The "Sistema Magini" Chronograph Auctioned

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Auctioned for 56 000€! This splendid timepiece is unique, designed for in-flight navigation and named after the navigator who tested it: Publio Magini.

Press release



Tokyo 1942, Seconda Guerra Mondiale – An Eberhard & Co. Double chronograph took part to a little known episode of the Second World War:in 1942 it flew from Rome to Tokyo and back. We were at the height of the War and the Axis powers were unable to communicate via radio because their secret codes had been deciphered by the English and Americans. Italy, Germany and Japan decided to link up the three countries with a regular air service to transmit new codes. The Italians were the only ones to succeed, thanks to a watch.

Vercelli 29 May 2012, Meeting Art Auction House – The “Sistema Magini”, later called the “Metodo Magini” by Eberhard & Co., was the absolute protagonist of the sale, organised by the famous House, auctioned for the remarkable price of 56 000 Euros: the buyer is unknown, but we do know the value of the timepiece of the Swiss Company, which gave such a substantial contribution to the technical and scientific progress of Italian military aviation's history.

This splendid timepiece, auctioned at such an outstanding price, is unique, designed for in-flight navigation, and is named after the navigator who tested it, one of the protagonists of this exceptional historical episode: Publio Magini.

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Made at the beginning of the 1940s, the 24-hour split-second chronograph by Eberhard & Co. has a chromium-plated metal case with a push button coaxial to the crown, a rectangular push button at 4 hours for the chronographic functions, and corrector push buttons at 16 and 24 hours for the quick setting of the month and date.

The words “Sistema Magini” are featured on the dial, rotated by 15°, silver-coloured with 24 enamelled hours and division into 60 minutes/seconds, windows with indication of the month (for every day) at 12 hours and of the date at 24 hours. It is equipped with a hand-winding movement and both the dial and the case-back are branded.

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Later, as stated in an Eberhard document dated 1943, an order was confirmed by the Italian Air force for 10 standard and 10 split-second chronographs with the Magini wording on the dial, but then the War ended and they were not realized, making this model unique and even more valuable.

Passion, spirit of innovation, loyalty to tradition and attention to detail were, then and today, the guiding values that inspired and continue to inspire the Swiss watchmakers Eberhard & Co. in the creation of remarkable timepieces.

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