The first thought that arose in my head when I got acquainted with the watch products of the Elysee company was that this is a French company with the sophistication characteristic of the French. But upon further acquaintance, it turned out that the name Elysee, which is similar in sound and spelling to the “Elysee Palace”, has nothing in common with either it or France. Further more. It turned out that the brand itself was founded in 1920 in Switzerland, and in 1960 it changed its Swiss registration to German. The name of the brand is associated with the ancient Greek word Elysium - this is the name in ancient Greek mythology for the part of the underworld where the souls of the blessed lived (in other words, the souls of the favorites of the gods).
It's a bit of a contradictory story, wouldn't you agree? This is probably why in 1992 the company changed the brand logo for greater recognition and belonging to the current location. It has a similar outline to the federal eagle (the eagle depicted on the coat of arms of the German Federal Republic, but without the shield in the background).
The model we are reviewing today is a watch from the Vintage Master Automatic line. It offers a modern take on classic 1930s retro style with an uncomplicated design for easy everyday use. You can choose both more austere options with a dark or light dial design, as well as brighter ones, which is what I chose.
Elysee 80561 is a watch that first of all captivates with its color, and only then with everything else. Depending on the lighting, watches can be strikingly different. From light blue (I would like to emphasize, not blue) through many shades (including turquoise and sea green) to rich bright blue. This design is unlikely to suit a strict black suit, but it will be absolutely appropriate for both classic suits in blue, brown and gray shades, and for clothes in a casual style.
Let's take a break from the play of light and color on the dial and focus on its structure. Here, as I wrote before, everything is intuitive and simple, but at the same time elegant. Along the edge of the dial there is a minute marking, which I personally associate with a railway track. The Arabic numerals are applied and are exactly the size and font you would expect from vintage-style models. The needle-shaped hands are so perfectly shaped that even their thinness, which seems excessive, does not in any way affect the time reading. With a slight turn of the hand, they instantly reflect any ray of light, unmistakably indicating their location.
The same applies to hour markers. The length of the hands is sufficient, but personally I would like a couple of millimeters longer. The date window is neat and has a frame to match the hands and markers. Its very presence may seem unnecessary, but we remember that the Vintage Master line was created for everyday use, which fully justifies such a decision. The inscriptions, including the brand name and logo, are printed in white ink.
The watch case has a round shape with thin, anatomically curved lugs. The glass is convex and continues the shape of the body. The diameter of the watch is 40 mm, the thickness with glass is 13,7 mm. The fit on the hand is excellent, even taking into account the rather large overall thickness of the watch. The crown is medium sized but comfortable. It is not threaded, but is clearly fixed in its extreme positions: accidental removal is almost impossible. An interesting point is that at the end there is a voluminous convex company logo, which at a quick glance can be confused with the Longines logo.
I consider the sale of this particular model on a bracelet to be 100% justified. It gives the watch a calm look for everyday wear. But as soon as you transfer the watch to a strap, it becomes a more strict option. The bracelet itself is cast, including the end links adjacent to the watch. It has a complex shape with a combined finish. Fits the wrist well. The clasp is a double-sided butterfly without the company logo.
In addition to the length of the hands, I would like to note two more points, but which do not in any way affect the overall impression of the watch. The watch has a mineral glass with sapphire coating. You can verify this from:
- information on the official website (Glas: saphirbeschichtet), which translated from German means “sapphire-coated glass”;
- information on the back cover of the watch (SAPPHIRE CTD): the abbreviation CTD encrypts the word “Coated”, which is translated from English as “coating”, i.e. glass with sapphire coating.
I am calm about mineral glasses and their use in watches of a certain price category, design and purpose. I consider the presence of a sapphire coating to be nothing more than a marketing ploy and a small trick of the manufacturers. Since many people who choose watches and are far from the intricacies of this matter, seeing the word “Sapphire”, can simply take it out of context and decide that the watch actually has a sapphire crystal.
The watch is equipped with a reliable and unpretentious Japanese Seiko NH35 movement. I consider the presence of a transparent back cover for such a basic mechanism to be unjustified. I would have liked a blank lid with nice engraving or stamping. The lid itself is screw-on, despite the water resistance level of only 3 ATM.
To sum up, I want to say that I really liked the watch. They are quite versatile, well made, have a simple design and an interesting color. They provide an excellent fit, are comfortable for everyday use and leave a pleasant aftertaste after removing them from your wrist in the evening.
