This watch belongs to the historic collection introduced in the early 1960s, through which the Maison expressed its core expertise—chronography—during a period of profound transformation in the watchmaking world. Under the Contograf name, over nearly twenty years, several sporty chronographs were produced, featuring different technical and stylistic solutions, yet united by a bold and distinctive design approach that continued beyond 1969 under the direction of Palmiro Monti, who led the Maison during a complex phase for traditional Swiss watchmaking marked by the rise of quartz technology.
The Eberhard & Co. Contograf reference 31504 is a manual-winding mechanical chronograph equipped with two counters and a date display, powered by the Calibre Eb 310-82. This hand-wound chronograph movement features running seconds, a chronograph minute counter, and a date function, designed for precise short-time measurement and clear readability of chronograph information.
From an aesthetic perspective, the oval case with its rounded lines recalls certain models from the Scafograf diver collection (such as the Scafograf 400 and Scafograf Super, also from 1969). The overall design anticipates 1970s trends, with a strong graphic and striking aesthetic, reflecting a time when the sports watch was conceived as a daily companion that still expressed personality and character.
The dial features the chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock with an original extended scale allowing readability from 30 to 45 minutes, a solution found in many models of the period. Running seconds are displayed at 9 o’clock, while the date window is positioned at 6 o’clock. The tachymeter and telemeter scales are not printed on the dial but instead screen-printed on the inner surface of the plexiglass crystal.
The watch comes in a 43 mm waterproof stainless-steel case with a screw-down case back. The black dial with two symmetrically designed white counters follows a “reverse panda” layout, enhancing legibility while creating a striking concentric visual balance through alternating tones. Applied luminous square indices match the shape of the date window at 6 o’clock, which replaces the corresponding index to preserve dial symmetry. Baton hands with luminous inserts ensure clear readability, while the white central chronograph hand allows immediate identification of the active function.
Overall, the model achieves a balance between technical purpose and formal clarity: a substantial case in terms of proportions, softened by flowing lines and a carefully structured dial that guides readability. The result is an immediately recognizable watch that reflects a phase in which the Maison was experimenting with new expressions of the mechanical chronograph in a world undergoing major transformation. Within the Eberhard & Co. Museum collection, this piece also tells the story of the transition between two crucial decades for watchmaking, where form and function begin to interact more freely, anticipating aesthetic directions that would fully emerge in the years to come.
