Introducing Depancel Introduces The Serie R01 DAMS Lucas Oil Special Edition

The rising brand Depancel joins forces with French Formula 2 and Formula 3 team DAMS Lucas Oil for a limited-edition timepiece: the Serie R01 DAMS Lucas Oil Edition. The aesthetic of the watch adopts the same deep blue racing colors used by the DAMS Lucas Oil team, while retaining the large rectangular stainless-steel chronograph case design characteristic of Depancel.

Depancel, operating out of the historic French watchmaking hub of Besançon, has entered a formal partnership with the racing outfit DAMS Lucas Oil for the 2026 motorsport season. DAMS has operated primarily in Formula 2 and Formula 3 since 1988, serving as a critical developmental proving ground for drivers entering the highest tiers of open-wheel racing. The resulting collaboration materializes in the Serie R01 Depancel × DAMS Lucas Oil, a limited-production triple-calendar watch built upon a heavily structured rectangular chassis.

The historical precedent for square or rectangular chronographs and racing instruments traces back to the late 1960s, a period when aggressive case geometries were introduced to accommodate newly developed automatic movements. The Serie R01 leans heavily into this historical aesthetic, utilizing the squared format to maximize dial real estate and legibility while a driver’s hands are positioned on a steering wheel.

The watch measures 43mm from top to bottom and 36mm across the horizontal axis. The case is crafted from a solid block of 316L stainless steel, shaped into a squared-off rectangular format with heavily faceted edges. The case geometry utilizes a 50mm lug-to-lug distance which, combined with the 22mm lug width, dictates a broad, flat stance on the wrist. Total thickness measures 12.9mm, though the central case block itself accounts for 12mm, with the remaining 0.9mm attributed to the protruding sapphire crystal.

On the 9 o’clock flank of the case, a screwed-in metal plaque is mounted within a recessed channel, bearing the individual production number out of the strictly limited 200-piece run. The left side of the case also houses recessed pusher correctors, requiring a specialized tool or stylus to advance the calendar functions without stressing the primary crown stem. A customized crown at the 3 o’clock position features a knurled outer grip ringed by a vibrant red aluminum collar, providing excellent traction for manual winding and time-setting—even while wearing driving gloves.

The dial itself is a highly complex, multi-level assembly executed primarily in DAMS Lucas Oil’s signature deep blue colorway. The central medallion sits recessed from the elevated outer track and features fine sunray brushing that radiates from the central pinion, reacting dynamically to direct light. Surrounding this section, the elevated outer dial base is stamped with deep, vertically oriented grooves that deliberately mimic the structural reinforcement ribbing found on automotive body panels or trackside safety barriers.

A striking tricolor racing stripe in French blue, white, and red runs vertically along the far left side of the dial, passing beneath the 9 o’clock register and terminating at the minute track. The watch displays calendar information through a highly symmetrical twin-register layout, utilizing sharply black-framed subdials. Both registers feature deeply snailed concentric circular graining in their blue centers, creating a matte contrast against the sunray background.

For calendar functions, the 9 o’clock register tracks the day of the week, while the opposite 3 o’clock register indicates the current month. Both subdials employ highly polished white pointer hands. A sharply framed date aperture sits at the traditional 6 o’clock position, printed on a white disc with black numerals and located directly below the applied DAMS Lucas Oil and Depancel logos.

Time is indicated by partially skeletonized baton-style hands generously filled with Super-LumiNova C1. A bright red central sweeping seconds hand provides a vivid contrast, ensuring the running seconds remain clearly visible against the dark blue dial.

Depancel utilizes an outsourced Japanese movement to maintain its precise price point: the Caliber 9122, an automatic movement developed and manufactured by Miyota. The implementation of a 9-series Miyota provides a distinct operational advantage over entry-level mechanical movements, operating at a high-beat frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz). The Japanese caliber offers a maximum power reserve of approximately 40 hours when fully wound. The 9122 architecture specifically supports a triple-calendar complication, mechanically advancing the day, month, and date discs at midnight.

Depancel has upgraded the visual presentation of the movement by fitting it with a heavily customized oscillating weight, visible through the sapphire exhibition caseback. The custom rotor is decorated with deep vertical Geneva striping, polished outer bevels, and features the DAMS Lucas Oil shield logo rendered in the French tricolor. The movement’s brass base plates display standard industrial finishing.

Depancel provides two strap variations for the Serie R01. The first option is a heavily perforated blue calfskin leather strap inspired by the traditional rally style. This leather option features tonal blue stitching along the flanks and is accented by a small hand-stitched French flag detail near the upper lug, reinforcing the brand’s Besançon heritage.

The second option is an integrated blue rubber strap engineered with deep horizontal recessed ribbing that echoes the textured linear grooves stamped into the dial.

The Depancel × DAMS Lucas Oil Serie R01 is limited to 200 sequentially numbered pieces and is priced at USD 895, equivalent to approximately AED 3,290.

For more information, visit Depancel official website.