I think I need help.
Obviously, I've enjoyed collecting Ebel watches. Obviously, I've gotten ridiculously good deals on them to feed that enjoyment. Obviously, I would not have bought nearly as many if they hadn't been throwing them at me at 25 cents on the dollar (or less). But all of that has led me to become a true fan. It's not that I don't recognize the flaws, or the (vast) mistakes that Ebel has made as a company, though many of those were not their own fault.
One of the most compelling stories in the last half-century of the watch world was how Charles Vermot squirreled away the tooling, parts, and already produced ebauches for the Zenith caliber 3019 PHC--the El Primero--in direct defiance of the orders of their Zenith Radio Corporation overlords. And everyone knows the El Primero's famed blew up when Rolex started using them in 1988 for the first automatic Daytona. Most Zenith aficionados know that Zenith halted production of the EP in the middle 70's, in response to their new owner's insistence on making only electronic watches.
Pierre-Alain Blum, the grandson of Ebel's founder and the man in charge from 1971 until 1995, was the guy that pushed Zenith, now freed from the Zenith Radio Corp ownership (it's a coincidence that both companies were name "Zenith"), to discover Vermot's deed and start selling the El Primero movement again. Blum had predicted the resurgence of mechanical watch popularity soon after he had brought out his very successful Sport Classic collection, with the wave bracelet, in 1978. But Ebel, as an etablisseur, didn't have a movement manufacture and needed to shop for the right movement to use. Nobody knows what led Blum to seek out Zenith rather than buying 7750's from Valjoux/ETA, which was in financial straits at the time--several years before the ASUAG/SMH merger under Hayek. Zenith was nearby, and newly independent, as was Ebel, and perhaps that was the reason. In any case, Blum started buying movements from Zenith, and in 1982 came out with the Chronosport, aka Sport Classic Chronograph. This watch had the wave bracelet common to the Sport Classic line. In 1986, Blum celebrated the 75th anniversary of Ebel by bringing out the 1911 collection, and I think it was that time when they added the more conventional linked bracelet for that series. There are examples of 1911 Chronographs with El Primeros marked caliber 40.0, which was a transitional marking that occurred during 1986 only. There are examples of El Primero-equipped Ebel Sport Classic Chronographs with the wave bracelet that were marked 3019PHC on the movement, and it's possible these were the old stock of ebauches that Vermot had hidden. Later, the movements were marked caliber 400, as El Primeros are marked today. I don't know yet if this one is a 40.0, or a 400, but with the linked bracelet, it's unlikely to be a 3019PHC. We shall see when it arrives.
Ebel called all the El Primero movements they used Caliber 134 (the perpetual calendar version that later became the 410 was an Ebel 136). When Rolex started using EP's (as their cal. 4030) in 1988, Zenith reportedly had trouble keeping up with demand. Many other companies were also using those movements, simply because they were the best high-grade chronograph movement that was available as an ebauche to mid-range companies at that time. But Blum was concerned Zenith would not be able to meet demand (and likely Zenith was increasing their prices), and he started the development of his own movement, the caliber 137, which first appeared in watches in 1995. Roland Ranfft believes that the Zenith movements were used for several more years in some watches to use up remaining stock. So, this one must date from 1986 (when the new bracelet design came out) and the late 90's when they ran out of the Caliber 134.
I already have Ebels with the 137 and its sibling, the 139, but an Ebel with an El Primero was always high on the wish list. But many that I've seen had too many problems, or two uncertain a history, or too high a price.
Here it is:
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Ebel 1134901. I have a two-tone dress watch in a similar case now, and I love it for being just different than most of what else is out there. This one is on a bracelet. Dimensions are 40mm case (nominal--these cases are hard to measure), 12mm thick. I like thin watches and this one is quite so for a chronograph.
I bought this watch from (gasp!) Tourneau, in their online certified pre-owned store. It was on sale at a very decent price (and VERY decent for any vintage El Primero-equipped watch), with the claim of recent overhaul and a two-year warranty. It's good to know part numbers, because they failed to mention the Zenith movement in their description. But the reference number tells all 1-steel case with gold bezel, 134-Zenith El Primero, 901-40mm chronograph case.
Yes, Geoff, another bloody Ebel.
Rick "now in wait mode" Denney
Obviously, I've enjoyed collecting Ebel watches. Obviously, I've gotten ridiculously good deals on them to feed that enjoyment. Obviously, I would not have bought nearly as many if they hadn't been throwing them at me at 25 cents on the dollar (or less). But all of that has led me to become a true fan. It's not that I don't recognize the flaws, or the (vast) mistakes that Ebel has made as a company, though many of those were not their own fault.
One of the most compelling stories in the last half-century of the watch world was how Charles Vermot squirreled away the tooling, parts, and already produced ebauches for the Zenith caliber 3019 PHC--the El Primero--in direct defiance of the orders of their Zenith Radio Corporation overlords. And everyone knows the El Primero's famed blew up when Rolex started using them in 1988 for the first automatic Daytona. Most Zenith aficionados know that Zenith halted production of the EP in the middle 70's, in response to their new owner's insistence on making only electronic watches.
Pierre-Alain Blum, the grandson of Ebel's founder and the man in charge from 1971 until 1995, was the guy that pushed Zenith, now freed from the Zenith Radio Corp ownership (it's a coincidence that both companies were name "Zenith"), to discover Vermot's deed and start selling the El Primero movement again. Blum had predicted the resurgence of mechanical watch popularity soon after he had brought out his very successful Sport Classic collection, with the wave bracelet, in 1978. But Ebel, as an etablisseur, didn't have a movement manufacture and needed to shop for the right movement to use. Nobody knows what led Blum to seek out Zenith rather than buying 7750's from Valjoux/ETA, which was in financial straits at the time--several years before the ASUAG/SMH merger under Hayek. Zenith was nearby, and newly independent, as was Ebel, and perhaps that was the reason. In any case, Blum started buying movements from Zenith, and in 1982 came out with the Chronosport, aka Sport Classic Chronograph. This watch had the wave bracelet common to the Sport Classic line. In 1986, Blum celebrated the 75th anniversary of Ebel by bringing out the 1911 collection, and I think it was that time when they added the more conventional linked bracelet for that series. There are examples of 1911 Chronographs with El Primeros marked caliber 40.0, which was a transitional marking that occurred during 1986 only. There are examples of El Primero-equipped Ebel Sport Classic Chronographs with the wave bracelet that were marked 3019PHC on the movement, and it's possible these were the old stock of ebauches that Vermot had hidden. Later, the movements were marked caliber 400, as El Primeros are marked today. I don't know yet if this one is a 40.0, or a 400, but with the linked bracelet, it's unlikely to be a 3019PHC. We shall see when it arrives.
Ebel called all the El Primero movements they used Caliber 134 (the perpetual calendar version that later became the 410 was an Ebel 136). When Rolex started using EP's (as their cal. 4030) in 1988, Zenith reportedly had trouble keeping up with demand. Many other companies were also using those movements, simply because they were the best high-grade chronograph movement that was available as an ebauche to mid-range companies at that time. But Blum was concerned Zenith would not be able to meet demand (and likely Zenith was increasing their prices), and he started the development of his own movement, the caliber 137, which first appeared in watches in 1995. Roland Ranfft believes that the Zenith movements were used for several more years in some watches to use up remaining stock. So, this one must date from 1986 (when the new bracelet design came out) and the late 90's when they ran out of the Caliber 134.
I already have Ebels with the 137 and its sibling, the 139, but an Ebel with an El Primero was always high on the wish list. But many that I've seen had too many problems, or two uncertain a history, or too high a price.
Here it is:
Ebel 1134901. I have a two-tone dress watch in a similar case now, and I love it for being just different than most of what else is out there. This one is on a bracelet. Dimensions are 40mm case (nominal--these cases are hard to measure), 12mm thick. I like thin watches and this one is quite so for a chronograph.
I bought this watch from (gasp!) Tourneau, in their online certified pre-owned store. It was on sale at a very decent price (and VERY decent for any vintage El Primero-equipped watch), with the claim of recent overhaul and a two-year warranty. It's good to know part numbers, because they failed to mention the Zenith movement in their description. But the reference number tells all 1-steel case with gold bezel, 134-Zenith El Primero, 901-40mm chronograph case.
Yes, Geoff, another bloody Ebel.
Rick "now in wait mode" Denney
