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A ONE-OF-A-KIND 1975 MASTER GRAND DATE RETROGRADE HEADS TO CHRISTIE’S IN SUPPORT OF LEUKODYSTROPHY RESEARCH
When a rare genetic disease strikes a child, the whole family feels it, this autumn, Maurice Lacroix is answering that reality in the way it knows best, through watchmaking.
For the first time, the Swiss Maison joins Watches for ELA, the charity initiative supporting the European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA), which brings together families affected by these rare neurological diseases and helps advance medical research. Maurice Lacroix has created a unique timepiece for the occasion, and its proceeds will go toward the fight against leukodystrophies. 
On November 9, 2026, the watch will be auctioned in Geneva as part of Christie’s Rare Watches sale. Around twenty watch brands are expected to take part. Zinédine Zidane, an ELA ambassador since 2000, will also support the cause by auctioning his very first watch.
The chosen canvas is the 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde, one of the brand’s most sophisticated creations. It pairs two signature complications, a large date at 12 o’clock and a retrograde day indication at 6 o’clock, and a transparent sapphire dial that lets the movement become part of the design.
For ELA, pink becomes the signature, appearing in carefully chosen touches:
- The minute track on the sapphire dial
- The faceted retrograde day hand
- The ELA logo printed on the sapphire caseback
- The stitching of the black alligator-style leather strap
These accents contrast beautifully with the mechanical architecture beneath, and the result feels purposeful rather than decorative.
The 42 mm stainless steel case (12.75 mm thick) combines brushed and polished surfaces and offers 5 ATM water resistance. Powering it is the automatic Manufacture caliber ML302, the 26th Masterpiece caliber developed by Maurice Lacroix. It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, offers roughly 38 hours of power reserve and has 39 jewels.
The movement is finished to be admired from both sides, with perlage, colimaçon, traits tirés and vertical Côtes de Genève. Seen through the caseback, it features rhodium-plated bridges and a skeletonized oscillating weight. The strap comes with an easy-change system, so it can be swapped quickly and without tools.
Since 1975, Maurice Lacroix has combined urban style with Swiss craftsmanship, from the Masterpiece Square Wheel and Mysterious Seconds to the Triple Rétrograde and the AIKON. With this timepiece, it puts that expertise at the service of families and researchers, and offers collectors a piece that is as meaningful as it is rare.
Pink, in this case, stands for hope.
