Maurice Lacroix ML Collective: a new vision of watchmaking influence rooted in authenticity

The world of watchmaking is changing. While timepieces continue to blend craftsmanship, innovation and tradition, brands are also rethinking the way they connect with enthusiasts. At a time when consumers are looking for sincerity rather than marketing talk, Maurice Lacroix is unveiling the ML Collective, an initiative that aims to redefine the codes of influence in the watchmaking world.

More than a simple ambassador programme, this new international community brings together personalities from sport, culture and the creative arts around a shared conviction: a watch only becomes a true object of passion when it is worn with pleasure. A philosophy that fits perfectly with the brand’s signature, “Your Time Is Now”.

Maurice Lacroix bets on authenticity

For several years now, partnerships between watch brands and athletes or artists have multiplied. Yet few of them are born from a genuine affinity between the personality and the watch house.

With the ML Collective, Maurice Lacroix wants to reverse this logic. Here, there is no obligation to wear a watch permanently or to follow a fixed brief. Each member retains complete freedom to choose the moments when they want to wear their watch, on one condition only: that the choice is spontaneous and sincere.

This approach reflects a shift in what the public expects. Watch enthusiasts today are attuned to authentic stories, lived experiences and real bonds between a personality and a brand. By favouring this freedom of expression, Maurice Lacroix aims to build a lasting relationship, founded on trust rather than mere visibility.

A community inspired by contemporary culture

The ML Collective is not limited to bringing together prestigious ambassadors. It aims to create an international community capable of opening a dialogue between watchmaking and the worlds of sport, artistic creation and urban culture.

This ambition perfectly illustrates Maurice Lacroix’s positioning. The Swiss brand speaks to a generation that sees luxury not as an unattainable symbol, but as a personal experience, where quality, design and emotion take precedence over ostentation.

From this perspective, time becomes a field of individual expression, a precious resource that each person chooses to invest according to their own aspirations.

Marcelo Arévalo, a relationship born before the partnership

The first official member of the ML Collective, Marcelo Arévalo embodies this philosophy perfectly.

The Salvadoran player has established himself as one of the world’s benchmarks in doubles, becoming ATP world number one and winning two Roland-Garros titles. His journey now makes him the most decorated player in the history of Salvadoran tennis.

But what particularly caught Maurice Lacroix’s attention is that their story began well before any official collaboration. The champion was already spontaneously wearing a Maurice Lacroix Tide watch in El Salvador’s colours during his international competitions.

This detail, far from being anecdotal, sums up the spirit of the ML Collective: passion comes before the partnership, not the other way around.

Tomás Etcheverry, the reward of time invested

The second member of this new community is the Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry.

Having made his name on the ATP circuit thanks to his consistency on clay, he is pursuing a steady progression that has taken him among the world’s best players. His first ATP title, claimed in 2026 at the Rio Open, rewards years of work and perseverance.

This trajectory resonates naturally with the message conveyed by Maurice Lacroix. Behind every success lie thousands of hours of training, patience and commitment. A vision that directly echoes the watchmaker’s craft, where every component, every finish and every adjustment is the fruit of a long span of time, essential to excellence.

A communication approach that reflects the evolution of watchmaking

Through the ML Collective, Maurice Lacroix illustrates a deep-seated trend seen across the watch industry. Brands now seek to build communities rather than to multiply traditional advertising campaigns.

This approach favours dialogue, the sharing of experiences and closeness with watch lovers. It also meets the expectations of a new generation of collectors, more attentive to a coherence of values than to the mere fame of ambassadors.

In this context, the ML Collective appears as an initiative in tune with its time, where influence is measured more by credibility than by visibility.

A new step in Maurice Lacroix’s strategy

With the launch of the ML Collective, Maurice Lacroix confirms its intention to move beyond the classic framework of collaborations between brands and personalities.

By placing authenticity at the heart of its approach, the Swiss house chooses to build a community founded on real affinities rather than on image contracts. A strategy that reflects the changing expectations of watch enthusiasts and that could well inspire other players in the sector.

Through Marcelo Arévalo and Tomás Etcheverry, Maurice Lacroix thus ushers in a new way of telling its story: that of a brand which believes the finest testament to loyalty remains the simplest gesture, that of spontaneously choosing to wear a watch because it naturally accompanies the important moments of life.

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