Eberhard & Co.

Eberhard & Co is a Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Swiss watch making industrialist Georges Eberhard.

Eberhard & Co
Founded1887, La Chaux-de-Fonds
FounderGeorges Eberhard
Headquarters
La Chaux-de-Fonds
,
Switzerland
Key people
Barbara Monti, CEO, Mario Peserico, Managing Director
ProductsWatches
Websiteeberhard-co-watches.ch

History

Georges Eberhard, the founder

The Eberhard & Co manufacture was founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the historic birthplace of the Swiss watchmaking industry[1] by Georges Eberhard. Eberhard was the son of a prominent Bernese family tracing its origins back to the 10th century,[2] which was involved in the development of the Swiss watchmaking industry. His father early initiated him to the art of watch making and Eberhard was only 22 when he founded the company.

1900–1947

In 1907, the company has become one of the largest Swiss watch manufacture and inaugurated its new headquarters which takes an entire block at the very center of rue Leopold Robert, La Chaux-de-Fonds's main avenue. The five-story building was reminiscent of the 19th century Paris works of Georges-Eugène Haussmann, designed in the distinctive Beaux Arts style with a round tower topped by a large eagle sculpture,[3] and has become one of the city's well-known landmarks and its highest structure until the 1960s. In 1919, Eberhard's sons, Georges and Maurice took over the company.[4]

1947–1987

After the end of World War II, the manufacture resumed its activities and, in 1947, made its first woman's watch,[5] starting its jewelry collections.

1987–present

Since 1996, the manufacture has decided to focus on luxury king-size wristwatches and launched a new Grande Taille (Super Size) collection.[6] True to its history of technical challenges, Eberhard & Co launched in 1997 the 8 days "a manually winding mechanical watch that needs to be rewound every eight days only"[7] thanks to a special winding device and, in 2001, it launched the Chrono 4 "the first chronograph in the history of watchmaking whose counters are arranged in one row".[8] In 2017 Eberhard & Co. celebrated its 130th anniversary of uninterrupted watch production. A book entitled "The Art of Defying Time" was published for the occasion.[9]

Sources and references
  • Official website
  • Eberhard & Co Collections, Eberhardwatches
  • Eberhard & Co profile, Swisstime
  1. Profile of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Tourism
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) History of Eberhard & Co: 1865, Eberhard official website
  3. image of Eberhard & Co 1907's HQ
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) History of Eberhard & Co: 1919, Eberhard official website
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) History of Eberhard & Co: 1947, Eberhard official website
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) History of Eberhard & Co: 1996, Eberhard official website
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) quote from History of the brand: 1997, Eberhard official website
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) quote from History of the brand: 2001, Eberhard official website
  9. "The Art of Defying Time". Retrieved 2018-04-09.
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