epancel, a portmanteau of three spearheads of the French car manufacturing industry in the 50s and 60s - Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega – was a result of founder Clément Meynier’s twin passion for watchmaking and motor racing. Two Kickstarter campaigns, in 2018 and 2019, generated the sale of around 2,000 watches based on pre-orders, and were key in establishing the brand’s presence in the watchmaking landscape. The brand operated in the CHF 200 – 500 price segment, featuring mainly quartz movements.

The business model was initially highly participatory, based on co-creation and the use of questionnaires for determining future collections. That model then evolved with time. As the young CEO explains: “Until then, we’d been more geared towards limited editions, approaching each one as an individual watchmaking project. We now want to build a brand with more distinctive codes all of its own. Our DNA is driving us towards a more assertive approach, but we’re still keen on retaining a broad and affordable product range”.

Depancel R80 Testarossa, chronograph, day and date functions, inspired by the Testarossa counters of the 1980s

The idea is to concentrate on “racing” chronographs. And there’s not a three hand watch dial in sight. Depancel plans instead to take a deep-dive into the prolific history of the racing chronograph: round, square, bi-compax, tri-compax, automatic or manual winding.

Clément Meynier, a qualified engineer and the brand’s CEO, confirms: “We’ll be focusing on two main collections with mechanical movements. The Allure collection featuring round watches inspired by the vintage racing world of the 60s and 70s, and the Série-R sporting a “form” case that evokes the radiator grilles on the old classic cars”.

For its second line, Depancel draws on the world of vintage motor racing with 60s-inspired round bi-, or tri-compax chronographs.

The new Allure Jürgen Clauss edition, based on a Valjoux 7753 and featuring a bi-compax layout, sets the tone. There’s no doubt about the brand’s territory. The young CEO also knows where his development potential lies: “The French market currently represents 75% of our sales, it’s hard to imagine pursuing any growth on that market alone. So we’re targeting international exports, especially to the U.S., which will soon account for 15% of sales.”

The Limited Edition Allure Jürgen Clauss, based on a Valjoux 7753 with bi-compax layout

Producing around 5,000 watches every year, a small number of meca-quartz models (Ed.’s note: Seiko) and increasingly cutting-edge designs, Depancel has a very clear goal. The brand enjoys an extremely loyal clientele and its community is growing all the time. “We have around 60,000 followers and our customers buy 2.5 watches on average. Our positive image is powerful leverage for our expansion.”

The bi-compax Allure with its piston-inspired pushers in the finest vintage chronograph tradition

Just like in the early days, the brand still operates a direct to end customer business model, mainly via the brand’s website. But Depancel is also keen on having a physical presence. Clément Meynier explains: “The more upmarket we go, the more our customers want to see, feel and try out our watches. It’s essential. So we’re keeping a higher profile at watch fairs and motor racing events. Feedback has been excellent. A lot of customers talked about finally being able to try out the products, and that triggers sales.”

Despite the redeployment of the French watch sector witnessed in recent years, Depancel is not centred on the “Made in France” ethic, even though its watches are assembled in Besançon. “Our models are powered by Swiss calibres, as well as Swiss (Valjoux) or French (France Ebauches) vintage movements. What matters most of all is reliability and value for money. It would be difficult to ensure 100% Made in France production with watches costing under CHF 1,000 that account for 60% of our offering.”

The priority for Clément Meynier lies in establishing a genuine reputation as a “racing” chronograph brand. After five years of operation, he feels the brand now faces its biggest challenge: “It’s been rather a fluid project until now. We’ve had huge support from our community which is constantly growing. It was all happening online until recently. Future tendencies towards export, more upmarket product ranges, and more physical presence, will require new investments and a more “corporate” communication strategy. And that’s the biggest challenge for us.”

With models ranging from CHF 1,000 – 3,000, there’s a more urgent need for a physical network and a powerful brand image, especially for the upcoming limited editions with vintage calibres. Enthusiasts will be able to see the brand’s new models up close at the Retromobile Salon in Paris on 30 January, where they can weigh up the brand’s past achievements and prospects for the future.