Vintage-inspired watches have always stayed in style and while most would cost you an arm, some brands resonate with the public demand and have designed fair-priced watches.
While doing so, the quality has remained the same, maybe a notch higher.
The brand in the spotlight is Elka Watches, a brainchild of Hakim El Kadiri, an industry veteran who has previously worked with brands like Rado, Swatch Group.
Paying tribute to a defunct Dutch watch brand that was once a pioneer and inventor of watches for the blind but later disappeared into obscurity.
But the reference ends there. Today Elka watches is devoted to making watches, the essence of which is simplicity and durability. So while making its bold presence felt, it still stays elegant and refined.
Born out of passion and love for ingenuity, the Elka brand, steeped in history, is ruling in the modern world. Like every brand, it has an anchoring persona that needs a wrist enthusiast. Someone intelligent enough to place value on freedom of thought. Brave and playful to take risks yet confident to be cool about it.
The brand promises an unconventional, genuine product that meets today’s demands. The person who wants to own an Elka Watch has to be attracted by its aesthetics as well as the ethos of the brand. The watch is no longer just an accessory to tell time; it has evolved into a status symbol, a definition of who you are and what values you ascribe to.
The simplicity of the watches is stunning and the sharpness of the design is astute.
D Series
The Elka D Series Watches spring from the idea of pocket watches and the smooth pebble-like design almost cajoles you to touch and caress its smoothness. Taking inspiration from a similar dial created by Ulysse Nardin back in time for the original Elka brand, it has identical hands and applied indexes.
The core collection comprises of 3 dials, silver with rose gold indexes, blue with Rhodium indexes and grey with Rhodium indexes, housed in 41 mm cases. The strap is a choice between embossed leather or a bracelet comprising of Milanese mesh which is really intertwined loops that are robust. They are typically distinguished by their dense, close-knit construction formed from steel springs which give them a smooth, fine surface making them breathable and highly comfortable to wear. Used as far back as the 13th century, it was revived in the 1920s by the Germans.
The dials of the Elka D series now have a sun-brushed finish with baton markers as accents. The date is at 3:00 hour marker. The short curved lugs angling downward make the watch visually intriguing.
We found the Elka D07-0810 quite exquisite. A deep dark wine-coloured leather strap so seamlessly couples with the Bordeaux dial.
Check it out here.
X Series
On the other hand, the Elka X Series draws inspiration from a flight instrument designed by Heuer for the erstwhile Elka brand. The watch case resembles the Elka D Series, but the similarities end here. Both models have distinguishable characteristics and are visibly very different looking.
This sporty version comes with the choice of rough-edged leather straps or Nato straps. Originating in 1973 to supply the British Ministry of Defence with a highly durable strap. The watchband resulted from exacting requirements of resisting moisture and reflection (in cases of material like steel) and being more dependable than materials like rubber and avoidance of spring bars being broken. The nylon bracelets were initially only available in grey and were 20 mm wide.
The design of the Chevé-Box is curved and complicated, sculpted out of scratch-resistant sapphire. We say sculpted because the hardness of the sapphire crystal is, at about 2000 HV, just a bit lower than that of a diamond. The case back is steel and the water resistance is 30 meters.
The timepiece to check out in the X series is the Elka X02. A sand-coloured watch that is inspired by the 60’s field watch design. The double numerals give it a very cool look. The X02 has only 2 orange lines in Super-LumiNova® and the numbers are painted in black.
Check it out here
THE MOVEMENT
The movement is the G 100 from the La Joux-Perret manufacture; they are considered the champions in the category. With a 68-hour power reserve and 24 jewels, it oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
The dials of both the Elka X & D models are curved with curved hands. The numbers (indexes) are filled with Super-LumiNova® only for the ELKA X models.
The Swiss watch industry vouches for Swiss Super-LumiNova® pigments, and it is well-recognised that its afterglow performance is the best. Working like a light storage unit, the non-ageing material can be charged with either sunlight or under artificial light and the emitted light is uninterrupted. Applied to hands and dial, the luminosity is unaffected by high temperatures or environmental impact.
Though the collections are vastly different, they have the watchmaker’s passion as their DNA, making them diverse and delectable. Do check out the entire collection at www.elkawatch.ch.
For more info write to us: info@elkawatch.com
Call us: +41 79 500 91 13
