The typical chronograph layout consists of one, two or three counters harmoniously positioned on the dial, displaying a combination of the elapsed seconds, minutes and hours. Not every chronograph takes the same format, however, so depending on the brand and the model, the information can be displayed in a myriad of different ways. In addition, the small size of a watch’s dial and reading elapsed time on a chronograph can often require some visual gymnastics, which is obviously not ideal, especially when timing sporting events at speed.
When the counters align
In 1999, Eberhard & Co.’s CEO at the time, Palmiro Monti, decided there must be a better, faster way to display elapsed time. After much reflection, research, and development, he worked with his team for two years to devise a way to display the elapsed minutes, elapsed hours, 24 hours and small seconds in a row, with the four counters aligned on the dial for a more logical reading from left to right. This new layout was not only optimal from a legibility standpoint, but it was also aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Patended mechanism and registered design
Although visually simple, this new display required a complex technical innovation to be able to indicate the information in this way and was the result of both a technical patent and a registered design. It was released as the company’s first model for the new millennium during the Baselworld fair in 2001 and became the first and only chronograph in the history of watchmaking to feature four aligned counters, leading it to become a true icon for the brand today.
Since its release, numerous iterations have been made in a choice of 40-, 42-, 43- and 46-mm case sizes, in stainless steel, 18-carat gold and titanium, all of which are powered by the brand’s automatic Chrono 4 movement that contains no less that 53 jewels. In 2005, the brand unveiled a barrel-shaped version, called the Chrono 4 Temerario, with the four counters displayed in a vertical line. The year 2008 saw the introduction of the Chrono 4 Grande Taille at 43mm, which was followed, in 2010, by the Chrono 4 Géant at 46mm.
The history of the Eberhard & Co. Chronograph
It is important to note that the Chrono 4 is one of a long line of historically noteworthy chronographs that have been released by the brand over the years since its foundation in 1887. In 1919, Eberhard & Co. unveiled a monopusher chronograph wristwatch, which was the most advanced of its time. This was followed, in 1935, by a chronograph innovation featuring two pushers for starting and stopping the timepiece without a reset. The year 1938 saw the arrival of the brand’s first chronograph with an hours counter, and the following year, in 1939, the Maison unveiled a split-seconds chronograph that allowed the user to time two different events simultaneously.
A countinual success story
Through the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, chronographs remained extremely prevalent in the Eberhard & Co. collections with the Extra-fort and Contograf lines, which were equally ahead of their time. The 1980s and ‘90s saw the arrival of the Chrono Marine and the Chronomaster ‘Frecce Tricolori’, which was dedicated to the famous Italian Air Force aerobatic display team. No mention of Eberhard & Co. chronographs would be complete without a mention of the Tazio Nuvolari chronograph, which was created in memory of the legendary racing car driver whose Eberhard pocket watch never left his side.
20th anniversary celebration
The latest editions to the Chrono 4 collection are the Chrono 4 ‘21-42’ models that were released in celebration of the collection’s 20th anniversary and are named after the year (2021) and the case size (42mm). Available in several different iterations, there are options for a stainless steel or black ceramic bezel, different coloured dials and counters (black, white or pale blue) and the possibility to have a sunburst or clous de Paris hobnail pattern on the dial. Each model comes with snailed counters and can be fitted with different strap options including black rubber, black alligator leather, or a stainless-steel bracelet.
The Eberhard & Co. Chrono 4 is a chronograph where form and function unite with its attractive sporty design, complex technical know-how and easy-to-read layout, making it one of the most intuitive chronographs ever developed.
Eberhard & Co. Chrono 4 ‘21-42’
CASE: Stainless steel
DIAMETER: 42mm
MOVEMENT: Automatic
FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds, 24 hours, chronograph
DIAL: white dial with black counters (2001 version); black dial with white counters (2021 version)
STRAP: Black alligator leather
LAUNCH YEAR: 2021 for the collection’s 20th anniversary
This year GMT Magazine and WorldTempus have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the chronograph since the year 2000 in The Millennium Watch Book - Chronographs, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book - Chronographs is available in both French and English here.
