EBEL was founded by husband and wife Eugene Blum and Alice Levy, in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1911. Since its inception, the Swiss watch brand has remained true to their core values, manufacturing fine watches that marry beauty and function. Renowned for its iconic bracelet design with signature wave-shaped links, EBEL continues to create timepieces that embody luxury and contemporary elegance with subtle, yet exquisite detail.

Since 1911, EBEL has dedicated their talents, passion and creativity to designing and crafting distinctive watches that exercise an enduring fascination.

Undeniably, watch-making has tended to be a male dominated area – but not so at Ebel, which was built on the twin pillars of masculine and feminine values and qualities. The founding members, who established this great watchmaking brand on July 15, 1911, were a man and a woman, partners in life and in business. Settled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, one of the major centers of Swiss watch-making, Eugène Blum and Alice Lévy decided to seal their destinies in an entirely novel way.

The name of the watchmaking firm they established symbolized its unique origins in the fusion of two outstanding personalities: EBEL – an acronym of the initials “Eugène Blum Et Lévy”. The couple’s complementary talents and interests were to shape the corporate spirit. Eugène dealt with the technical side of brand development, emphasizing precision, expertise and quality while Alice focused on the aesthetic aspects of Ebel watches, insisting on elegance and sensuality of design. Their shared concern and flair for details led them to lavish meticulously skilled care on their entire product range, from exquisitely feminine jewelry models and Haute Joaillerie creations, to refined men’s timepieces that were making the epochal transition from the pocket-watch to elegant wristwatches.

The dual inspiration of Alice and Eugène Blum gave Ebel unrivalled dynamism and an exceptional ability to create refined and reliable watches, which inevitably drew attention and honors. The founders’ son, Charles Blum, worked to hone the brand’s competitive edge while creating a production facility capable of selling its movements to other internationally famous brands. Uncompromising quality was already seen as the key to success within a demanding profession, and Ebel illustrated its dedication to this fundamental value in 1935 by becoming the first Swiss watch company to use the Western Electric System.

This invention, a precursor of the Vibrograph, was the first device capable of accurately measuring and testing rating precision. As part of the same drive for perfection, admirably promoted by the highly talented watchmaker Marcel Reuche, Ebel encouraged the creation of the “Contrôle Technique des Montres” (CTM) in 1957, involving stringent customs controls that guaranteed Swiss watchmaking precision throughout the world. The CTM also made a significant contribution to enhancing the quality control criteria of the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), the official body conferring the certification that continues today to represent a prestigious assurance of accuracy and reliability.

The consistent excellence and inventive design cultivated by Ebel deserved to resonate far beyond the borders of Switzerland and Europe. During World War II, Ebel became the main supplier of watches to the British Army, which provided eloquent testimony to the strength of the reputation it was so patiently and carefully establishing. Ebel definitely took the path of international business when Pierre-Alain Blum, called back from his career in the United States by his father Charles Blum, was at the head of the company. His strong personality, pioneering spirit and visionary impetus were to raise Ebel to new heights within the international luxury world, helping the brand to achieve spectacular development.

In step with this growing global awareness, Ebel’s distribution network was broadened accordingly to encompass an ever larger number of points of sale representing the brand around the world. Gaining a foothold and increasingly well established on all five continents, the brand became a symbol of aspiration for countless people who dreamed of being gifted an Ebel watch.

Convinced of the powerful impact of sports on brand image, EBEL invested considerably during the 1980s and 1990s in raising global awareness of the brand through sponsoring prestigious events such as the Monte Carlo Tennis Open, the Davis Cup tennis championship and the Swiss Open European Masters golf championship. They also enlisted the endorsement of well known brand ambassadors from the worlds of sport (Yannick Noah, Stefan Edberg and Colin Montgomerie) and entertainment (including Madonna and Dennis Hopper). Demonstrating a parallel commitment to the arts, represented by such talented figures as Barbara Hendricks, Ebel also established a distinguished presence in cultural circles.

Pierre-Alain Blum acted forcefully on his conviction that Ebel must offer contemporary watches with timeless charisma. He introduced the Sport Classic collection in 1977 with its inimitable Wave bracelet and fully integrated case, a “revolutionary” design with which Ebel would become definitively associated. This iconic collection was to achieve unprecedented public success and to generate a lasting fascination for two-tone steel and gold watches. Subsequent major launches of still existing collections were to follow, including Beluga and 1911 Chronograph.

After a decade of quartz supremacy, Ebel’s president became convinced that mechanical watches would have a new key role to play in the watch-making universe. Therefore, EBEL started to use mechanical movements in their watches and to develop their own calibers, such as Caliber 137 launched for the very first time in 1995 and housed within the 1911 collection. Thanks to this potent combination of a distinctive approach to product design and the quest for technological mastery, Ebel gained international recognition in the watch-making field.

In 2004, EBEL was acquired by Movado Group, a Swiss watchmaking conglomerate that designs, manufactures, and distributes Movado, EBEL, Concord, Coach, HUGO BOSS, Lacoste, Juicy Couture, Tommy Hilfiger, and Scuderia Ferrari brand watches worldwide.

EBEL celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011. Still, the essential brand values remain unchanged: classic elegance, sculptural lines, smoothly sensual shapes, traditional fine craftsmanship and undeniable watchmaking expertise have been both faithfully preserved and effectively reinterpreted. The signature designs on which the company founded their success have been rejuvenated, alongside the extension of the range through exciting new models that for man unmistakably contemporary and innovative collection. Ebel has also developed four new proprietary movements within its workshops, thereby reviving and reinforcing its historically proven competence in the field of mechanical horology.

Moreover, to express its multi-faceted appeal and convey its core values, Ebel has also built up a strong communication platform entirely in harmony with the DNA of the brand. To achieve this, it has opted to work with world-renowned personalities representing the epitome of elegance and sophistication, such as super model Gisele Bündchen.

Further, broadening its appeal to encompass the most truly global sport of all and its most prestigious exponents, Ebel has become one of the first luxury watch brands to partner with top-class football clubs such as Arsenal and FC Bayern Munich, with which it shares a number of important values including respect for a noble heritage and dedication to perfecting their craft.

Ebel’s success is built upon the perfect fusion of technical excellence and passion for aesthetically daring and timeless, distinctive design. At the very core of the design philosophy lies the commitment to distinctiveness that puts Ebel watches in a league of their own. Ebel’s often groundbreaking models have consistently explored uncharted territory and instigated new trends. Striking examples that come to mind include the monohull hexagonal case, visible functional screws, the inimitable wave bracelet and other design features that have now become an integral part of the watch-making scene. The unmistakable character of a watch by EBEL is ensured by a unique combination of subtle features. Gentle, sensual curves confer a voluptuous charm on the sleek, flowing lines entirely free of any sharp edges.

Governed by long-established and uncompromising quality standards, each step in the process of creating an Ebel watch involves the pooling of multiple talents and considerable knowhow. Patiently cultivated and handed down through generations, these invaluable “natural” resources are as ever infused with a decidedly contemporary and inventive approach. The elegance of fully integrated cases and bracelets complements the emblematic shapes and motifs, enhanced by authentic and refined styling. The sheer sophistication of these innovative yet timeless designs is further highlighted by the obvious care lavished on even the smallest details, apparent in a wealth of delicate finishing touches and sensations. Not least of these is the caress of an Ebel watch on the wrist, providing the wearer with a level of comfort that has to be experienced to be believed.

Jewelry Watches: On gem-set models, Ebel silky-soft feel is enhanced by the meticulous attention devoted to diamond-setting, which guarantees the smoothness of surfaces thus adorned with precious stones. Much like a beautiful architectural accomplishment, a timepiece carrying the inimitable Ebel signature radiates a sense of warmth and familiarity, while simultaneously arousing admiration through its daringly novel aspects. From its earliest days, Ebel has always displayed exceptional sensitivity and flair in the creation of jewelry-watches, nurtured by co-founder Alice Lévy, a passionate gem-lover, and duly recognized by awards honoring the House in 1914 for its ring watches, and in 1925 for its stunning Haute Joaillerie models.

In-house Mechanical movements: Reaffirming the historical legitimacy of brand within the demanding field of mechanical watches, Ebel has committed itself to pursuing and intensifying the development of its in-house movements. In doing so, it is building on a wealth of horological experience and know-how accumulated over almost a century and admirably exemplified in its famous automatic chronograph Caliber 137, first introduced in 1995 after five years of research and development. The latter has so far given rise to four automatic movements, Caliber 139 (chronograph), Caliber 240 (GMT), Caliber 288 (Perpetual Calendar) and Caliber 245 (chronograph) all of them offer a power reserve of at least 48 hours and are chronometer-certified, like the original, by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) – the ultimate guarantee of their excellent precision.

Timeline

• 1911: Foundation of Ebel by Eugène Blum and Alice Levy on July 15, 1911
• 1912: Launch of the first Ebel wristwatch
• 1914: Gold Medal at the National Exhibition in Bern for patented Ebel ring watches. From the very beginning, Alice Levy took Ebel into the universe of Haute Joaillerie.
• 1925: Grand Prize at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris
• 1929: Charles Blum, the founders’ son, joins the company. He will be instrumental in developing the brand’s excellence in quality and precision.
• 1935: Ebel becomes the first Swiss watchmaker to introduce the “Western Electric” precision and quality control standards.
• 1939-45: Ebel serves as official watch supplier to the Royal Air Force(British Army).
• 1964: Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne: Grand Prize for the Lune Etoilée watch.
• 1970’s: Pierre-Alain Blum, Charles’ son, joins the company. Under his charismatic leadership, Ebel becomes a world reference in watch-making.
• 1977: Launch of the emblematic Sport Classic collection
• 1982: Ebel relaunches the trend for automatic chronograph with the Chrono-Sport featuring the Ebel Caliber 134
• 1984: Launch of the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
• 1985: Launch of the Beluga collection exclusively in gold
• 1986: 75th Anniversary of Ebel: Ebel acquires and renovates the Villa Turque, built in La Chaux-de Fonds in 1917 by Le Corbusier.
• 1995: Launch of the Automatic Chronograph Ebel Caliber 137
• 2001: Ebel re-launches its activities in the Haute Joaillerie segment, offering a glittering universe of precious materials and exclusive refinement.
• 2004: Movado Group acquires EBEL.
• 2006: Launch of the 1911 BTR collection, Advertising campaign featuring Gisele, the new face of Ebel, Launch of the Brasilia collection.
• 2007: Launch of the Ebel Classic Hexagon collection, Launch of the new Beluga.
• 2008: Launch of the 1911 TEKTON collection, Ebel UK becomes the Official Timing Partner for Arsenal Football Club. Ebel becomes the Official Timing Partner for FC Bayern Munich, Ajax Amsterdam and Glasgow Rangers football clubs.
• 2011: EBEL celebrates its 100th anniversary. Unveils the new EBEL Classic 100 limited edition collection to mark the jubilee year.
• 2014: Launches the new EBEL Wave collection.

Official website :https://www.ebel.com

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