French brand Depancel releases a new car-inspired chronograph with its Série R01 Black Tangerine.
Designed and developed with community feedback, over 3,000 watch enthusiasts participated in the process.
Powered by a Peacock SL-4801 automatic movement and assembled in France, the Série R01 Black Tangerine makes for an interesting offering at a compelling price.
Founded in 2018, Depancel’s automotive influence is in its name. By contracting the names of French car marques Delage, Panhard, and Facel Vega, Depancel’s goal as a brand is to reflect the founder Clément’s passion for motorsport and watchmaking. Each release has reflected a clear influence of mid-20th-century motorsport. 2025 has already seen the release of the Allure D(r)iver Calendar, Autosport collection, and new iterations within its existing Série-R and Allur collections, and now, Depancel has turned its automotive focus to its fans for its latest release. Over 3,000 watch enthusiasts participated in the process, with Depancel asking for their contributions in deciding on the case, dial, and movement. The result is the new Série R01 Black Tangerine Limited Edition.
This model follows in the footsteps of the Série R Tangerine released in 2024, opting for a more menacing black focused colour scheme. The Série-R case design is inspired by the grills of classic sports cars, especially with the top-most portion curved like the hood of a vintage car. This model reworks the dimensions from the calendar model already in the catalogue, shrinking the 43 x 36mm of the calendar model down to 40 x 36 mm. The 12 and 6 o’clock portions of the front of the stainless steel case are vertically brushed, while the sides of the bezel are polished. There are contrasting brushed and polished sections on the main case and lugs as well, highlighting different sections and facets of the overall case design.
The lug-to-lug measurement comes in at 48.5mm, with a thickness of 12.4mm (13.3mm including the crystal), and a lug width of 22mm. The Série R01 Black Tangerine comes with a black bull leather perforated rally-style strap with contrast orange stitching, and a single blue, white, and red stitched accent, subtly indicating the strap’s handmade French origins. The watch is secured to the wrist with a stainless steel pin-buckle. The watch is also water-resistant to 50 meters, making it more than suitable for daily wear.
The black PVD dial features a two-level design with a myriad of finishes. The outermost portion features a vertical lined pattern, meant to recall air vents in vintage race cars. The inner portion of the dial features an outward sunray pattern, while the inner portion of the chronograph registers features a textured radial finish. The outer portion of the chronograph hours and running seconds register features a circularly brushed finish, and the outer portion of the chronograph minutes register is done in bright orange. The chronograph hands are done in orange as well, to facilitate reading of the elapsed measured time. The baton-style “Depancel Dashboard” hours and minutes hands are silver-toned, as are the applied hour indices, all of which feature C1 White Super-LumiNova. Covering the dial is a faceted sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on the underside.
Inside the Série R01 Black Tangerine is the Peacock SL-4801 calibre. A Chinese-made automatic column-wheel chronograph movement with 55 hours of power reserve, 41 jewels, and operates at 28,000 bph, it can be viewed through the sapphire case back. The rotor is signed with the Depancel logo as well.
Closing thoughts
Square automotive influenced chronographs are kind of their own, very distinct thing. I think it would be impossible to make one without recalling other famous models, but I believe Depancel has managed to design the Série-R01 in a way that can distinctly stand on its own. I really like the depth and various textures of the dial, which I imagine is further amplified with the faceted sapphire crystal when seen in person.
On a personal note, I am excited to see the Peacock SL-4801 movement in a non-Chinese watch, as I think the growing positive reputation of Chinese movement manufacturers will present more opportunities for brands to offer more complicated watches at attractive price points. With Depancel completing assembly in France, I think any concerns about quality and reliability should be minimised. Depancel has already released one watch using this movement, so I imagine the brand’s continued use of this calibre is a good sign.
Depancel Série-R01 Black Tangerine Limited Edition price and availability
The Depancel Série-R01 Black Tangerine Limited Edition will be limited to 100 pieces, and will be open to orders from the start of October 16th, 2025, at 4 pm Paris time, with deliveries scheduled for the end of February 2026. Orders can be placed directly with Depancel via the brand’s website. Price: US$1,495
Brand
Depancel
Model
Série R01 Black Tangerine Limited Edition
Case Dimensions
36mm (W) x 40mm (H) x 13.3mm (T) x 48.5mm (LTL)
Case Material
Stainless steel
Water Resistance
50 meters
Crystal(s)
Faceted sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating front, sapphire crystal rear
Dial
PVD black with mixed finishing and orange highlights
Lug Width
22mm
Strap
Black bull leather rally-style strap, stainless steel pin buckle
Movement
Peacock SL-4801, autmoatic
Power Reserve
55 hours
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph
Availability
Limited edition of 100 pieces
Price
US$1,495