Timeless Elegance: Shedding light on Eberhard & Co.’s range of dress watches

By Montredo in Lifestyle
January 4, 2021
Timeless Elegance: Shedding light on Eberhard & Co.’s range of dress watches

When you think of the Swiss watch manufacturer Eberhard & Co., chances are that your first associations will be dive watches and chronographs. For good reason: The GPHG win of the Scafograf 300 in 2016 or the patented timekeeping mechanism with four subdials of the Chrono 4 line are identity-defining for any watch brand and factors that significantly affect the collective perception of a brand.

However, do not be fooled into thinking that Eberhard & Co. does not also offer watches at the other end of the scale – quite the opposite actually. Four collections in particular caught our eye, boasting proper dress watch qualities.

What makes a good dress watch?

The question is not as easy to answer as one might think. The reason for this is that watch fans are usually divided into two camps: the purists and those who take a more relaxed view of the term “dress watch”. 

Strictly speaking, a dress watch should attract as little attention as possible, be too small rather than too large in diameter, have no complications and feature plain dial colors, i.e. ideally black or white (or slight variations such as champagne or gray). In addition, a high-quality leather strap is considered mandatory and precious metals are also more than welcome.

Nonetheless, in times when no one bats an eye when dive watches are worn with suits, a dress watch can be just as well a bit more casual and playful these days in our opinion. That’s why a dress watch today is usually positioned as the antithesis of a sports watch, i.e. a minimalist dial, low case height and subtle dial colors still apply, but way less stringently.

1887 Remontage Manuel

1887 is not only the founding year of Eberhard & Co., but also the name of an elegant watch. Immediately eye-catching is the intricate “Clous de Paris” dial and Roman indices for even numbers. The generous date at 6 o’clock helps maintain the symmetry of the dial, while ULTURALE’s handmade silk strap with floral pattern gives the watch a bit of a more casual twist. Inside the 41.8mm case ticks the hand-wound and lavishly hand-decorated EB140 caliber, which was introduced in 2019 and powers the watch for a full 40h.

8 Jours Grande Taille

The name says it all, as huit jours (i.e. eight days) hints at the power reserve of this impressive watch. How Eberhard & Co. achieved that? Well, the brand relies on two overlapping mainsprings to make it happen. Together, they are more than one and a half meters long, which is insane when you consider that a conventional mainspring only measures around 30cm. This patented invention is housed in a contemporary 41mm case, featuring an elegant black and white dial. Especially the historical Eberhard & Co. lettering at 12 o’clock is another nice touch we love.

Ref: 21027.1

Traversetolo

The 43mm in diameter is probably reserved for larger wrists, but those who can pull them off them will be delighted with the Traversetolo shown here. Especially the classic dial layout, characterized by white indices on a black dial as well as a small second at 6 o’clock, provide the watch a calm and uncluttered appearance. With the built-in Unitas 6498, Eberhard & Co. moreover relies on an almost legendary caliber. It originally celebrated success as a savonette movement, but also cuts a fine figure in larger wristwatches – hence its diameter of 43mm.

Ref: 21116.18

Aiglon Grande Taille

The last watch in the bunch that will make a great companion to the next wedding or business dinner is the Aiglon Grande Taille. Unlike its predecessors, this watch uses an automatic movement and presents itself in a sportier guise. Instead of the elegant feuille hands seen before, the model shown above makes use of bar-shaped obelisque hands that take out some of the seriousness. However, due to the straight-forward, champagne-colored dial and the ostrich leather strap, the watch makes for a great and versatile everyday dress watch.

Ref: 41030.4/S

Dress watches from Eberhard & Co. at Montredo

Regardless if you are a fan of the Eberhard & Co. icons à la Scafograf and Chrono 4 or a proponent of the somewhat more elegant models, all models of the brand are available in our store.

By the way, did you know that we have visited Eberhard & Co. in their historic Eagle House headquarter in La Chaux-de-Fonds? You can watch our manufactory visit video here:


This is a sponsored article by Montredo for Eberhard & Co.


Previous comments (1)

  1. My pick would be the 1887 Remontage Manuel, but on a matte black (or navy blue) croc strap. 😊

    January 4, 2021

Menu