The Elka Watch Co. continues to build upon its vintage-inspired D-Series lineup with the D-Series Essence, a limited edition collaboration with Ace Jewelers released Friday.
The Essence is intended to reduce a watch to, well, its essence. It’s not the first watch to explore minimalism in design, though the inspiration behind it is certainly unique. The Essence marks the second collaboration between Elka and Ace Jewelers, the first of which saw the release of four limited edition watches with different languages’ numerals. This is, in some ways, a continuation of that series, still interested in numerals, now exploring what a watch looks like in their absence.
The deep blue dial features no markings aside from the words “Elka Watch Co.” and “Automatic” below the 12 o’clock and the words “Swiss Made” at the bottom of the dial. Unobstructed by indices or any additional text and with a 41mm case and a domed crystal, the blue dial is reminiscent of the open sea. The dial features a subtle sunburst that prevents it from feeling too flat or visually uninteresting.
The 40.8mm stainless case features a screwed-in caseback with 30 meters of water resistance and is 46.5mm lug to lug. The La Joux-Perret G100 automatic movement inside the watch gives it a 68-hour power reserve, and has become a signature of Elka’s products, having been used in its watches since Elka released its first watches on Kickstarter in 2022.
Hakim El Kadiri, who re-launched Elka in 2022, has been fascinated by the design culture of the 1960s, and the D-Series Essence certainly feels like it would fit in with Space Age America. Elka has released other beautifully colored watches in the D-Series line that would lend themselves to the Essence treatment. The bordeaux and olive green color variants, for example, were stunning even in their original form. Stripped down to just the Essence dial layout, one imagines the colors would be even more eye-catching.
At $1,845, the D-Series Essence’s price is in line with past Elka x Ace Jewelers limited editions. It’s a limited edition of just 25 pieces, and at the time of this writing appears to still be available on the Ace website. Elka
