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The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph is infused with racing spirit and vintage style

The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph is infused with racing spirit and vintage style

Fergus Nash
  • Depancel and Jürgen Clauss have reunited for a second limited edition.
  • The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph captures the racing spirit and blazing blues of the Alpine A110.
  • They’ve used new-old-stock Valjoux 7753 movements, refurbished for vintage vibes and modern reliability.

Many people wouldn’t have heard of Alpine were it not for the Renault Formula 1 team rebranding themselves, but the small French sports car company has retained a loyal following all the way from their 1950s roots to the modern reissues. Jürgen Clauss is a particularly notable member of the Alpine enthusiasts, forming alpineLAB to document his passion for the brand, and especially the A110. We have covered Depancel’s love of everything automotive plenty of times before, so it makes sense that these two forces would come together and create something special. The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph therefore isn’t just there to stroke egos, but to share a genuine and thrilling excitement.

Depancel and Jürgen Clauss have actually released a limited edition watch together before, however it had a triple-calendar display which carried the Alpine style without as much of the racing spirit. This Jürgen Clauss Chronograph does a much better job of harnessing that adrenaline-fuelled attitude of rallying or hillclimbing, and is also a smaller limited edition of just 150 pieces. The blazing blue sunburst dial is again inspired by the Alpine A110 from the ‘60s, with black chronograph subdials and baby blue accents on the bezel and seconds hand. The bezel insert is quite intriguing, with the first quarter reserved for a pulsometer and the rest a traditional tachymetre. That makes sense for a racing watch for vintage cars, as when timing speed you won’t be likely to exceed 240KM/H too often.

The case is that of a classic racetrack chronograph, however it has been upscaled substantially for modern tastes. The 43mm diameter may be a big too big for some, however I’m sure that given its limited release they will all find happy homes. The piston-shaped pushers and faceted crown with a blue centre ring are Depancel signatures, adding a little bit more character than you might find in similar watches. You have two strap options in either a diamond-stamped leather strap with a small French flag stitch, or the full-steel bracelet which will come with the leather as well.

One of the coolest aspects of the Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph isn’t the fact that the subdials echo the design of the Alpine A110, but actually what powers the watch. Depancel have sourced 150 new-old-stock Valjoux 7753 movements of a similar era to the original Alpine A110s, and refurbished them for use as bicompax chronograph calibres. These cam-actuated automatic chronographs were incredibly popular in their era, and many Swiss chronographs still use the same architecture or bases for their movements today. They have a power reserve of 48 hours and beat at 4Hz, plus you can gaze at it through the sapphire caseback with Depancel’s customised rotor.

The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph pricing and availability:

The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph is limited to just 150 pieces. Price: €1,795 (leather) / €1,895 (leather and steel)

Brand Depancel
Model Jürgen Clauss Chronograph
Case Dimensions 43mm
Case Material Stainless steel
Water Resistance TBC
Crystal(s) Sapphire
Dial Blue
Strap Leather or steel bracelet
Movement Valjoux 7753
Power Reserve 48 hours
Availability Limited to 150 pieces
Price €1,795 (leather) / €1,895 (leather and steel)