Who needs Black Friday? (Warning: Ebel content)

[Rdenney]

Yes, I said I want a Zodiac 1953 Skin. Yes, I said I want a Marathon GSAR US Government. But those haven't presented a unique buying opportunity.

This one did.



This is a Classic Wave, ref. 1120F55, in a configuration I had not seen.

The first "1" means it's a two-tone. But in this case, it does not have a gold bezel like previous 1911 and Sport Classique models would have had. The bezel screws are rose gold, as are the hands, the dial furniture, the crown, and link inserts. As with most two-tone Ebels, the effect is not al all "I can't afford all gold".



The dial is most unusual. It is matte silver with an overlay of interlocking Swiss crosses. At some angles, the metal goes dark and the pattern becomes a highlight, and in other lighting the pattern is dark against a bright background. The hands and markers are highly polished, gently convex rose gold. The thin edges of the hands are just as polished as the tops.



The case and bracelet gets treated with Ebel's characteristic super-fine brushing, with the exception of the polished bezel. But the bracelet is more finely rubbed than the case, and the word that comes to mind is "luster".



This is my only wave bracelet. They have always seemed a bit too precious, but this watch is bigger than the old Sport Classique and the bracelet is 23mm wide--just too substantive to look girly. It isn't the watch for crawling through forest underbrush wearing cammo or recovering gold from underwater shipwrecks.

But the wave bracelet is like wearing skin. It is liquid without being the least bit loose. I've never handled another bracelet like it, not even an Ebel. The clasp is a butterfly, and the links are held together with subtly hidden screws. The wave links are narrower than the current wave bracelet, so "ripples" might be more accurate.





The case is a good size. It's 41mm from 10 to 2, and most other dimensions are a bit bigger because of the shape. But I have big wrists and it looks quite conservative on me. The curved, integrated lug design means this will fit on wrists that normally prefer 38mm or smaller.



The case also thin. I mean much thinner than it looks, and it looks thin. It measures only 8.8 mm thick at the thickest point. What makes that possible is the top-grade ETA 2892 inside--this case would not accommodate a thicker movement like a 2824. What also makes it possible is the one-piece design, which Ebel pioneered, and is why they always owned their own case company back when it was developed. I don't know who "BC" is, but it's trademark of Ebel from the deeps of time, according to Mikrolisk. I doubt it still is, but I'm still researching that mark.





All in all, this is what the term "elegant sport watch" means. That is not a popular category, and that is Ebel's problem. But there's really not much out there like it.

As I said, it was a unique buying opportunity at the Movado Company Store, with two discounts stacked on each other. I paid about 22 cents on the dollar. That is also Ebel's problem, but I'm not complaining. The final price was well under a kilobuck, which is the same price as the Zodiac (discounted) and GSAR. But this is obviously from a much deeper end of the pool.



Rick "who had to get a wave bracelet sooner or later" Denney

[mlcor]

Wow, that's quite a bracelet!

[tribe125]

I’ve been trying to find a better way of saying it, but I really like the back and side views.

The construction is fascinating, and I suppose I’m saying that my personal preference would be for all-steel.

But I can see the appeal - especially at the price.

[ctimrun]

Fantastic write-up! Love that dial and that bracelet looks super cool and comfy.

[Rdenney]

I’ve been trying to find a better way of saying it, but I really like the back and side views.

The construction is fascinating, and I suppose I’m saying that my personal preference would be for all-steel.

But I can see the appeal - especially at the price.

I have to tell you that the steel version is a bit more "pretty" than the two-tone version. I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's true. The rose-gold in the joints of the links is very subtle--more a coloration than anything. It actually takes a little of the blinginess of it away. And lots of steel watches have gold dial furniture.

But Ebel watches have always had a singular look that is not going to be universally appealing. Although, nobody every thought of them as bland, either. But the whole elegant sport category is out of favor these days. In fact, I might go so far as to say elegance itself is out of fashion.

Rick "it will come back, just like those goofy and funky 70's designs have done" Denney

[skywatch]

That's a very interesting watch. Snakey. I don't mind the two-tone, it offers a dash of color and detail to the smooth lines. Nice catch!

[Rdenney]

An addendum for the moment: I have not been able to find any example of this technical reference number in any of my catalogs or anywhere online. I just can't an F55 case code on any other watch. The F family is the Classic Hexagon (I know I called it a Classic Wave, but I think incorrectly), and the Classic Hexagon came in two sizes. This is the smaller size with the (very rare) wave bracelet--most Classic Hexagons came on straps. My other Classic Hexagon is the GMT model in the F61 case, which is 46mm. This one is the standard smaller F5x case that came out to supplement the larger watches in 2010. (The larger Classic Hexagons were new in the 2007 catalog).

So, where you read "Classic Wave" above--scratch that. It's a Classic Hexagon--and the only automatic I have ever seen on a bracelet.

Rick "who has never seen this dial motif, either" Denney

[iyonk]

Fantastic watch!
I need one someday.. I dont have anything sweet on bracelet.. And that one is an elegant watch for sure..
Congrats! Enjoy with happy heart and great health man..

[Rdenney]

All positions are between +1 and +5 s/d. But the microphone on my Timegrapher struggled a bit with the steel case and very quiet 2892 ticking. The traces were a bit sloppy at times.

Rick "might need a service sooner rather than later, but at the start of a three-year warranty" Denney

[Muad'dib]

Sweet Ebel! "The architects of time" was always one of my favorite slogans.
Hope they make a comeback.

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