Back where we belong

Eberhard & Co. returns to its historic La Chaux-de-Fonds site.

It was the year 1887 when Georges Eberhard opened his first workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which was already, just as it is today, the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry. 

It has been a long time since, but the generations of entrepreneurs who have taken up leadership of Eberhard & Co. have remained faithful to the example of Georges, allowing the name Eberhard to grow internationally, thanks to a series of milestones in watchmaking. 

Back where we belong

Barbara Monti, the company’s current CEO, this year wanted to achieve one of the main goals that she had set herself when she took over the reins of Eberhard: to return the company to the historic premises built by its founder, the Maison de l'Aigle. Everyone in La Chaux-de-Fonds knows the building, which covers the majority of a block on Avenue Léopold-Robert, not only because of its grandeur and the fact that it is among the city’s industrial buildings listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site, but also thanks to the eagle placed by Georges-Lucien on top of its dome, its outstretched wings symbolizing the strong will to fly towards new conquests. 

There have indeed been many achievements in those 131 years of history. Eberhard created its first wrist chronograph in 1919, the forerunner of countless collections of timepieces, most often of a sporting nature, technically innovative, such as the Chrono 4, the first chronograph equipped with four aligned counters, which made history at the time of its launch and, still today, remains one of a kind. 

This consistency, combined with a spirit of independence, is the key to understanding today’s move. This is not merely a change of headquarters, but the expression of Eberhard’s determination to enter a new phase and strengthen its principles of respect for both tradition and innovation, while, at the same time, cementing the heritage of the brand. 

Back where we belong

As a statement for this comeback, the building's historic eagle will be restored, removing the effects of more than a century of weather: Eberhard & Co. will contribute to return one of the city’s true icons to its citizens in all its splendour, celebrating a strongly desired and meaningful comeback. 

2019 is the year in which Eberhard will rise with a new and at the same time historic identity, supported by a series of projects emblematic of the many decades of dedication to the Art of Challenging Time. 

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