On the occasion of World Watch Day, Eberhard & Co. celebrates its enduring passion for watchmaking by welcoming a new timepiece into the permanent collection of its Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds: a 1941 wrist chronograph, a genuine testament to the Maison’s first extraordinary era of chronograph creation.
A Masterpiece from 1941
The timepiece is powered by a mechanical hand-wound chronograph movement, calibre EB 1600 16’’’, featuring a mechanical device that allows the chronograph to be temporarily stopped and restarted without resetting to zero, thanks to the presence, at 4 o’clock, of a sliding pusher: a distinctive hallmark of Eberhard & Co. timepieces from that period. The 2 o’clock pusher controls the start, stop, and reset functions of the chronograph.
The case, with its harmonious lines, measures 40 mm in diameter and features a stepped bezel, along with pushers and a crown in stainless steel. Its matte black dial, rich in detail yet perfectly balanced, showcases gold-tone Arabic numerals and indexes, two counters, an outer telemetric scale, a 1/5-second division around the minute track, and the signature spiral tachymeter scale at its centre.
A Timepiece, A Story
This sport-inspired chronograph is not merely a precious object, it is a symbol of a time when aesthetic refinement evolved hand in hand with technical advancement and the Maison’s relentless drive for innovation.
Founded in 1887 by Georges-Lucien Eberhard, the Maison had already introduced the first single-pusher wrist chronograph in 1919, marking the beginning of a tradition that would leave a lasting imprint on Swiss watchmaking. By the 1930s, Eberhard & Co. had produced chronographs that became a distinctive mark of the officers of the Royal Italian Navy.
The 1941 model emerged during a period of great dynamism. Just one year later, in 1942, the Maison unveiled the renowned Magini System, an astronomical navigation chronograph that accompanied the historic Rome–Tokyo flight.
A New Addition to the Museum
With the arrival of this chronograph in the Eberhard & Co. Museum, the Maison reaffirms its commitment to preserving and celebrating its heritage.
This World Watch Day becomes a moment to honour the past, while keeping its heart firmly set on innovation.
