First Look: Élge Returns with the French-Made Chamonix

Reviving defunct watch brands is more common than it once was. Previously, the idea caused excitement, though not without trepidation. Would this reincarnated brand bring back interesting pieces from its archives, be a contemporary reinterpretation of the brand’s spirit, or just be a hollow attempt to cash in on some old name? It was always a waiting game to see which, and we saw all three. But in the years since the strategy for revivals has been refined.

Respect for historical designs and proportions is a given, but with so many brands having made similarly styled watches in the past, it’s less provocative to have a vintage-looking watch with a vintage name. What makes a newly revived brand stand out now is its execution and story, if there is one to share. This brings me to this article’s subject, the return of Elgé.

Elgé is not a brand I was aware of before being told of their relaunch, and I imagine that is likely the case for most enthusiasts, at least in the US. This immediately presents both a challenge and an opportunity. On one hand, no preconceived notions would lead to expectations. On the other, there is no existing reverence for the brand. Ultimately, they will have to rely on the quality of their designs and the watches themselves, which, in fairness, should always matter more than history, at least in my eyes.

So, who is Elgé? Well, information on them is sparse, and based on a quick search, every description appears to be nearly identical, all riffing on a WUS post from 2012. As such, the story goes that they were around from the 1940s to the 70s and were based in Annecy, France, which is very close to Geneva. They were French-made watches that used French movements. According to the modern brand, at Elgé’s peak, they had 120 employees, which is not so small at all.

For the return, they have focused on a model called the Chamonix, named after a French mountain town by Mont-Blanc, as well as continuing the brand’s legacy of “French-made.” It is a remake of a vintage design, though not quite one-to-one. Rather, as the town is a major skiing destination, the watch is designed as a functional sports watch by modern standards. As such, the 38mm x 44mm x 11.6mm case features an oversized 7mm screw-down crown, a water resistance of 150m, drilled lugs, and a box sapphire with two layers of AR.

It’s a fairly classic case design, but one executed to a high degree of fit and finish, especially at the price point. The brushing, in particular, stands out as it has a slightly pearlescent quality that I, at least, often associate with watches that cost a couple of thousand dollars more. Admittedly, finishing has improved industry-wide, so perhaps this is the new standard. The case proportions are also appealing, with a thin mid-section compensated by a thick case back, a substantial bezel, and a domed crystal. The curve of the lugs, however, brings the rotation point of the strap past the case-back, letting it sit on the wrist naturally.

The watch’s personality comes from the dial, however. A properly mid-century design that is more reminiscent of skin divers than field watches, in this context, it has the over-lumed appeal of a bezel-less diver. The hour index features large, even numerals alternating with long rectangles, all in heavily built-up old-radium lume with white outlines. The typography is particularly appealing, with an open six and tiny serifs at the corners, which are also present on the rectangles. This is a cool hold-over detail from the vintage pieces. Encircling the hour index is a minutes/seconds track with proportionally large lumed rectangles, also with serifs, at intervals of five.

The surface is gloss black lacquer, giving it depth, contrast, and adding crispness to printed elements. While not a surprising design as it has a familiar layout, just think the Glashütte Original SeaQ, Airain Sous-Marine, Wolbrook Skin Diver, etc, the use in the context of a “field” watch is compelling. The lack of the bezel emphasizes just how oversized the numerals are, giving them a more aggressive feel, while their vintage style prevents them from feeling toolish.

An equally oversized handset balances the numerals. The hour and minute hands are broad sword-shaped, which they refer to as “magnum,” allowing for a lot of lume. While also more “dive” than “field,” they work on this dial and add to legibility. The seconds hand is just a simple stick, which works as another large or otherwise complex hand would have been too much.

There is a vintage logo at twelve and three lines of French text at six. The text at six includes jewel count, water resistance, and the type of shock protector, “Incabloc,” which was also featured on the original watch. While not a necessary detail by today’s standards, it does bring the FE Auto movement into play, which includes the same style of shock protection as the movement in the vintage model.

Made in France by France Ébauche, the FE Auto is a true no-date with 23 jewels, 44 hours of power reserve, a frequency of 28,800 bph, Incabloc® double-cone shock protection, and a full-bridge balance. France Ébauche is an old movement manufacturer that went defunct and was acquired by the Festina group, which also owns Soprod, in 2017. As such, there is baked-in trust for the new movements, which also closely resembles the Soprod Newton. They are currently the only manufacturer of French movements available to third parties (Yema and others do have their own manufacture).

The Chamonix comes mounted to a 20mm bund strap made with hearty vegetable-tanned leather. As a bit of a leather nerd, if there is such a thing, I was happy to see this. Veg-tanned leather is less toxic to manufacture and, theoretically, safer to wear against your skin than chromium-tanned leathers. Moreover, it tends to age very well. It might start more rigid but will break in beautifully. While the bund pad is likely divisive, it’s also removable, so not worth getting upset about.

And it works really well with this design. It’s a very narrow pad, so it doesn’t look too overwhelming on the wrist, but it still adds a certain “I have a motorcycle with a sidecar” energy. Regardless, the Chamonix wears very well, as expected from a 38 x 44mm case. That said, it actually feels a bit larger than 38mm thanks to thick lugs and a substantial bezel. Off of the bund, it feels thinner than 11.6mm would suggest, thanks to good proportions.

As said in the intro, what really should matter most with any brand, new or old, is the quality of the watches. Build, finish, specs, style, etc. In these categories, the Elgé has certainly succeeded. The history is a bonus, if you care about such things, as is the French-made element. It is cool to see a real French movement in use, especially since its backed by Festina/Soprod, but that wouldn’t be a driving element for me. Thankfully, it doesn’t come with a price premium. The Chamonix retails at a reasonable $930, though it is reduced to $830 during a preorder period ending today.

While I imagine the old radium lume will be decried for being “fauxtina,” which, admittedly, in this instance, it sort of is, and bund straps just freak people out, as an alternative to standard field watches, the Chamonix is a solid offering. I’m not sure what else the brand has in its archives, but they’ve launched well, so I’m looking forward to seeing what else they have in store. Élge