan of red accents on watches (especially on the hour or minute hand), but it works in this instance. I actually feel that the orange versus red accents on the black-colored version of the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver work a bit better, as red has an odd tendency to have its edges bleed into black (visually speaking), whereas (at least, with my brain) the edges of orange-colored regions separate better from adjacent black colors.

The Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver dial is both legible and symmetrical with the date window above the 6 o’clock hour marker. Little bits of polish on the dial offer an opportunity for people to be attracted to the dial as a fashion item on the wrist, but the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver certainly comes across as a tool watch – which is what wearers should be looking for. Luminant for darkness viewing on the dial isn’t bad either.

I also like how Maurice Lacroix decided to integrate the bezel for the internal crown. Sometimes brands like to put one crown at 2 o’clock and another at 4 o’clock to create a sense of symmetry on a case when there are two crowns. I actually prefer the look of one crown at 2 o’clock and another at 3 o’clock – as has been done on this timepiece. The crown for the internal rotating bezel works nicely as the wearer presses it in and then can turn it to adjust the inner rotating diver’s bezel.

Inside the watch is Maurice Lacroix’s caliber ML115 which is just another name for a base Swiss Sellita SW200 automatic (clone of ETA 2824-2). The movement isn’t fancy, but it is a solid Swiss-made workhorse operating at 4Hz (28,800 bph) with a power reserve of 38 hours.

I don’t know if the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver is an instant classic because we have yet to know how the design holds up in 10 years or so. With that said, I think a lot of people agree that Maurice Lacroix did an excellent job with the design, and this timepiece seems to offer a lot more than one might expect from the brand, as, in terms of sales volume, Maurice Lacriox likely still sells mostly dress watches, even though their Pontos collection models are the most interesting to the majority of the aBlogtoWatch staff.

With its well-made, chunky feel, tool watch construction, and generous amounts of case polishing and “shiny” elements, the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver feels like a uniquely designed watch in what, as I mentioned earlier, is a very crowded space. On paper, it might not offer huge amounts of originality, but the design speaks for itself, and wearing it feels good. For me, the best wearing experience was on the metal bracelet because the strap’s NATO-style design makes it feel a bit large for my wrist, given how NATO straps tend to extend widely.

Again, with competition at this price point for Swiss mechanical dive watches fierce, it is difficult to recommend just one or a few watches, but if you are keen on the unique allure of the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver, I do recommend checking one out. Retail price for this reference PT6248-SS002-330 model on the bracelet is $3,400. mauricelacroix.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Maurice Lacroix
>Model: Pontos S Diver reference: PT6248-SS002-330
>Price: $3,400 USD
>Size: 43mm wide
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: People familiar with mechanical dive watches at this price point interested in something familiar but with a more contemporary design.
>Best characteristic of watch: Style and features together make for an especially interesting watch in a sea of arguably generic offerings. Great level of finishing on the case and bracelet offer welcome “lifestyle look.” Neat system for turning inner bezel.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Arguably a bit expensive given the massive levels of competition out there. Each watch should come on the bracelet and offer the leather and rubber straps included at no additional cost to sweeten the deal.