As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations for 2025, the Amsterdam-based retailer Ace Jewelers has teamed up with the Swiss watch brand Elka to create a duo of 50-piece limited editions. Based upon the foundation of Elka’s new (and smaller) N Series Case, the Ace Jewelers x Elka Diversity Series II watches are the third collaborative project between these two entities, and the latest pair of small-batch limited editions showcase dials with either Hebrew or Eastern Arabic hour markers. The original Ace x Elka Diversity Series debuted in 2023 as a quartet of models with blue dials that featured either Western Arabic, Eastern Arabic, Chinese, or Hebrew numerals. The new Ace Jewelers x Elka Diversity Series II watches expand upon this concept with the MN03 (a green dial with Eastern Arabic markers) and the MN04 (a blue dial with Hebrew markers). Additionally, rather than having minute markings like the original series (i.e. 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.), the new Diversity Series II have hour values (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) rendered in Eastern Arabic or Hebrew numerals. With that in mind, the single most significant difference separating the Diversity Series II watches from their predecessors is the sizes and proportions of their cases. Using Elka’s N Series as their foundation, the Ace x Elka Diversity Series II models are tangibly smaller than the original Diversity Series watches from 2023. Their cases measure 36mm in diameter by 41.1mm in the lug-to-lug direction. The new Diversity Series II models are also slightly thinner than their predecessors at 10.5mm, and this reduction in height is especially impressive given that the Series II watches are furnished with display-style casebacks (rather than solid ones). They also benefit from an increased 50-meter depth rating, rather than the 30 meters of water resistance that was offered by the previous generation. The Ace Jewelers x Elka Diversity Series II watches further lean into the elegant silhouette established by the previous generation, and they feature domed sapphire crystals with sculpted lugs that extend from the upper surface of their middle case. Similar to watches like the Beaucroft Element, the Diversity Series II models are characterized by a deceptively simple profile, and they offer a fairly traditional appearance when looking directly at the face of the watch. However, a side view of the Diversity Series II models reveals the complexity of their case lines, and they feature a rounded pebble-like silhouette that eliminates any notions of a slab-sided package on the wrist. As you would expect, a signed crown extends from the 3 o’clock side of the case on the Ace Jewelers x Elka Diversity Series II watches, and visible through the sapphire window in their casebacks is the Swiss La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement. Regulated to +/-7 seconds per day and running at a rate of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of 68 hours, the Caliber G101 is the no-date version of La Joux-Perret’s popular Caliber G100, and since this is the exact same movement that was used to power the original Diversity Series from 2023, reducing the case dimensions while simultaneously increasing the depth rating can solely be credited to the clever design of Elka’s N Series Case. Opting for hour markers (rather than minute indicators) provides the Ace Jewelers x Elka Diversity Series II watches with a more pared-back appearance than their predecessors from 2023, and the reduction in dial printing helps preserve the balance of negative space with the smaller format of the Diversity Series II. The green-dial MN03 with Eastern Arabic hour markers is intended to serve as a reminder that watches can function as bridges between cultures, while the blue-dial MN04 takes its inspiration from a vintage Elka watch owned by Ace Jewelers CEO Alon Ben Joseph, which features a rare dial variation with Hebrew numeral markers. Unlike the original Ace x Elka Diversity Series models from 2023 that were exclusively paired with leather straps, the new Diversity Series II watches are available with the option of either a leather strap, a nylon NATO-style strap, or a stainless steel beads-of-rice bracelet. To complement their respective dials, the Eastern-Arabic MN03 receives a brown leather strap while the Hebrew MN04 comes with a dark blue equivalent, and both straps are completed by tang-style buckles. The beads-of-rice bracelet is arguably the most novel option for the Diversity Series II, although few images of the bracelet are available at the time of launch, so certain details like the type of clasp and how the links are secured remain uncertain. As a way to commemorate Ace Jewelers’ 50th anniversary, the Ace x Elka Diversity Series II watches will be produced as limited editions of 50 examples each, and they will be priced at €2,180 EUR when purchased on a strap and €2,230 EUR when buyers opt for the stainless steel beads-of-rice bracelet (prices include VAT). For those of us outside the EU who do not need to pay VAT, prices will be €1,802 EUR and €1,843 EUR (or approximately $2,100 USD and $2,150 USD, respectively, at the time of writing). Lastly, given that the Diversity Series II watches cost the exact same as Elka’s standard-production N Series models, collectors are free to indulge in one of these Hebrew or Eastern Arabic limited editions without having to pay any type of additional premium. For more information, please visit the Ace Jewelers website and Elka Watch Co.
