Europastar

The promises of emerging brands

GLOBAL | 2022 | Issue #369 | 4/6 | Page 1 (europastar.com) 

Some are rebellious, others simply impertinent. Some use the utmost ingenuity, others extreme simplicity. Some claim to be "micro", even "nano", while others may already be on their way to being future giants. Whether they are Swiss, Scottish, Malaysian, Norwegian, American, German, English or French, whether they use Kickstarter, invest their own funds, set up networks, or throw themselves into it, there is no doubt that these newcomers are enriching the watchmaking scene with their talent, creativity and audacity. Small in size but big in ambition, they do not hesitate to shake up established conventions. And in so doing, they are breaking new ground for an entire industry. A selection.Some are rebellious, others simply impertinent. Some use the utmost ingenuity, others extreme simplicity. Some claim to be "micro", even "nano", while others may already be on their way to being future giants. Whether they are Swiss, Scottish, Malaysian, Norwegian, American, German, English or French, whether they use Kickstarter, invest their own funds, set up networks, or throw themselves into it, there is no doubt that these newcomers are enriching the watchmaking scene with their talent, creativity and audacity. Small in size but big in ambition, they do not hesitate to shake up established conventions. And in so doing, they are breaking new ground for an entire industry. A selection.

ELKA WATCH Alter having worked for various Swatch Group brands since 199B, including 10 years as head of Product Management, rising to the position of board member and vice-president of Rado, Hakim El Kadiri was made redundant in 2021 during the Covid pandemic, at the age of 56, He had an operation on his knee and suffered a heart attack. *Time to make a new start and reinvent myselt' he thought to himselt. The man everyone calls by his nickname, Elka, decided to create his own brand. During his research, he discovered that in the 1950s - a period dear to his heart - there had been a Dutch watch brand called. Elka. The brand had strong designs and collaborated with big names such as Ulysse Nardin, Rolex, Heuer and Minerva, among others. *Without going as far as reviving the brand, I wanted to pay homage to it with my two first series," he explains. They are the sporty Elka X, inspired by a flight instrument made by Hewer for the former Elka, and the Elka D series, inspired by a dial made, again for Elka, by Ulysse Nardin The result is two very handsome modals, slimline, attractive, superbly designed and fitted with a La Joux-Perret sell-winding movement with a power reserve of 68 hours. Their launch price this autumn is between CHF 1,590 and CHF 1,790 depending on the version.