By Tyler Frederick
Mid-century skindiver
There’s no better feeling than opening the box and trying on a new watch. What’s even more exciting is having the opportunity to check out a watch from a brand I’m not familiar with and explore an unfamiliar territory. Elka Watch Co. was launched in 2022 by Hakim El Kadri with aesthetics and designs from the 1960s in mind, which shows through the various models that Elka carries. Since discovering the brand, one of my favourites is the 60s-inspired dive watch, the Arinis AF02, and sure enough, I’ve had the pleasure to check it out in the metal.
Elka is a brand that echoes my vision. ELKA Watch Co. was launched in 2022. How and why? I dreamt of developing my own brand but above all I wanted a brand with a story, truth & credibility. I chose to call it by my nickname, ELKA. Since I love the 60s, the products and the aesthetics of that era I have decided to make it my design line for this and future collections.
–Hakim El Khadri
Key Features of the Elka Arinis
Right off the bat, a few things jumped out: the gorgeous modern-vintage design, the cleanliness of the dial, and, of course, the beads-of-rice bracelet. The Arinis is a watch that’s right up my alley, and I’ll be honest: it looks great in photos but even better in person. With Elka’s previous releases in the D-Series and X-Series, the Arinis is a fantastic addition to their line of vintage-inspired watches. I’m not usually the biggest fan of “fauxtina,” but it suits the Arinis perfectly, and the aesthetic makes me smile.
I didn’t know what to expect regarding wearability, but the second I put the watch on my wrist, I immediately thought, “Like a glove.” To put it bluntly, it was absurdly comfortable with a case diameter of 41mm, thickness of 11.85mm and a lug-to-lug of 46.5mm. While 41mm is pushing the limit regarding my ideal size for a watch, thanks to the compact lug-to-lug and the fact the lugs curve past the case back–hugging the wrist–the Arinis creates a seamless and highly comfortable wearing experience. The Arinis felt like an extension of my wrist, not just an accessory sitting on it. The beads-of-rice bracelet is gorgeous, adding to the vintage vibe. I did notice some hair pull near the end links while wearing it, which I thought was strange, but it feels comfortable overall.
Advertisement
The dial not only looks fantastic but also has a lot of details about Swiss heritage. The name Arinis stems from ancient Neuchâtel, dating back to 12,000 BC, and the watch contains design inspiration from Celtic and Roman tapestry. Surrounding the dial is a beautiful black ceramic bezel insert inspired by Roman ceramics.
The black dial itself features a mix of triangle, circle and rectangle-shaped indices reflective of vintage skin-divers in a lovely “fauxtina” golden yellow, and it all comes together with the “arrow” shaped hands, inspired by an arrow found on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel, dating back to 12,000 BC.
The bezel and dial go hand in hand perfectly, and the Elka logo and matching font for the 200 m/660 ft is a nice touch and adds that additional small detail to make a cohesive and thorough design. The beautiful fish engraving on the back of the watch also represents artifacts found at the bottom of the lake.
Specs
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 41mm Diameter 46.5mm Lug to Lug 11.85mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screw Down Crown & Case Back 200m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Domed Sapphire Crystal Matte Black Dial Applied Markers Leaf & Arrow Handset Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | La Joux Perret G100 24 Jewels 28 800bph 68-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Stainless Steel BOR Bracelet |
Elka Arinis
Advertisement
Quibbles
There isn’t much to quibble about. I previously mentioned the hair pulling from the bracelet end links, and upon further inspection, they are slightly sharp on the underside. The other thing I’d like to mention is the date window. While I appreciate the date window matching the dial colour, I would love to see the Arinis with a dateless version.
Final Thoughts
What can I say? The Elka Arinis has been such an enjoyable watch to experience, and I’m sad it has to return to Gem Bijou, but that’s how it goes. It’s a gorgeous modern dive watch that pays tribute to dive watch design from years gone by. It has an excellent wrist presence and made me smile every time I looked at it. If it makes me smile, I’m in. The Arinis on the bracelet retails for $2,070 ($2680 CAD). If you can check it out, I highly recommend it.
About the author
Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.
Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.
Please understand that using any links to products on this site might result in us making money.