A unique Maurice Lacroix 1975 MASTER Skeleton carries the Pearl Buoy artwork by Ficus Interfaith. Auctioned by Phillips in New York on 5 December 2026.
What Makes It Special
- Scheduled for the Swiss Institute’s biennial TimeForArt auction on 5 December 2026 in New York — conducted by Phillips — this unique piece (reference 758108-S1S12-800-3) unites a hand-crafted artwork with an in-house skeleton movement under a single case.
- The dial is composed of pearls set in epoxy resin and cut to just 0.4 mm — ten times thinner than Ficus Interfaith’s usual minimum — requiring specialist composite expertise from a Jura-based partner.
- Manufacture calibre ML234 powers the watch; it is visible through both the translucent dial and the sapphire caseback.
- The crown is set with a genuine cabochon-cut pearl; the hand-finished Japanese leather strap carries the “Black Diamond” lacquer finish developed through traditional tanning.
Design and Artistic Dialogue
Ficus Interfaith — Ryan Bush and Raphael Martinez Cohen, founded in New York in 2014 — arranged pearls within a block of epoxy resin, then had the resulting composite sliced into 1 mm sections. Maurice Lacroix’s Jura-based composite partner reduced those slices further to 0.4 mm without fracturing the material, a process the brand describes as without precedent in watchmaking.
The pearl-set resin carries a natural iridescence that shifts with the angle of light. Because the material is subtly translucent, the black-rhodium-plated base plate and skeletonised bridges of the ML234 remain visible beneath it. Rhodium-plated trapezoidal hands with white Super-LumiNova (green emission) sit above without disturbing the composition.
Movement and Materials
The ML234 is an automatic skeleton calibre running at 18,000 vph with 34 jewels and a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. Contrasting finishes — black-rhodium on the base plate, polished bridges, a skeletonised rotor — are legible through both the dial and the open sapphire caseback.
The 43 mm stainless-steel case measures 12.95 mm in thickness and is water-resistant to 50 metres. A genuine pearl, cut as a cabochon, is set into the crown. On the strap, a gold-rendered Ficus Interfaith leaf faces the Maurice Lacroix logo across the width of the leather.
Heritage and TimeForArt
Maurice Lacroix has contributed to the Swiss Institute’s TimeForArt initiative since its inaugural edition in 2022. The biennial pairs watchmakers and artists to produce unique pieces auctioned in New York, with all proceeds directed toward the Institute’s exhibitions and artist residency programmes.
Joël Chabanne, CEO of Maurice Lacroix, describes the piece as “the result of a genuine dialogue between art and watchmaking,” adding that Ficus Interfaith “brought its own universe and distinctive work on materials.” For their part, Ficus Interfaith note that the collaboration required exploring “how our artistic approach could change scale” — the terrazzo process remaining consistent while perception shifts entirely at watch dimensions.
Against the Wider Collection
Within the 1975 MASTER Skeleton family, every element of this piece departs from standard production: a unique dial material, a unique crown treatment, a bespoke strap finish, and a one-of-one edition count. Next to its siblings, the Pearl Buoy piece operates outside the product catalogue entirely — it exists as a charitable lot rather than a commercially available reference. For collectors in the Gulf with access to the Phillips sale in December, that distinction is the point.
| Movement | Automatic Manufacture calibre ML234, 18,000 vph, 34 jewels, ~50-hour power reserve |
| Case size | 43 mm diameter, 12.95 mm thickness |
| Case material | Satin-finished and polished stainless steel; box-type sapphire crystal; open sapphire caseback |
| Dial | Hand-crafted Epoxy Terrazzo by Ficus Interfaith; pearls in resin cut to 0.4 mm; rhodium-plated trapezoidal hands, white Super-LumiNova with green emission |
| Strap | Hand-finished Japanese leather, multi-layer lacquer “Black Diamond” finish; gold Ficus Interfaith leaf and Maurice Lacroix logo |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM / 50 metres |
| Price | Not stated (auction lot) |
| Availability | Auctioned by Phillips at the Swiss Institute’s TimeForArt auction, New York, 5 December 2026 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the reference number of the Maurice Lacroix Pearl Buoy TimeForArt piece?
The watch carries reference 758108-S1S12-800-3. It is a unique piece — only one exists — created specifically for the Swiss Institute's TimeForArt auction.
How thin is the Pearl Buoy dial, and why does that matter technically?
The epoxy terrazzo dial, composed of pearls set in resin, was cut to just 0.4 mm — compared with the 4 mm minimum Ficus Interfaith typically achieves. Achieving that thinness without fracturing the material required specialist composite expertise from a Jura-based partner of the Manufacture.
Where and when is the Pearl Buoy watch being auctioned, and who conducts the sale?
Phillips conducts the Swiss Institute's biennial TimeForArt auction on 5 December 2026 in New York. All proceeds support the Institute's contemporary art exhibitions and artist residency programmes.
What movement powers the 1975 MASTER Skeleton Pearl Buoy?
The watch houses Maurice Lacroix's in-house Manufacture calibre ML234, an automatic skeleton movement with a 50-hour power reserve, running at 18,000 vph with 34 jewels. It is visible through both the translucent dial and the sapphire caseback.
Who are Ficus Interfaith, and is this their first watch collaboration?
Ficus Interfaith is a New York-based duo founded in 2014 by Ryan Bush and Raphael Martinez Cohen, known for terrazzo work using glass, marble and found objects set in resin. The Pearl Buoy for Maurice Lacroix is their first collaboration in watchmaking.
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