Since its foundation in 1887, Eberhard & Co. has nurtured a profound and authentic relationship with the marine world. Renowned for its chronographs and innovative spirit, the Maison has consistently and genuinely cultivated a deep connection with the sea. From the Second World War to powerboat racing, from military diving to elite sailing, Eberhard & Co. has accompanied sailors, officers, pilots, and adventurers.
As early as the 1930s, Eberhard & Co.’s chronographs supported sailors and naval officers in their most delicate missions. Entrusted to the Italian Royal Navy for their precision and reliability, these instruments became an integral part of naval operations. A relationship so significant that it was celebrated with the launch of the “Chrono Marine” model in the 1980s, paying tribute to the historic chronometers supplied to military forces.
This bond with the marine world isn’t the result of contemporary strategies: it is the natural evolution of an authentic calling—a heritage made of people, instruments, and achievements. It is a legacy born from a historical journey rooted in a past that continues to inspire the creations of the Maison.
1959. Time in the depths: Scafograf and the call of the sea
The relationship between Eberhard & Co. and the sea became even more intense in 1959 with the birth of the Scafograf 100, the Maison’s first diving watch, designed to withstand depths up to 100 meters. With this model began a true engineering saga marked by continuous technical evolution: from the Scafograf 200 and Scafograf 300 (1964), through the Scafograf 400 (1969), culminating with the Scafograf 1000 in 1983.
Designed to meet the needs of maritime professionals, these timepieces featured rigorous specifications: rotating bezel, luminous hands, helium escape valve—all characteristics making them reliable and avant-garde tools. While many brands followed market trends, Eberhard & Co. already charted its own independent course.
This ambition took root even earlier than the 1950s. Already in the 1920s, Eberhard & Co. filed patents related to waterproofing, such as the Calotta Patrouille (1921), a dust and moisture-proof case cover anticipating the needs of sailors on overseas missions. This demonstrates that the Scafograf was not a spontaneous creation but the natural heritage of a company that always viewed time as an ally in great human endeavors.
In 2016, the Scafograf legend was renewed with the launch of the Scafograf 300, awarded “Sport Watch of the Year” at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Certified ISO 6425 and equipped with an automatic helium valve, this timepiece represents the perfect balance between performance and elegance.
Following this version, in 2020, the Maison introduced the Scafograf 300 MCMLIX, a commemorative edition celebrating the collection’s birth year (1959), featuring vintage-inspired aesthetic details. The caseback engraved with a starfish evokes Eberhard & Co.’s historical bond with the marine world.
Speed racing: the power of the sea
In the 1980s, Eberhard & Co. ventured into a spectacular and adrenaline-fueled world: powerboat racing, vessels so fast they could approach 200 km/h. It is a sector where precision and time measurement play key roles. It represents a perfect synchronization challenge between man, boat, and instrument, where the chronograph becomes an essential ally for the pilot.
By sponsoring the Cinzano crew and their powerboats, Eberhard & Co. once again demonstrated the ability of its chronographs to interpret time even under the most extreme conditions, maintaining elegance and technical rigor intact. The commitment to this discipline reveals a passion for challenges and a decisive yet functional aesthetic. Eberhard & Co.’s chronographs appear on the hulls of the boldest boats: the sea becomes a racetrack, and the chronograph a guiding instrument.
1983. Azzurra: the sea as a theater of elegance
The bond with the sea isn’t limited to performance : it also encompasses sporting elegance. In 1983, Italy participated in the America’s Cup with the yacht Azzurra, sponsored by Gianni Agnelli and the Aga Khan. As the first in a long series, the project embodies Italian pride on the sea.
With Azzurra, Italy challenged maritime powers like England, the United States, and New Zealand, but in its own style: with sportsmanship, aesthetics, team spirit, and a distinctive image. Eberhard & Co., supporting this project, affirmed its centrality in great Mediterranean narratives. The Azzurra watch, designed for the countdown at the start of sailing regattas, transformed the sea into a stage for style and competition. The regatta chronograph indicates the countdown of the final 10 minutes before departure: the five white windows progressively turn orange, and in the last five minutes, the Azzurra symbo, a spinnaker sail in azure blue, appears. Each window changing color indicates that a minute has passed. This five-minute interval module set a trend. Sailing the sea becomes a stylish gesture, and the watch an extension of good living. Collectors still appreciate its rare flying saucer (“disco volante”) shaped case and integrated rubber strap.
1991. Mareoscope
Among models embodying the poetic bond between Eberhard & Co. and the marine world, the Mareoscope holds a special place. At first glance, it appears as a sporty, functional, precise chronograph. But a closer look reveals a circular aperture catching the eye: inside, a colored disc rotates slowly, completing a revolution every twenty-four hours. Not just an aesthetic detail, it’s a true tide indicator designed to reflect the sea’s constant rhythm. Alongside, an additional hand follows lunar phases, recalling the invisible forces governing the ocean. Together, these elements create a silent dialogue between mechanical time and natural rhythms, between the precision of Swiss watchmaking and the sea’s deep breathing. Launched in 1992, the Mareoscope has become a reference for collectors, a watch reminding us the sea is not merely contemplated, but can also be worn on the wrist.
1943. Submerged memory: submarines, history, and heritage
This connection also comes alive in Commander Mario Rossetto’s account, who commanded a submarine in the Atlantic during the war and emotionally recalls his Eberhard & Co. watch brought aboard as one of the few personal objects permitted during missions:
« And my Eberhard is particularly dear to me, because my father gave it to me on the day I graduated from the Academy. It wasn’t an actual surprise, many other young men got one. But of the few personal objects I can take with me on a mission, my Eberhard is the one I hold dearest.»
By supporting the publication of the book L’Arte di sfidare il tempo (“The Art of Defying Time”) in 2017, the Maison helped bring these forgotten stories back to life. Through archives, photographs, and testimonies, a silent memory emerges, distant from mere performance, closer to intimacy.
Even today, among the half-deserted ruins of the Bordeaux bases, engraved names and faces recount lives dedicated to duty. Eberhard & Co. thus silently inherits these fragments of humanity.
The Future : Genoa, Onde Bleue & contemporary renaissance
Since 2022, Eberhard & Co. has been the Official Timekeeper of the Genoa Boat Show, one of the most prestigious nautical events internationally—a partnership celebrating technical excellence and the Maison’s genuine bond with the sea.
In 2024, to honor this collaboration, the Maison introduced a limited edition: the Scafograf 200 Onde Bleue, produced in only 137 pieces. Inspired by the first Scafograf of 1959, this exclusive model stands out with its blue dial animated by stylized waves. The 43 mm steel case is completed by a star-engraved caseback, offered with either a rubber strap or Chassis® steel bracelet.
Eberhard & Co.’s relationship with the sea is multifaceted and authentic: technical with Scafograf collections, sporting through various sponsorships, elegant with Azzurra, historical through Commander Rossetto’s account, and contemporary with the Genoa Boat Show. It’s not about following trends or simple marketing actions: it’s continuity, a deeply rooted identity. In every wave, ritual, and chronograph, Eberhard & Co. listens to the sea’s song and responds, watch by watch, like a sailor answering the call of the wind. Beyond style and mechanics, the sea remains for Eberhard & Co. a field of total expression: a living, evolving horology connected to grand History and everyday gestures, questioning time and the traces we leave on water.
