The Essentials Up Front
- Maurice Lacroix has launched the ML Collective, a community of athletes, artists, and enthusiasts built on authentic personal connection rather than contractual obligation.
- The programme’s founding philosophy is simple: members must genuinely love the brand. No wearing schedule is imposed.
- The first two members are Marcelo Arévalo González, former ATP World No. 1 in doubles and two-time Roland-Garros champion, and Tomás Martín Etcheverry, Argentina’s highest-ranked ATP player as of May 2026.
- Arévalo’s relationship with Maurice Lacroix predates any formal agreement: he was already wearing the brand’s Tide model during competitions before the partnership was formalised.
- The initiative signals a deliberate shift in how Swiss accessible-luxury brands are approaching cultural influence in 2026.
Design and Philosophy of the ML Collective
The ML Collective is not a renegotiated version of the standard ambassador playbook. Maurice Lacroix has stripped out the performance conditions, the mandatory appearances, and the scripted content requirements that define most brand partnerships. What remains is one criterion: the member must have a sincere attachment to the watch.
Samuel Guélat, Head of International Marketing at Maurice Lacroix, frames it directly: “It’s not about imposing anything, but about sharing stories, experiences, and a common vision of time.” The result is a programme rooted in urban culture and the brand’s guiding principle, “Your Time Is Now,” directed at a generation that reads inauthenticity immediately.
The First Members: Credentials and Context
Marcelo Arévalo González
Arévalo’s entry into the ML Collective carries unusual credibility. Before any formal approach from the brand, he was already wearing a Maurice Lacroix Tide model during ATP competitions, a blue-and-white edition chosen for its colours matching the Salvadoran flag. The brand noticed. Negotiations followed.
His sporting record is substantial. Sixteen ATP doubles titles, two Roland-Garros crowns (2022 with Jean-Julien Rojer, 2024 with Mate Pavić), and the ATP World No. 1 doubles ranking achieved in November 2024, making him the highest-ranked tennis player in El Salvador’s history across all disciplines and genders. He was also named Male Athlete of the Year in El Salvador in December 2024.
Tomás Martín Etcheverry
Etcheverry, known on tour as “Tomy,” reached World No. 25 in May 2026, placing him at the top of Argentina’s ATP rankings at the time. A clay-court specialist who has cited Novak Djokovic and Juan Martín del Potro as his principal influences, he reached the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros 2023 and secured his first ATP singles title at the 2026 Rio Open, defeating Alejandro Tabilo in the final.
His connection to the brand’s philosophy is direct: “Maurice Lacroix shares the same belief: the time you invest always pays off.” For collectors tracking the ML Collective’s long-term cultural weight, Etcheverry’s trajectory makes him an anchor rather than a passing signing.
Market Position and Brand Strategy
Within the accessible contemporary luxury segment, Maurice Lacroix occupies territory where Swiss craft intersects with cultural currency. The ML Collective is a strategic response to the diminishing returns of traditional celebrity endorsements, particularly among younger GCC audiences who value provenance and story over paid visibility.
For collectors in the Gulf region, the brand’s recent watchmaking output, including the Maurice Lacroix 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde, demonstrates that the ML Collective sits alongside genuine product ambition rather than substituting for it. The community model and the watch catalogue are designed to reinforce each other.
Why This Model Matters for the Watch Industry
The broader watch industry has watched ambassador fatigue set in across multiple segments. The ML Collective’s counter-proposal — no obligations, only genuine passion — is a considered structural shift. It places the relationship’s credibility on the individual rather than the contract.
Across the GCC, where brand integrity and authentic narrative carry particular weight with collectors, this approach has direct relevance. Watch buyers in this region follow the people wearing the pieces as much as the technical specifications. A Salvadoran doubles champion choosing to wear a Tide model before any commercial discussion has a different resonance than a staged campaign.
For those following major Watches and Wonders releases and the evolving strategies of mid-tier Swiss brands, the ML Collective is worth watching as a case study in how influence programmes can be rebuilt from the ground up without sacrificing commercial logic.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maurice Lacroix ML Collective?
The ML Collective is an international community of athletes, artists, and enthusiasts assembled by Maurice Lacroix. It is built on the principle that members must have a genuine personal connection to the brand, with no obligation to wear the watch at any specific time.
Who are the first members of the ML Collective?
The inaugural members are Marcelo Arévalo González, the Salvadoran professional tennis player and former ATP World No. 1 in doubles, and Tomás Martín Etcheverry, the Argentine clay-court specialist who reached World No. 25 in May 2026 and claimed his first ATP title at the 2026 Rio Open.
What Grand Slam titles has Marcelo Arévalo won?
Marcelo Arévalo has two Grand Slam doubles titles: Roland-Garros 2022 alongside Jean-Julien Rojer, and Roland-Garros 2024 with Mate Pavić. He became the first Central American player to win a men's doubles Grand Slam title and achieved the ATP World No. 1 doubles ranking in November 2024.
How does the ML Collective differ from a traditional brand ambassador programme?
Unlike a conventional ambassador arrangement, the ML Collective places no obligation on members to wear or promote the watch on a fixed schedule. Samuel Guélat, Head of International Marketing at Maurice Lacroix, describes it as a partnership built on freedom and authentic storytelling rather than commercial performance.
Where is Maurice Lacroix based, and what is the brand's market positioning?
Maurice Lacroix is a Swiss watch brand positioned in the accessible contemporary luxury segment. Its philosophy, expressed through the tagline 'Your Time Is Now', targets a new generation of collectors who value cultural relevance alongside Swiss watchmaking craft.
