In the world of niche watchmaking, the "limited edition" tag is a powerful one. It signifies scarcity, a specific moment in a brand's design journey, and for the collector, a chance to own something few others will. When that limited-edition piece is also tied directly to the high-octane world of motor racing, the appeal becomes even more focused. This is the territory of Depancel, a French brand with gasoline in its veins. Their latest release, the Allure Black Tangerine, is a striking, 50-piece chronograph that leans heavily into a 1970s racing aesthetic, backed by a famously robust Swiss automatic movement. It’s a watch built for a very specific enthusiast, and its most compelling feature is one that cannot be repeated: it will never be made again.
The Depancel story is central to understanding their products. The brand was founded in 2018 by Clément Meynier, an engineer who brought a fascination with mechanical beauty from the automotive world into horology. The brand's name itself is a portmanteau, a clever contraction of three legendary, and now defunct, French car manufacturers: Delage, Panhard, and Facel Vega. This is not just a clever name; it is the brand’s entire philosophy. It seeks to capture the creative freedom, mechanical focus, and driver-centric spirit of those automotive icons. The brand's shield logo is even a direct nod to the iconic radiator grille of a Facel Vega.
Courtesy of Depancel
This automotive DNA is not just a marketing angle; it informs every part of the company's structure. Depancel operates with a strong community-driven focus, often co-creating designs with its fans and utilizing a pre-order system that keeps them closely connected to their customer base. Furthermore, the watches are designed and assembled in France, near Besançon, the historic heart of French watchmaking. This combination of French design, Swiss-supplied power, and a deep, authentic passion for motorsport creates a product that feels distinct from many of its larger, more established competitors. The goal is not just to make a watch that looks like it belongs in a car, but to make a watch that feels like an instrument plucked from its dashboard.
The Allure collection is Depancel's family of round-cased chronographs, and the Black Tangerine is its newest, most exclusive member. It is a watch designed to be a true "dashboard instrument," paying tribute to the tool watches worn by racing drivers in the 1960s and 70s. This is immediately apparent in its dimensions. The 316L stainless steel case measures 43mm in diameter, a decidedly modern and masculine size that provides a large canvas for the dial. More importantly for wearability, the lug-to-lug measurement is a very reasonable 48.5mm. This is the critical number that determines how the watch sits across the wrist, and at under 49mm, it promises to be wearable for a wide range of collectors, avoiding the "overhang" that can plague larger-diameter watches.
The case finishing is purposeful, mixing brushed surfaces on the case sides and lug tops with a sharp, polished chamfer that runs the length of the case, highlighting its lines. The thickness is listed at 15mm, which is a substantial but expected height for a watch containing the famously thick ETA 7750-family automatic chronograph movement. This thickness gives the watch a solid, tool-like presence on the wrist, reassuring the wearer of its robust construction. The case is capped with a sapphire crystal, a material prized for its extreme scratch resistance, ensuring the dial remains clear and undamaged through years of wear.
The dial is where the "Black Tangerine" truly earns its name and displays its racing-inspired character. The base of the dial is a deep, textured black. The central portion features a pressed waffle or grille-like pattern, another subtle nod to automotive design. This textured center is encircled by a smooth, matte black chapter ring that houses the applied, polished hour indices. These indices are shaped like batons, filled with Super-LumiNova C1 for low-light visibility. The hands, which Depancel calls their "Dashboard" hands, are similarly polished, faceted, and filled with lume, designed for instant readability at a glance.
Courtesy of Depancel
The layout is a classic "bicompax" or two-register chronograph, but with a few unique touches. At 9 o'clock, you find the running seconds subdial. This circular-grained (snailed) subdial features a simple white printed track and a polished stick hand, allowing the wearer to see that the watch is running. It is designed to be subtle, as its function is secondary to the chronograph. The main event is the subdial at 3 o'clock. This is the 30-minute chronograph counter, and it is here that the "Tangerine" color explodes off the dial. The entire subdial is a bright, matte orange, with a snailed finish and a black printed track. This burst of color serves a functional purpose, instantly drawing the eye and separating the chronograph's elapsed time measurement from the simple telling of time.
This functional use of color continues with the other chronograph elements. The central chronograph seconds hand, which remains static at 12 o'clock until activated, is also finished in the same vibrant orange. When the top pusher is engaged, this hand sweeps smoothly across the dial, providing a clear and unmissable reading against the black dial. The final pop of color is a clever design touch on the case itself: the top chronograph pusher, which starts and stops the timer, is encircled by a bright orange aluminum ring. The bottom pusher, which resets the chronograph, is left as plain steel. This provides a clear, tactile, and visual cue to the operator: orange means "go."
Encircling the dial is a fixed bezel with a black aluminum insert. This insert is printed with a tachymeter scale, a feature that is synonymous with racing chronographs. This scale allows a driver, or any user, to measure average speed over a set distance (typically a kilometer or a mile). By starting the chronograph at a starting marker and stopping it one unit of distance later, the orange central seconds hand will point to the average speed on the bezel. While few owners will use this to time laps at Le Mans, it is a critical piece of design heritage that firmly cements the Allure Black Tangerine in the motorsport-watch category.
Courtesy of Depancel
To power a serious racing chronograph, you need a serious engine. Depancel has chosen one of the most respected workhorse movements in the Swiss industry: the ETA 7753. This is a member of the legendary Valjoux 7750 family, an automatic chronograph caliber renowned for its incredible robustness, reliability, and ease of service. It is a cam-actuated chronograph, which is known for its durable construction. While some purists may prefer the more complex column-wheel system, the cam-actuated 7753 is a proven and dependable design that has been trusted by top-tier brands for decades. This is the tractor engine of Swiss chronographs, and it is built to last.
The ETA 7753 in this watch offers chronograph functions and a date, but it has been configured to Depancel's specifications. While the base 7753 often features three subdials (at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock), Depancel has opted for the cleaner bicompax layout, removing the 12-hour counter that would normally sit at 6 o'clock. In its place, they have positioned a discreet, black-wheeled date window. This is a smart choice, as it balances the dial visually and maintains the "instrument panel" clarity. The movement beats at a modern 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), which ensures a smooth sweep of the central seconds hand and provides a high degree of precision.
One of the standout features of this specific movement is its extended power reserve. While a standard 7750 offers around 44-48 hours of autonomy, the caliber inside the Allure provides a healthy 54 hours of power reserve. This means the watch can be taken off on a Friday evening and, in many cases, will still be ticking come Monday morning—a practical benefit for a watch that might be part of a larger collection. This is a significant upgrade that adds real-world convenience and speaks to the quality of the components used.
Depancel thankfully chose not to hide this capable movement behind a solid steel case back. The watch is equipped with a screw-down exhibition case back, made of sapphire crystal, that allows a clear view of the ETA 7753 in action. The view is not of a basic, undecorated movement. The automatic winding rotor has been customized by Depancel with a honeycomb or radiator grille pattern, once again reinforcing the automotive theme. Beyond the rotor, one can see finishing details like blued screws and perlage (a pattern of small, overlapping circles) on the movement plates. This decoration demonstrates an attention to detail that goes beyond simple assembly. The case back is also etched with the watch's vital statistics, including "10 ATM / 100 METERS" water resistance, making it perfectly capable of handling splashes, rain, and even a swim.
Courtesy of Depancel
A watch's personality can be changed entirely by its strap or bracelet, and Depancel has acknowledged this by including two distinct options with the Allure Black Tangerine. This "two straps, two personalities" approach adds significant value and versatility to the package. The first option is a robust, H-link stainless steel bracelet. The links feature brushed outer surfaces and a polished center link, creating a dynamic play of light that matches the mixed finishing of the case. This bracelet gives the watch a heavier, more substantial feel, dressing it up and making it a true "go anywhere, do anything" piece.
The second option, which is arguably the one that best completes the "Black Tangerine" theme, is a handcrafted French bull leather strap. The strap itself is black, with thick padding and a ribbed or "tread" pattern that evokes the upholstery of a vintage sports car. The strap is held together with constrasting orange stitching, which perfectly matches the dial and pusher accents. A final, charming detail is a small blue, white, and red tag stitched near the spring bar, a proud and subtle reminder of the brand's French heritage. This leather strap transforms the watch, making it feel more like a dedicated driving instrument and adding a level of warmth and vintage character.
Depancel also emphasizes that the experience of owning the watch extends to its packaging. The Allure Black Tangerine is delivered in an elegant box that also includes a leather travel case. This is a practical and thoughtful inclusion, as it provides a safe and secure way to transport the watch and its extra strap. Furthermore, the watch is covered by a 5-year warranty. This is a significant step up from the industry-standard two years and signals a strong confidence from the brand in the quality of its components and its French assembly process.
Courtesy of Depancel
The most defining characteristic of the Allure Black Tangerine is its exclusivity. This is not a standard production model; it is a limited edition, numbered to just 50 pieces for the entire global market. Depancel has been explicit in stating that this specific piece, with this combination of colors and features, will never be reproduced. This extreme scarcity places it in a different category from mass-market watches, reserving it for the most dedicated fans of the brand and of this specific automotive aesthetic. It creates a sense of urgency and ensures that the 50 owners will be part of a very small club.
The Depancel Allure Black Tangerine is available for purchase directly from the brand, with a retail price of 2.400 €. For this, the buyer receives a watch with a clear and compelling design story, a robust and upgraded Swiss automatic chronograph movement, and a complete package that includes two high-quality strap options and a travel case. It is a watch that knows exactly what it is—a bold, unapologetic, and fun tribute to 1970s motorsport, executed with modern engineering and a strong dose of French character. For the 50 enthusiasts who are quick enough to secure one, it promises to be a reliable and exciting co-pilot for many years to come.
Case: 316L Stainless Steel; 43mm diameter; 48.5mm lug to lug; 15mm thickness (14.2mm without glass); 22mm lug width; Sapphire crystal; 100m / 10 ATM water resistance.
Movement: ETA 7753 automatic; 54-hour power reserve; Functions: H/Min/S, Date, Chronograph; Transparent case back with decorated oscillating weight.
Dial: Black with textured center; Orange chronograph minute counter at 3 o'clock and orange central seconds hand; Tachymeter scale on aluminum bezel; "Depancel Dashboard" hands and indexes with Super-LumiNova® C1.
Strap: Includes two interchangeable straps: a polished and brushed H-link stainless steel bracelet and a handcrafted French bull leather strap.
Price: 2.400 €
Notes: Limited and numbered to 50 units, which will never be reproduced. Designed and assembled in France. Inspired by motor racing dashboard instruments from the 1960s and 70s.