Ebel

CREATION OF THE BRAND AND KEY DATES

The Ebel brand was created in 1911 in La Chaux-de-Fonds (a town in the Swiss Jura) by the couple Eugène Blum Et (and) Alice Levy. They combined the initials of their names (Eugène Blum and Levy) to create the name. This company was then taken over in 1932 by Charles, the couple's son. He quickly set about expanding the brand abroad before Blum's grandson, Pierre Alain, took over in his turn. It was also under Blum's direction in the 1970s that Ebel began producing wristwatches for the famous Cartier brand. It then became part of the LVMH group, and then of the Movado group at the end of 2003.

History and innovation

Between 1939 and 1945, Ebel developed and supplied watches to the RAF (British Royal Air Force). These watches provided pilots with a reliable and particularly legible measuring tool for their missions across Europe at war. While these timekeeping tools are the mainstay of the brand, they also begin the development of more elegant wristwatches for a female audience like their iconic Luna Etoile watch, featuring a sapphire and diamond bezel.

Over the decades, Ebel has differentiated itself from other Swiss watchmakers by creating a unique style in the form of the very popular and elegant Wave or Beluga models. The brand is associated with sportsmen and celebrities like Andre Agassi, Claudia Schiffer and Boris Becker.

The collections

Ebel is best known for producing elegant women's wristwatches and men's sports chronographs. Other popular collections include the Beluga, E Type and 1911 Lady, as well as the Discovery, Sportwave and Classic Wave models. After a quieter period in the early 2000s, it rebounded with larger cases and bezels like the 1911 BTR collection. In-house calibers were also created, such as the 137/139 movements equipped at the heart of the brand's automatic chronographs, and the 240 for GMT models.

Ebel's Sport Classic collection proved to be a huge success. It was an instant worldwide success when in 1983 it caught the attention of collectors with its hexagonal shaped case with rounded corners. Equipped with the distinctive Ebel Wave bracelet, it combines an elegant and chic character with a sporty edge. The Beluga, launched in 1985, is also an international success. It is a comfortable model that with its graceful and opulent design allows women to express their femininity and elegance without having to wear a lot of jewelry.

Today, Ebel continues its success, combining innovation and ingenuity, by creating new successful collections such as the Brasilia, with a softened rectangular case, or the Onde watch, inspired by the undulations of water.