Eberhard Watches

Eberhard & Co.: The Quiet Chronograph Kings of Swiss Watchmaking

If you like chronographs, and I mean real chronographs — the kind with history, in-house innovation, and wrist presence for days — then you need to know Eberhard & Co.

This isn’t a hype brand. It’s not playing the “reissue of a reissue” game. Eberhard just kept doing its thing — for over 130 years — building some of the best vintage chrono DNA in the game while flying completely under the radar.

Collectors know. The rest? Still catching up.

Brand History: From Timing Races to Owning the Sky

Founded in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Eberhard started as a technical watchmaker, producing precision pocket chronometers and, soon after, wrist-worn chronographs for drivers, pilots, and military personnel.

By the 1930s and '40s, they were competing with the best of the best — Longines, Universal Genève, Heuer — and building pieces with mono-pusher functions, split-seconds, and later, innovative double-button setups that defined how chronographs would work for the next century.

But here’s the twist: while other brands commercialized and chased logos, Eberhard just kept building solid watches. The result? A catalog that’s rich, real, and full of pieces with genuine heritage — not made-up museum exhibits.

Collector Highlights: Chrono Legends and Italian Icons

  • Chrono 4 – The only chronograph layout with four aligned subdials. Totally unique, incredibly balanced, and engineered with a modular complication on top of a base ETA. Looks like nothing else.

  • Tazio Nuvolari Collection – Named after the legendary Italian racing driver. Oversized cases, tachymeter scales, and a ton of throwback racing charm.

  • Extra-Fort Chronograph – One of the cleanest mid-century chronographs ever made. The vintage versions are wildly collectible. Modern versions still slap — elegant, slightly dressy, and totally underappreciated.

  • Scafograf 300 – Their dive watch line. Serious specs, ceramic bezels, COSC movements, and actually wearable. The Scafograf GMT is one of the best-value travel watches you’ve never seen.

  • 8 Jours – Hand-wound, eight-day power reserve, power indicator at 9. Built like a tank but styled like a gentleman’s watch. Totally slept on.

Also: vintage Eberhard chronographs (from the ‘30s–‘60s) are absolutely collector-grade — especially split-seconds and monopushers. They’re harder to find, but worth the chase.

Why Collectors Should Care

  • One of the oldest independent Swiss brands still doing their thing

  • Real chronograph heritage — no borrowed DNA here

  • Innovative layouts — the Chrono 4 is still unmatched

  • Military and motorsport history — not marketing fiction, actual contracts

  • Massive value on the vintage and modern pre-owned markets

You want a watch with substance, not stunt marketing? Start here.

What They’re Making Now: Modern Mechanics, Vintage Spirit

Eberhard’s current catalog stays focused on what they do best:

  • Chronographs with in-house-developed modules (Chrono 4)

  • Heritage-style dress chronos (Extra-Fort, Nuvolari)

  • Sports divers (Scafograf 300 / GMT / 100)

  • Hand-wound icons (8 Jours)

They’re not pumping out 75 SKUs a year. They’re not chasing collabs. They’re slow-burning horology, and that’s exactly why they deserve a spot in your box.

Fed’s Take

Eberhard is one of those brands that flies completely under the radar — and that’s a shame, because they’ve got one of the strongest chronograph lineages in the business.

I’ve handled Chrono 4s that are built like tanks but wear like tailored steel. I’ve flipped vintage Extra-Forts that would embarrass brands charging five figures. And the Scafograf? More dive watch than 90% of what gets pushed as “tool.”

They don’t advertise much. They don’t try to flex. They just keep making watches that work — with history, intention, and mechanical pride.

If you know, you know. And if you don’t? Now you do.

Chronograph Culture, Without the Hype Tax

If you're ready to wear something different — something with guts, credibility, and mechanical charm — Eberhard & Co. should be on your radar.

Delray Watch has a rotating selection of pre-owned Eberhard watches — pieces you won’t find sitting in mall boutiques or flexing on billboards.

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