Hands-On With The Beaucroft Element — Everyday Looks With Tool-Watch Toughness
Many, if not most, watch enthusiasts want the best value for money when buying a new timepiece. And it’s normal to want a good deal whether you’re buying a car, a house, or flight tickets for your summer vacation. After all, we work hard to earn our money and want to spend it wisely. We want to get our money’s worth out of whatever we’re buying, watches included. So, of course, when it comes to watches, it is normal to want good specs and nice designs — the more original, the better. The ideal situation is to have as much of both as we can for as little money as possible (though the latter mostly remains subjective).
Well, I’ve got some good news for you! Today, we’re going to take a look at a watch that has good specifications and an original design for a comparatively reasonable price of €699. This watch is the Element from British brand Beaucroft, which makes its first appearance on Fratello today. The Element is the brand’s fourth collection and the most ambitious to date. Aesthetically and spiritually, it reminds me of a Czapek Antarctique, and from a spec-to-price ratio, it evokes the RZE Resolute Pro that Jorg reviewed not too long ago. It also has an air of everyday elegance, much like the Rolex Explorer, which is, of course, a compliment in my book.
Image: Stephen Nichols @Talkingabouttime
Categorizing the Beaucroft Element
Sliding watches into categories is risky business, but I will nevertheless attempt to do so here. To me, the Beaucroft Element can best be described as an everyday watch. And once you know the details of it, you might say it’s also a GADA (“go anywhere, do anything”) watch. The symmetrical dial layout, the dual-finished case, and the bracelet give it an everyday look, while the rounded hands and markers — and again, the bracelet — endow it with a sporty edge. And as we will see, it also comes with a long list of very good specs.
Image: Stephen Nichols @Talkingabouttime
The elegant everyday looks of the Element
We must first look at the Element from afar to appreciate its everyday elegance and design aesthetic. By the way, a good and simple way to determine whether or not a watch can do it all is whether or not you feel that it can when you strap it on your wrist. I spent two weeks with the Beaucroft Element, and I did feel it could do it all. As mentioned, its symmetrical dial makes it elegant and functional for everyday use. Reading the time from a distance is easy because the rounded hands and hour markers are large. They also have facets, a brushed finish on top, and polished edges, meaning they’re readable at any angle. And I would say they look at home in this case and with this bracelet. The case flows almost seamlessly into the bracelet, a feature reminiscent of integrated-bracelet sports watches.
Image: Stephen Nichols @Talkingabouttime
The case of the Element has a design that I haven’t seen before (which doesn’t mean you haven’t, of course). The flanks narrow down toward the middle and reveal a fine-bead-blasted-like section underneath. These flanks stand out thanks to the noticeable mirror-like polished chamfers that run along the case. Even the small but functional screw-down crown is elegant, showcasing polished accents and the brand’s logo on the outside. The three-row bracelet is both smart and well made, featuring rounded links with brushed tops and polished sides. It also comes with on-the-fly micro-adjustability for everyday comfort and screwed links for easy sizing. As a bonus point for Beaucroft, the finish of the end links matches that of the case, which is not as common as you might think.
Image: Stephen Nichols @Talkingabouttime
The gorgeous multilevel dial and its color options
I would like to spend a little more time highlighting the dial. I love the roundness of the hands and hour markers because it helps them look modern and legible. Stylistically, they also match each other perfectly. Of note is the dial’s three-level construction and the fact that the applied indexes are recessed into the second one. The subtle sunburst effect of the central section also appears on the second and third levels. On the uppermost tier, we find the minute track, which features hash marks printed in a similar but sufficiently contrasting color. However, the treasure-like visual element of the dial is in the design of the hands and markers — to me, at least. Both are symmetrically faceted, and we can see the lume sitting inside them like water in a deep basin. Up close, it truly is a neat spectacle.
To ensure there’s an Element to match everyone’s tastes, Beaucroft offers the watch in six colorways — Forest Green, Gin & Tonic, Glacial Blue, Obsidian Black, Ocean Blue, and Sunset Orange. On each version, the seconds hand is either another shade of the dial color or it stands out from it. In all cases, it’s a standout element of the watch’s design.
Image: Stephen Nichols @Talkingabouttime
As tough as nails
I was about to make a car/watch analogy, but I don’t know cars that well. But I can say the Beaucroft Element is as tough as watches come at the sub-€1K price point. First, the case, bracelet, and clasp are made of hardened stainless steel (1,200–1,300 Hv on the Vickers hardness scale). You can confidently take the Element on all adventures inside and outside your home or office. Hardened steel is very difficult (though not impossible) to scratch. Second, the dial is topped by a double-domed sapphire crystal, which is also highly resistant to scratches. Moreover, a screw-down crown and case back help endow the Element with a 200m water resistance rating.
Inside the Element, we find a premium Miyota 9039 caliber beating at a 4Hz (28,800vph) frequency and offering 42 hours of power reserve. Beaucroft’s UK-based assembly partner Horologium regulates each caliber to run at ±10 seconds per day. This is a nice bonus for a movement that, in my experience, generally runs great straight out of the box. The last thing element I want to highlight is the diamond-cut and lume-filled handset. Diamond-cut hands are neat because the cutting process leaves them free of imperfections. The lume is BGW9 and generously applied on all three hands and all applied hour markers.
Wrist feel and final thoughts
More than the way it looks and its materials, what makes a watch a good everyday companion is how it feels on the wrist. Here, though, how it feels is linked to what it’s made of. The Beaucroft Element is positively hefty. It commands a nice wrist presence, which makes sense given the movement, crystal, water resistance, and bracelet. Sized to my 16.5cm (6.5”) wrist, the Element weighs 132 grams. The 39.5mm × 46.5mm × 11.6mm case spreads out nicely on the wrist without feeling too small or too big. After all, it has to fit well if you’re going to wear this watch every day.
Lastly, you should know that the Beaucroft Element is currently available for pre-order on the brand’s website at a discounted price of €699 (€799 full retail). The first batch is scheduled to ship at the end of March 2025.
So, Fratelli, what do you think? Can you picture the Beaucroft Element as a satisfying everyday watch? As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!
