The history of Maurice Lacroix started in 1961 when Desco von Schulthess AG of Zurich opened an assembling company in Saignelégier. The main firm was originally founded in 1889 as a silk trade company. In the 1960s, it became the Far East representative for the watch brands Eterna and Certina, and shortly after that, it added Audemars Piguet, TAG Heuer, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. At first, Desco's Etablissement manufactured timepieces for clients under various brand identities. The business introduced its internal brand in 1975. Looking for a suitable name, the firm chose Monsieur Maurice Lacroix, their Director for Silks in Lyon, France, in accordance with the Swiss regulation that a company had to be named after an employee. Consequently, the first watch model bearing the Maurice Lacroix name appeared.