ELKA’s clock-face numerals make a simple watch worth looking at

I like that this ELKA has a reason for its numerals to look the way they do. The Tour des Chavannes takes its dial ideas from a clock tower in Neuchâtel, and the result looks a little more individual than another clean dress watch with some very polite printing around the edge.

My usual preference would be Arabic numerals, but I think these Roman numerals work with the rest of the dial. They have a bit of weight to them, and the large open center gives the hands somewhere to go. I don't find myself looking at an empty dial and wishing somebody had put one more thing on it.

Two versions of the same idea

There are two dial treatments. The 1736 Edition has a black dial with gold-colored numerals and hands. Pierre d'Hauterive uses a sand-colored dial with dark printing, inspired by the local stone. I would probably choose the lighter one, because the contrast looks crisp without the whole thing becoming too formal for my taste.

ELKA lists a 40.8 mm case, 10.8 mm thickness and a box-style sapphire crystal. The automatic La Joux-Perret G101 has a stated 68-hour power reserve. This is a two-hand display, so there's no seconds hand or date window interrupting the face.

I like those dimensions on paper. Just over 40 mm is a size I can picture being interested in, and the thickness seems reasonable for the shape. I haven't tried it on, and the lug-to-lug dimension would still help before making a confident call about fit. A domed crystal can also change how a dial looks from an angle, which I'd want to see outside the best possible product lighting.

The two-hand layout makes sense with the clock-face design. I do enjoy having something moving on a dial, especially a small seconds hand, but I don't think every watch needs one. Here I would rather keep the face coherent than add a feature just because I normally like it.

A couple of details still need clearing up

The official page lists CHF1,716, with tax treatment to be confirmed for the buyer. I haven't verified a US price or US availability, and I'm leaving its USD price unknown rather than treating a currency conversion as a local selling price.

There's also a reference-number inconsistency on the brand's own site. The listing headings say R01wo-0807 and R02wo-0804, while the model descriptions say R01wo-0817 and R02wo-0814. The two named editions are clear; the exact order codes need confirmation. The original announcement day remains unresolved as well.

I'm at 89 out of 120 bezel clicks. I like the proportions, the long reserve and the fact that the dial has some local character behind it. I'd want the reference and the actual delivered US price settled before thinking seriously about ordering one, but the sand-colored version has my attention.