We should look at today’s micro and independent brands not as being micro and independent brands but just as being “brands.” Although we haven’t yet found a better way to talk about them, we should. What they are is what many French, German, British and Swiss brands were in the 1950s-1970s, that is small shops coming up with designs and buying off-the-shelves parts from giant catalogs. This is why most affordable watches looked the same because they were made out of the same stuff. There were so many brands back then that it would probably be possible to revive a dozen of them each month. Just like each month we see a dozen new “micro and independent” brands come to life, coming up with designs and buying off-the-shelves parts. It’s a cycle that will probably never end. And that’s ok because life is about cycles that repeat themselves ad vitam æternam. 

One of the myriad of brands from decades past is Elgé. It was recently brought back to life by Maximilien Triquigneaux who, a few years ago, revived Wolbrook/Douglas, a brand best known for making the original Skin Diver type of tool watch. Maximilien, however, didn’t just plan to stamp the name “Elgé” on dials and call it a day. He sought to revive a niche brand which was known for making robust and elegant tool watches deeply anchored in the watchmaking and outdoorsy cultures of the French Alps. Its first collection, the Chamonix, is a bold mountaineering timekeeping device powered by a French manufacture caliber and coming with a suite of key design details and mechanical specifications that will make it a strong contender in the tool watch space. The Chamonix was created to be robust, legible, two descriptive words which are melody to my ears. 

Specifications

Yes, the Elgé Chamonix is a tool watch and is built like one. It is also endowed with “perfect” dimensions to make it a great everyday wear, at least by modern standards. The case measures 38mm in diameter, 44mm lug-to-lug, 11.6mm thick, and comes with a 20mm lug with. Along with the modern iteration of the Chamonix I was able to take a vintage model for a spin and compare the dimensions of the old and new. The old has a diameter of 35mm, a lug-to-lug of 42.6mm, a thickness of 9.5mm and a lug width of 17mm. As it is often the case when brands revive vintage watches they make them larger, in the same ways cars get bigger overtime (look at the OG Mini Cooper compared to its modern sibling, or the Fiat 500 of today side-by-side with the first model of 1957, the latter which was nicknamed in French “pot de yaourt” which means “yogurt cup” in English.) 

On average, the new Chamonix has gained 2mm in all directions which is reasonable by today’s standards. With larger dimensions also come greater specs, for example 150 meters of water resistance (screw-down crown and case-back,) a boxed sapphire crystal with two layers of inner anti-reflective coating, diamond-cut hands, loads of Old Radium SuperLuminova on the hands and markers, as well as a France Ébauche FE AUTO- NO DATE caliber which beats at 28,800 BPH (4Hz) and comes with 44 hours of power reserve. This caliber is made in France which is not something you hear everyday and a key selling point for the brand. To ensure optimum performance, the movement is regulated in-house to run at +/- 12 seconds per day. The latter is perhaps not the most impressive but what is, is the fact that the caliber is indeed made in France and that the whole package will set you back roughly $904 on pre-order and $1,010 full retail. 

Design

I’m not a mountaineer (although I wouldn’t mind aspiring to be one) but I immediately understand the design of the Elgé Chamonix. I imagine myself wearing a thick winter coat with large leather gloves, both insulated with mountain sheep wool, a thick hat, the cool glasses with the sun protectors on the side, walking sticks in hand, a heavy rucksack on my back, in the fifth hour of a 10-hour hike towards the summit of Mont Blanc. I need to check the time to make sure we’re on track to reach the top by early afternoon so that we will have enough time to descend back before sunset. I need to be able to read the time in a jiffy so that my eyes do not linger away more than necessary from the next steps I need to take in the thick snow. It’s 10:05am, we’re doing good time. Superlative legibility is a hallmark design trait of any tool watch and the Chamonix performs superbly in my imaginary adventure.

I was able to quickly read the time because the dial has a clean and bold layout. Large Arabic numerals at the even hours punctuated by large batons, slicing down the day in two-hour increments. Massive hour and minute hands, which the brand calls “Magnum” and which appear to be part of old Elgé’s design language, perfectly matching the large and bold hour markers. The hands remain very legible at any angle, especially the minute hand which has a curved tip to offset the parallax effect created by the domed crystal. The markers and hands being so large makes it possible for the lume to occupy generous real estate making the Chamonix easy to read in low-lit conditions. And in total darkness of course. The seconds hand also comes with a lumed portion for the same reason. All of this put together we have a legible and purpose-driven dial layout, complemented by a glossy, deep black dial color which creates a powerful contrast with the rest. 

The case of the Elgé Chamonix further contributes in endowing this model with a utilitarian appearance. One, however, which strikes the perfect balance between robust functionality and classic elegance, quoting from the brand’s press materials. Indeed, the case has a classic profile with short and stubby drilled lugs which turn down towards the wrist, a fixed bezel, and straight flanks. While we find a predominance of brushed surfaces, we do find a few polished accents infusing a bit of light to the case—on the tiny chamfers and the lower part of the fixed bezel. An enlarged crown measuring 7mm in diameter is grippy and easy to operate, polished on the outside and unsigned, just like I like them. The case of the Chamonix therefore supports the purpose-driven nature of this model, putting the visual emphasis on the dial which is the main star of the show. 

The Heart of the Matter

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Maximilien cleverly reintroduced an iconic model from a defunct brand by adapting its dimensions to the modern wrist (and horological taste) and putting a French manufacture caliber inside, whilst respectfully and diligently preserving its design. Say what you must about specs, calibers, and lume, it is the design of the Chamonix that made this model interesting and worth bringing back to life. So I’m starting to see a trend here with what Maximilien does: reviving key brands and collections from the past, those which had a profound impact on horology as a whole by having given birth to specific designs. Designs which were unmistakably purpose-driven for their time, unusual, bold, unique, intimately linked to the environments in which they were due to perform. With Wolbrook/Douglas, it was skin divers. With Elgé, it is mountaineering/field watches. (Maximilien, which one is next?) 

The other heart of the matter is what the Elgé Chamonix is made out of, that is besides the caliber. In some instances, when brands revive old models, they insist on finding old calibers which they get serviced and put inside modern cases. For some, the old movement being repaired has its charms but it doesn’t make sense to me as it remains an old movement made decades ago with parts which are hard to find to be serviced again should anything happen to it. Or brands put plexiglass crystals instead of sapphires to add a little extra vintage charm. (I love plexiglass crystals by the way.) But all of this doesn’t always make sense. The new Elgé Chamonix makes sense to me as it is made with modern tech and enough of it was used—and not too much—so that this model remains relatively attainable. Again, retailing for $904 on pre-order and $1,010 thereafter. 

It would have been easy for Maximilien to add more stuff, more of the expensive kind, and to find ways to justify doing so by the very fact that he’s reviving an old brand. For one reason or another, there are many brands that find ways to overcharge for a seemingly simple design, a simple watch. And some would argue that the Elgé Chamonix is too expensive and that it should cost half the price by, for example, using a Miyota caliber, getting the watch fully made and assembled in Asia as many other brands do. Although I do not claim to know where each component of the Chamonix is made, to me the asking price is a fair price as I can attest to the fact that it’s well-made. One thing I learned from doing this job and talking to many brand owners is that getting something custom-made comes with a cost, so you can imagine that getting this dial made in itself more than explains the price tag of this model. But I digress. 

Conclusion 

Do I like the Elgé Chamonix? You bet your ass I do. It is my type of watch, it is made of good stuff, and to me it is reasonably priced for what you get. But this is just my humble opinion of course. Maximilien did put a lot of effort into bringing back this brand and model to life, not cutting any corners whilst not going overboard either. I believe that $904/$1,010 is the going price for a well-made tool watch these days although it is possible to find cheaper ones made of lower-quality parts and with less original designs. And don’t get me wrong, I love both types and I’m glad we have options for both in 2024. 

So go check out the brand’s website to learn more about Elgé and the Chamonix. Pre-orders opened on December 4, 2024, with shipping estimated to late January/early February 2025 for the first batch and late March/early April 2025 for the second. 

Thanks for reading.