Ebel

It was entrepreneur Eugène Blum – and his wife Alice – who in 1911 established this now internationally famous company, using the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds as their base of operations. The exciting combination of Eugéne's technical knowhow and Alice's eye for design quickly resulted in a stream of excellent timepieces.

After joining the company in 1929, their son Charles laid key foundations for the future development of Ebel, maintaining its commitment to quality and precision while expanding its sales network. In a short time, Ebel watches were known far beyond the borders of Switzerland. In 1930, a new, extended collection premiered at the Basel watch fair. Eventually Charles Blum assumed a full managerial role, pushing the expansion of Ebel watches into far-flung new markets.

During the Second World War, Ebel was the watch brand of choice for Great Britain's Royal Air Force, a fact which helped to raise the brand's prestige and name recognition even further. When the founder's grandson, Pierre-Alain Blum, joined the family business in 1970, he oversaw the promotion of Ebel to the front rank of luxury watches. Under his leadership, Ebel became one of the best known of all Swiss watchmaking firms.

Ebel timepieces combine elegance and sportiness in a smart, contemporary design. Although the company is well known for its high performing chronographs for men, Ebel watches for ladies are equally popular and appealing.

A few years after the end of the war, Ebel launched the Videomatic, with its pioneering automatic movement. A highlight of the 1950s was the unique Châtelaine watch, so-called because it adapted the sophisticated chain design of a Châtelaine belt for its chic design. In the Swinging Sixties, Ebel watches for ladies received another fillip when the Lune Etoilée line collected first prize in the fine jewellery watch category at the Swiss national exhibition.

1977 was a particularly strong year for Ebel watches. This year saw the launch of the Ebel wave bracelet, along with the groundbreaking Sport Classic collection. Ever since, this beloved watch strap has been integral to numerous Ebel watch designs, a popular feature on countless bestsellers.

The 1980s brought yet more innovations to the Ebel house. The company introduced the slogan “Architects of Time”, crystallizing its brand identity. Matching actions to words, Ebel began helping to restore old buildings with historical significance, in particular tenements in the centre of Manhattan, where Ebel USA is based.

A high point in Ebel men's watches, the Chrono-Sport collection was launched in 1982 to the delight of athletics fans. The same decade saw the introduction of the elegant Beluga line in exclusive gold finishes – a line that still exerts a strong attraction for female watch lovers. Then in 2007 came a popular collection with an emphatically geometric design: the Ebel Classic Hexagon.

In 1985, Ebel celebrated 75 years of watchmaking excellence with the iconic and extremely popular 1911 collection. It also updated its strap design with a new, patented double folding clasp. Other landmarks from this era are the cosmopolitan watches in the Voyager line and the launch of the Sportwave and Lichine Tonneau collections. In both of these, Ebel's trademark curve and wave designs were a major source of inspiration.

In tribute to the sporty elegance for which Ebel is famous worldwide, the company released the Dresswave and Shanta watch series, yet another impressive demonstration of their watchmaking skill. At the end of the 1990s, the geometric “E” in the Ebel' logo was the source of inspiration for the new Satya and E-Type collections.

Another important collection from Ebel is the Sport Classic, which prominently features the company's signature wave design. The fine jewellery watches of the Gems of the Ocean range, meanwhile, were an homage to the designs of the company's founder, Alice Lévy, reflecting the more feminine side of the brand's heritage. Gems of the Night, the 1911 La Carrée and the Tarawa are all in their own way equally spectacular combinations of form and function.

The Ebellissimo and Ebel Classic collections, issued in 2005, were a powerful restatement of the brand's core values. A year later Ebel released the 1911 BTR watch, another masterpiece of design and technology. 2006 also ushered in the Brasilia watch line, a celebration of youth, spontaneity and joie de vivre that was a big hit with watch collectors all over the globe.

In 2011, Ebel celebrated its 100th birthday. To mark the occasion, the brand released a limited edition of its 1911 anniversary watch line, honouring the past with stylish modern reinterpretations.

The following year was also a significant one for Ebel, because change was in the air. The new Ebel Onde and Ebel X-1 collections were a bold new evolution – chic, contemporary watch creations at the cutting edge. Beneath it all, though, Ebel's traditional values of style and elegance still shone through.

The company continues to maintain a number of retro collections drawing on its rich archives. These include the 1911 Chronograph, the 1911 Lady for slender women's wrists, the Classic Wave with its striking curvilinear design, the luxurious Beluga and sporty Discovery.

Ebel has always stood for Swiss quality and sound design – a fact that celebrities all over the world fully appreciate. Tennis aces Boris Becker and Andre Agassi and the beautiful Claudia Schiffer have all worn Ebel watches with great enthusiasm.

The company's strong affinity for sports is also evident in its tie-ins with various international football clubs. Most notably, it produced special limited edition chronographs for FC Bayern Munich and AFC Ajax Amsterdam. Retailing at around £8,600, these have counting discs limited to 45 minutes – one half of a football match. Ebel has also collaborated with the award-winning Spanish football club Real Madrid, France's Olympique Lyon and the Glasgow Rangers.