Elka Watch Launches Loch Lat, Merging Watchmaking and Fine Whisky

Elka Watches is a relatively young brand built on a historical, defunct Dutch name, which was relaunched a couple of years ago by Hakim El Kadiri. Despite having no connection with the defunct Amsterdam brand, he wanted to pay tribute to the old Dutch brand and bring back the flair of the 1960s with modernised specifications. But today, a somewhat different idea has surfaced. Expanding his horizons, Hakim launches Loch Lat, a meticulously crafted single malt whisky and a special edition of his minimalist watch with an amber-toned dial to match. 

This new venture, born out of a passion for both timekeeping and spirits, is the culmination of a three-year journey that was inspired by a fine whisky gifted to Hakim El Kadiri by a Belgian friend. With this in mind, Hakim El Kadiri set out to create a Neuchâtel-based counterpart. Partnering with an experienced oenologist, El Kadiri carefully selected the finest malt must and oversaw the distillation process. The spirit was then aged in repurposed cognac casks, imparting a rich and complex flavour profile. To honour the region’s history, El Kadiri named Loch Lat after a nearby lake and chose the iconic Wheel of Saint Blaise as its logo.

Of course, you’re reading MONOCHROME, so there has to be a connection with watches, right? And since Hakim’s first calling is watches, he has decided to create a limited edition of 25 watches, each paired with a unique bottle of Loch Lat. The watch is based on the brand’s classic S Series, a minimalist watch with a gently curved case of 40.8mm in diameter, 10.8mm in thickness and 46mm in length. It is topped by a highly domed and pebble-shaped sapphire crystal, which protects a dial that creates a connection with the fine spirit he also created.

Without markers and barely any printings, the dial of the Elka Watch Loch Lat is finely brushed and comes in a whisky-matched amber gradient colour. A pair of leaf-shaped hands indicate the hours and minutes, and a simple baton hand provides the sweeping seconds. The watch is powered by a La Joux-Perret G100, a modern automatic movement (alternative to the ETA 2824) with a comfortable 68-hour power reserve.

Worn on a brown leather strap or a beads-of-rice steel bracelet, the Elka Watch Loch Lat is limited to 25 sets (watch + bottle) and priced at CHF 1,850 (incl. taxes). Given the complexities of alcohol export, it is available only in Switzerland. For more details, please visit www.elkawatch.ch.