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The new Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date collection offers a rainbow of 8 watches inspired by the colours of Zurich tram lines The new Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date collection offers a rainbow of 8 watches inspired by the colours of Zurich tram lines
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The new Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date collection offers a rainbow of 8 watches inspired by the colours of Zurich tram lines

Zach Blass
  • The new Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date collection is inspired by the colours of Zurich tram lines
  • Each of the watches, starting at CHF 3,200, are available on leather straps or a steel bracelet for CHF 300 more
  • The day display at 12′ is executed in Zurich’s very own Swiss-German dialect

Swiss independent microbrand Maurice de Mauriac are no stranger to colourful and themed designs. They once grabbed the attention of watch enthusiasts with a stealthy black limited edition chronograph outfitted with a red-tinted sapphire crystal and they have also playfully displayed their love for sports like tennis with a Stan Smith watch as well. Well, this month their source of inspiration for a new collection is very local – hiding in plain sight each and every daily commute for the Dreifuss family, who run the brand, when travelling between their MDM Garage Store and brand headquarters. With the new Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date collection, eight vibrant and colourful dial configurations take inspiration from Zurich’s tram lines.

 

Now, I say eight colour configurations. But, technically speaking, there are at least 32 different configurations to choose from. This is because the Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date collection is comprised of eight different dial colours (green, turquoise, red, orange, black, white, yellow, or blue), available on either a leather strap or stainless-steel bracelet, and are available in two different sizes as well. Cased in stainless steel, depending on your wrist size and preference you can opt for either a 39mm case that is 46.6mm lug-to-lug or a 42mm case that is 49.7mm lug-to-lug. Both cases, however, are 11mm thick and 100 metres water-resistant with a screw-down crown. They are also each largely brushed throughout for more of a tool watch feel. The brushed finishing also allows the colourful dials to be the centre of attention, with no glistening surfaces to the front of the case.

The dials, while varying in colour, all share the same layout. Surrounding the entire perimeter of the outer dial is a hash-printed minutes track, with longer lines serving as the hour indices. At 12 ‘ you have a rounded day-aperture that displays the current day in Zurich’s Swiss-German dialect. This is fitting, as the watch is a celebration of the city they are proudly based in. It would be interesting to see, however, if these watches can ever be outfitted with other languages down the line. At 3’, in rather Rolex fashion, the date aperture is framed by a cyclops magnification on top of the crystal. While a distinct Zurich muse is at play here, I think buyers will certainly notice and appreciate the manner in which, inadvertently, elements of the colourful Oyster Perpetual, Day-Date, and even Air-King (with the pilot-style double digit printed minutes in place of hour Arabics) are at play here. Because, at a base price of CHF 3,200, there is certainly much less of a barrier for entry for the Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date.

Exhibited inside is the automatic ETA 2834-2 calibre, which offers a robust day, date, and time functionality. The winding rotor can also be custom-engraved by buyers, with a 20 character limit, for an additional CHF 150. For CHF 3,200, the watches can be purchased on dial-matching leather straps. For an additional CHF 300, you can make the jump to a stainless-steel bracelet to take a fuller advantage of the Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date and its 100-metre depth rating. Ultimately, I will certainly not claim the watch is inexpensive. But it is a colourful means of spicing up your collection and the greater complication, even if powered by a less glamorous workhorse, certainly can provide intrigue as well.

Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date pricing and availability:

The Maurice de Mauriac Züri Date collection is available now for purchase. Price: CHF 3,200 (on leather), CHF 3,500 (on steel bracelet)

Brand Maurice de Mauriac
Model Züri Date
Case Dimensions 39mm (D) x 11mm (T) x 46.6mm (L2L)
42mm (D) x 11mm (T) x 49.7mm (L2L)
Case Material Stainless steel
Water Resistance 100m (screw-down crown)
Dials Green, turquoise, red, orange, black, white, yellow, or blue
Crystal Sapphire crystal and exhibition caseback
Strap Dial-matching leather strap with pin/buckle or stainless steel bracelet
Movement Automatic ETA 2834-2 (TOP grade)
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, day (Swiss-German), date
Availability Now
Price CHF 3,200 (on leather), CHF 3,500 (on steel bracelet)