The Patriotic Depancel Allure Valjoux 92 Bleu de France

The name Depancel speaks volumes about where this independent French brand finds inspiration. Amalgamating the names of three prestigious French carmakers – Delage, Panhard, and Facel Vega – Depancel and the world of motorsports are inseparable. Its Allure collection of automatic and manual-winding chronographs welcomes a limited edition powered by a restored 1950s Valjoux 92 movement, draped in an iconic racing colour; Bleu de France!

The 1970s marked a before and after in motorsports. Bigger, faster, low-slung F1 machines tore around the tracks piloted by legendary names like Emerson Fittipaldi, Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda. The distinctive aesthetic that permeated all aspects of motorsports had a profound influence on watch design in the 1970s. Some of the most flamboyant references with groovy-shaped cases and bold colour schemes were produced in this decade, often referred to as the golden age of the chronograph. Depancel taps into this vibe with its bold, colourful chronograph that might remind you of the manual-winding Allure reference released last year. While many of the external features and some details of the dial are similar to those of the 2024 references, the limited edition boasts a fascinating 1950s Valjoux 92 calibre, produced during the golden age of mechanical chronographs.

The restored Valjoux 92 calibre adds a genuine slice of watchmaking history to the mix and can be admired – no rotor blocking the show – through the sapphire caseback. Produced during the 1950s and 1960s, the Valjoux 92 manual-winding chronograph movement was used by top-tier brands such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, and TAG Heuer. Distinguished by its oscillating pinion design, column-wheel mechanism, two rather than three engagement wheels and seven instead of nine pillars, the movement is easy to recognise. The movement has a frequency of 18,000vph and a power reserve of ±39 hours.

The 39mm stainless steel case has a thickness of 13mm and a depth rating of 50 metres. Equipped with retro piston-style pushers and a large, knurled crown with a red insert, the case is decorated with brushed finishes and polished accents on the slim bezel and bevel running down the flanks. Protected by a box-shaped sapphire crystal, the French Racing Blue colour of the dial is the national racing colour of France, adopted by classic French racing cars.

The black tachymeter scale on the periphery frames the thicker blue chapter ring, which features applied indices and the brand’s shield-shaped logo with three stars replacing the index at noon. At the centre of the dial is a black, circular, brushed counter with a pulsometer scale intersected by a smaller 30-minute elapsed time counter. The central chronograph seconds hand is red, matching the hand in the 30-minute sub-dial and the extremities of the hour and minute hands and indices. Luminescent material is applied to the indices and hour and minute hands.

The Allure is paired with a rally-style perforated black leather strap. Limited to just 20 pieces, the watch retails for EUR 3,900 and can be ordered online directly from Depancel’s website, with deliveries expected in July 2025.

For more information, please visit Depancel.com.