Ebel
Watches and their Footsteps
Foundingof
the Ebel factory by Eugene Blum and his wife Alice Levy on July
15 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. They create the Ebel name from their
initials.
1912 - saw
the launch of the first Ebel wristwatch.
1914
- won the gold medal at the Swiss National Exposition in Bern.
1925
- Grand Prize at the Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris.
1929
- Charles-Eugene Blum, the founders' son, joins the company. Launch
of baguette movements for jewelry watches.
1935
- Ebel is the first Swiss watchmaker to introduce Western Electric
precision controls.
Eugene Blum,
who was trained in the watch business by his father, founded
Ebel in 1911 with his wife Alic Levy. The Blum couple symbolically
uses their initials to name their new company: E(ugene) B(lum)
E(t) L(evy). Eugene takes charge of sales and is particularly
attentive to watch movements and their precision. Alice, a woman
of character and taste, manages the personnel and suppliers,
and particularly devotes herself to the aesthetics of the product.
It is the
beginning of a long family tradition: for three generation the
Blums are at the head of Ebel, making it one of the greatest
houses in the famous Neuchatelois region of watchmaking.
The watchmaking house
has continued innovation since its creation. At the Swiss National Exposition
of 1914, Ebel watch-rings were cited not only for their beauty, but for their
innovative hidden setting system. In 1925, Ebel won the Grand Prize at the
Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris for its richly set watches. The Expo
watch was an extremely original model and a unanimous winner at the Swiss
National Exposition of 1964.
And in 1977, the launch
of the Sport Classic became perhaps perhaps Ebel's greatest public success
of all. Though square watches were the fashion at the time, the Sport Classic
won devotees to its curving forms, and a new aesthetic was born. The Beluga,
the 1911, the Beluga Manchette , the Classic Wave and the Beluga Tonneau
continue in the same spirit.
Since 1911, The Architects
of Time have dedicated their talents, passion and creativity to design and
crafting distinctive watches that exercise an enduring fascination. In watch-making
as in architecture, a blend of artistic refinement and technical precision
gives rise to works conveying a wealth of purpose and emotion. While clearly
intended to fulfill one or several specific practical functions, the forms
of true architectural creations - be they buildings or watches - are pervaded
by an unmistakable sense of aesthetic sophistication and remarkable artistry.
For each Ebel watch, from the research and development stage throughout production,
cutting-edge technology and outstanding know-how merge with visionary inspiration
and constant innovation, all governed by the high quality standards inherent
to the Architects of Time.
