Later this year, Eberhard & Co. will officially celebrate the return to its historic home, the “Maison de l’Aigle” in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This trip back to the brand’s roots will be accompanied by a new watch in keeping with the same theme. Although the company is keeping tight-lipped about what this watch might be, it has already let slip one word that tells us all: vintage.
Eberhard & Co. has also provided some details about a new in-house movement, the first developed by the company in a number of years, that will equip this watch. The full details will be disclosed when the watch is launched, but we already know that the new EB 140 calibre is a hand-wound movement. With a full three-quarter plate visible on the images, such a characteristic is, of course, impossible to hide. The three-quarter plate and balance bridge also define the aesthetics of the movement, with a distinctive circular wave decoration. Gold-plated engravings and blued screws are indications of the attention to detail in the EB 140 and what is visible of the balance wheel suggests a construction in the purest horological tradition, which is only fitting for a future vintage-themed timepiece.
The new movement fits into a new stage in the brand’s development. Freed from the budgetary constraints of attending Baselworld for the past couple of years, after 70 years of presence at the exhibition, Managing Director Mario Peserico has been able to reshape the company’s product planning and communications. Announcing the new EB 140 calibre without the watch, just as Omega did with its calibre 321 at the start of the year, is a prime example of how communications can change when there is no time pressure to launch a product at Baselworld. Further innovations will no doubt follow from Eberhard & Co.’s historical headquarters as it seeks to capitalise on its rich history dating back to 1887.
