This Gorgeous Vintage Chronograph Hides a Clever, Historic Tool on Its Dial

Objectively, there are $27 digital watches that are more useful than the most advanced $27,000 mechanical watches.

Analog watches became antiquated in the 1980s, but, socio-economic status symbolism aside, we still love them for the fascinating human achievements in engineering and math that they represent.

Eberhard & Co.

Unfortunately, some of the most fascinating analog tricks that watches employed a century ago are rarely seen anymore. Eberhard & Co., a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1887, incorporates one such tool in the Chronographe 1887 Limited Edition.

We’re drowning in chronographs and GMTs, and the luxury market is flush with perpetual calendars and world timer complications, but telemeters are so rare that I had to refresh myself on what they do when I came across this watch.

Eberhard & Co.

Eberhard was inspired to design the Chronographe 1887 by watches from the 1930s in its company museum. Telemeters were a common military tool at the time because they calculate distance based on the difference between the speeds of sound and light.

It could determine the distance of a cannon blast or lightning strike long before satellites did that work. A telemeter track will give you an approximate distance by starting the chronograph when you see a flash and stopping it when you hear the sound.

Double tracking

The fascinating details of the Chronographe 1887 only begin with the telemeter track printed along the outside rim of the dial. More are held within the 41mm brushed stainless steel case, and under the AR-coated sapphire crystal.

Eberhard & Co.

A tachymeter is also incorporated as a spiral track at the dial’s center. Although these are typically found on the dial’s outer rim or bezel in modern watches, the “snail” format was standard in the early twentieth century.

The dial’s detailing is true to the 1930s, when everything was printed and elements had to be differentiated with color. Blue for the tachymeter overlaps with the black railroad tracks for the running seconds at nine o’clock and the 30-minute totalizer at three o’clock.

Eberhard & Co.

Along with the historically accurate creamy white dial, the Chronographe 1887 is available in an all-black dial. There is also a more modern-looking salmon dial with silver counters and telemeter track, and Arabic numerals at six and twelve.

Under the hood

Eberhard equipped the Chronographe 1887 with a substantially customized manual movement from Manufature AMT, the high-end bespoke department at Sellita.

Eberhard & Co.

Starting with a Sellita caliber AMT5100 base, Eberhard adjusted the crown stem to accommodate a coaxial pusher that resets the flyback chronograph. The chronograph is initially activated with the pusher at two o’clock.

Eberhard added a signed custom bridge plate shaped like the brand’s shield emblem. The resulting EB caliber 280 manual movement is visible through a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback secured with four screws.

Eberhard & Co.

Eberhard did an excellent job balancing a 1930s dial chronograph dial with a modern case and movement while keeping the vintage vibes. Including a telemeter and a novel flyback chronograph pusher increases the appeal of this gorgeous watch, which is perfectly suited for daily wear.

Availability and pricing

The Eberhard & Co. Chronographe 1887 Limited Edition is now available from Eberhard boutiques and authorized dealers, but not online.

All three references cost €6,960 (~$8,067) and come on a black crocodile leather pin-buckle strap.

Each dial color is limited to 250 pieces, and there is a regular production version with an automatic movement and full Arabic numeral hour markers.

Eberhard & Co.

Eberhard & Co. Chronographe 1887 Limited Edition

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	EB caliber 280 manual
Water Resistance	50m

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