SOTC and Year in Review (Warning heavy Ebel content)

[WWII70]

Inspired by ck1109 and Michael (Samantor), I thought I’d do an SOTC. As many of you know, I collect mainly Ebel watches, so for those not interested in swaths of Ebels I’ll start with the non-Ebels. This will also allow me to go semi-chronologically.

Invicta ProDiver

My first automatic watch, I bought this in late 2005 and wore it daily during the week from 2006 to 2009. I don’t know how I stumbled on this online but I knew it was a Submariner knock-off; however, I liked the styling and wanted to try an automatic. I paid too much for it (with hindsight) but a real Sub was unaffordable at the time. Serviced once by Invicta in 2012 for the princely sum of $70 and still running strong. As this was a Xmas gift from my wife, it is not going anywhere and is now a weekend watch.


Movado Series 800 Chronograph

My first chronograph and the beginning of a fascination with this complication. In 2009, I started buying quartz watches from the discount rack at BJ’s including a red dial Series 800 three-hander and this blue dial chrono bought in 2010. All of the quartz watches are gone now except this one which remains as my beater watch.


IWC Spitfire Chronograph

My first serious watch, this was a big step up in quality and price. My father-in-law brought back an IWC catalog from his trip to Switzerland; this watch spoke to me and said “buy me” so I did in 2012 to celebrate my 50 th birthday. (The other contender for my birthday was the Omega James Bond 50th Anniversary Seamaster 300M http://www.watchalyzer.com/omega-wat...-300m-watches/). Spending this much money opened up new horizons and also opened the floodgates to browsing watches online (Amazon, Joma, WoW, Gemnation, etc.) which lead to buying more watches and the beginning of my current collection.


Omega 1947 bumper automatic

This belonged to my grandfather and was given to him on his retirement in 1947. I had this for 9 years after my mum died but left it hidden away in her possessions. I dug it out in 2012, about the same time as buying the IWC. I had it serviced and restored (case buffed to remove scratches, new crystal) by the guy at the mall! And it is still running great.


Late 1940’s Fleurier 190 hand-wound Swiss movement cased up by Weir & Sons in Dublin

This was my father’s watch and was also in my mum’s possessions. He would have got this just after the war, likely as a wedding gift for his first marriage. I got this out in 2017 and had it serviced and a new lizard strap, this time by my local watchmaker.


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[WWII70]

The last of the non-Ebels.

Orient Mako 1

I saw Hayday’s Mako in a WRUW post and I had to have one! I posted a WTB in late 2018 and Skywatch obliged by selling me his.


Concord Mariner

Also in late 2018. Because Movado had no Ebels I wanted. Sad, I know.


Citizen Eco-Drive

It is either dying or deprived of light as the second hand moves only falteringly. It was given to me by my wife around the time we got married so I have to keep it. It is likely headed to the watchbox for a long nap.

Finally, 1922 Elgin pocket watch



Spontaneous pick up at a local flea market in 2018.

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[wschofield3]

Great so far, on to the Ebel's please!

[skywatch]

Interesting to learn we are around the same age, and nice to see the Mako here. It's a really good watch - especially considering the price. And yes, your Ebel collection is noteworthy. Looking forward to seeing them all together!

[WWII70]

On to the Ebels! I have organised these somewhat arbitrarily into small, medium, large, extra large and square. I’ll begin with medium-size 39-42mm as this allows me to start with this one which is important to my story;

Classic Wave chrono 9126F41

The watch that started the Ebel madness! I found this a month after buying my IWC, browsing the web for affordable Swiss automatics. In the space of a year I picked up a Speedmaster Day/Date, Tag Aquagraph, Porsche Design chrono and a couple of others. These are all long gone but I immediately loved the smooth case, the fluid lines of the Ebel and the semi-stiff (and incredibly comfortable) Wave bracelet.

Incidentally, this watch led me to WUS where I met Rick Denney and others who introduced me to newer Ebels with Calibre 137 in-house movements and enabled my full descent into obsession.

1911 chrono 9137260



Type E chrono 9137C51 blue dial on bracelet


Type E chrono 9137C51 black dial on rubber strap

Early use of the Cal 137 movement. The Type E was a design exercise by Ebel with the strap and bracelet formed of overlapping E’s (for Ebel) and fully integrated with the shape of the case; not for everyone but I like it. Again, the bracelet is semi-stiff and insanely comfortable. I also tried the three-hander but it was too small for me at 35mm.


Wave 03-3-15-1039


Discovery 04-1-14-2006

The only new models (in the current Ebel catalog) that I have. I favour older models, mainly NOS from Movado stores, because I’m not so fond of the modern styles (often lacking the signature case shape) and the discounts aren’t as deep. However, these two caught my eye and both have the Ebel DNA, so when they went on sale, I pounced. The two-tone Wave is not to everyone’s taste but I like the dressiness and a touch of bling that are missing elsewhere in my collection. Both feature ETA 2824-2 movements, as Ebel sold the in-house Cal 137 and related movements to Ulysse Nardin in 2012.

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[WWII70]

In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, Ebel produced several models with different automatic movements in a case with the same 38mm diameter although thickness varies.

Sport Classic (Chronosport) 1134901

Probably the best known is the model with the Zenith El Primero movement; the first automatic chronograph watch manufactured after the quartz crisis and the watch that rescued Ebel. I was turned onto this by Rick Denney’s excellent write up of his and I went in search of one of my own. I ended up with three, one of which is now sold so two remain. The first was a two-tone version with steel and gold bracelet, gold bezel, crown and dial furniture.

Sport Classic (Chronosport) 9134901

The second was a steel model which came on a blue sharkskin strap but I quickly moved this onto black leather which looks sharper in my opinion. The third was another steel and gold watch head on a leather strap but more of this later.

1911 9080241

Several models were made with the Lemania 8810, which is a notably thin three hand movement. These models are therefore thinner at 9mm than the other 38mm Ebels. Again, I got two. The first is the ‘plain’ 1911 model, although the sunburst dial and applied markers give a lovely appearance.

1911 Senior 9080241

Senior refers to the dial layout with bold markers at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 only. I bought this at WUS for the two-tone bracelet to put on the steel and gold Sport Classic (Chronosport) mentioned above, but my plan was foiled as the screw spacing where the bracelet attached to the case was different.

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[Samanator]

Great to see this! Is there more?

[WWII70]

Great to see this! Is there more?

Much more!


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[WWII70]

The last of the 38mm Ebels plus an even smaller vintage piece.

1911 Senior 9080240

Another 1911 Senior this time with Girard-Perregaux 3300 movement and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock.

Voyager worldtimer 9124341

I use this often when I travel for the worldtimer function, simply set by rotating the wide ‘cities ring’ bezel to current location. The inner ring rotates anticlockwise to show the time in all zones. This is one small watch that I wish Ebel would reissue in a larger size. The bulky bezel and inner ring make the dial small and appear to be compressed. A 40mm or 42mm version with the same width bezel but a proportionally bigger dial would have been perfect and, I’m sure, a winner.

1911 Le Modulor 9137241

The Le Modulor was the first use of Ebel’s in-house Cal 137 movement in 1995, fitted into the existing 38mm case design. It is interesting that this movement is used in watches as large 48.5mm! I like the whimsical use of colour in the dial layout and find this works well on the blue strap.

1960’s 9119920

My only vintage Ebel, 35mm case, exact year unknown but likely mid 1960’s. This had a small recessed crown (apparently a marketing device by Ebel to highlight the advantage of the automatic movement) but it was a pain to grip to set the time so I replaced it with a larger crown.

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[WWII70]

The large category is defined by a single case of 44.5mm, used for the 1911 Back To Roots (BTR) line and 1911 Discovery models. The 1911 BTR collection debuted in 2006 to relaunch the brand with bigger, more muscular watches featuring the in house Cal 137 chronograph movement and its derivatives, all chronometer grade; Cal 139 with 30 minute chronograph counter and somewhat skeletonized dial, Cal 240 with GMT function and Cal 288 perpetual calendar. Unfortunately, this coincided with a downturn in Ebel’s fortune and a change of ownership saw these watches blown out in Movado stores in 2012 onwards. If you asked on WUS “what watch should I get” in 2012-13, the answer was usually “1911 BTR chrono at Movado”. I’ve had 10 various BTRs in total and 5 remain in my collection.

1911 BTR chrono 9137L72

Basic chronograph has minute counter at 3 o’clock, hour counter at 6 o’clock and a larger running seconds subdial at 9 o’clock.

1911 BTR chrono 9137L72

Unique model with titanium case, carbon fibre dial and “Technofiber” (Kevlar) strap.

1911 BTR GMT 9240L70

The easiest GMT to operate IMHO. Simply press the bottom pusher to advance the GMT hand by 1 hour; does not, however, do half hour time differences. It originally came on a bracelet but I swapped this out for a black alligator strap.

1911 BTR chrono 9139L72

A fairy radical redesign with rotating wheels or discs instead of hands for the running seconds (at 9 o’clock) and chrono minutes (at 12 o’clock) and hours (at 6 o’clock), also a cyclops below the crystal for the date window. As the running seconds has three prongs, I don’t know the exact time to check accuracy, so I run the red chrono hand continuously. The minute chrono counter also has three prongs which move over a 30 minute display for timing 30 minute events (this is an extension of the Tekton soccer watches that have a 45 minute chrono counter to time the halves of a soccer game). This came on a black strap but this ‘industrial looking’ watch needed to be on a bracelet. The strap was donated to the GMT above. A win/win!

9288L70 perpetual calendar




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