Manufacturer: Eberhard Year: Circa 1950 Reference No: 14007 Case No: 821 Model Name: Extra Fort Material: 18K pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 16"", 21 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Gold plate pin buckle Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
The Extra Fort is a stalwart of Eberhard’s collection. Presented in 1950 with either two or three registers, it is still present in the brand’s collection today.
Eberhard & Co. was founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds,Switzerland in 1887, by Georges Eberhard. With the launch of its first chronograph wristwatch in 1919 the firm was recognized as one of the most relevant manufacturers of chronographs in Switzerland.
Interestingly, even though the watch looks like a two pusher chronograph, it is in fact a single button. The top pusher starts, stops and resets the chronograph whereas the lower pusher at 4 o’clock instead works as a “stop and lock” mechanism controlled by simply sliding it up towards the crown. The lock prevents the accidental activation of the chronograph’s pushers.
The present model impresses by its incredibly well preserved large 39mm pink gold case, wide bezel, silver dial with applied indexes and crisp blue tachymeter scale. The gold hallmark on the case flank is crisp and the numbers engraved on the caseback are beautifully crisp, demonstrating the fact that the watch has been hardly worn.
From its earliest days, Eberhard & Co. has sought to bring innovation and precision to watchmaking. As early as the 1890s, the firm introduced a patented setting mechanism to its pocket watches, and in 1905 they introduced a digital system for reading the hours and minutes on a wristwatch. Throughout the firm's long history, they have produced high-quality chronograph watches, introducing their first chronograph wristwatch in 1919. Highly sought-after by collectors, Eberhard's first split-seconds chronograph appeared in 1939. Another key model is the Scafograph 100, an extremely rare diving model introduced in the 1950s. In 2001, Eberhard & Co. made history with their Chrono 4 model, the first chronograph wristwatch with counters horizontally arranged in one row.