130 years of history: the legend of the “campionissimo”
Nuvolari Legend
CASE : stainless steel, glareproofed sapphire crystal, sapphire caseback secured by eight screws, water-resistant to 30m
SIZE : 39.5mm and 43mm, 13.5mm thick
MOVEMENT : mechanical self-winding Eberhard & Co. caliber built on a Valjoux 7750 base movement, personalized with an engraving of the model name and a stylized depiction of the Alfa Romeo type 12/C
FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, tachymeter
DIAL : black, luminescent Arabic numerals and hour-markers, chronograph minutes and hours counters at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively, spiral-shaped central tachymeter scale in km/h
WRISTBAND : vintage leather strap or stainless steel bracelet, clasp personalized with Tazio Nuvolari’s tortoise lucky charm
Scafograf 100
CASE : stainless steel, polished and satin-brushed finishing, glareproofed sapphire crystal, screw-in steel caseback, bezel with white or chocolate brown ceramic inlay, water-resistant to 100m
SIZE : 38mm in diameter, 10.65mm thick
MOVEMENT : mechanical self-winding EB.ETA 2824
FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, seconds, date
DIAL : white or chocolate brown mother-of-pearl, applied luminescent hour-markers, luminescent, cut-out baton-type hours and minutes hands
WRISTBAND : white or chocolate brown rubber, or stainless steel Chassis® bracelet
Scafograf GMT “The Black Sheep” 500-piece Limited Edition
CASE : black DLC®-coated steel, glareproofed convex sapphire crystal, screw-down DLC®-coated caseback, DLC®-coated bezel with black ceramic inlay, water-resistant to 100m
SIZE : 43mm in diameter, 11.80mm thick
MOVEMENT : mechanical self-winding EB.ETA 2893
FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, seconds, date, triple time zone
DIAL : black, luminescent curved applied hour-markers, luminescent hands, luminescent orange GMT hand
WRISTBAND : black rubber strap or black DLC®-coated stainless steel bracelet, personalized E&C buckle or optional patented Déclic® folding clasp
A number of watches are inspired by cars or car races, but far fewer bear the name of a driver. The Tazio Nuvolari chronograph launched by Eberhard & Co. in 1992 paid tribute to the impetuous Italian driver – who was first a motorcycle champion before dominating motor-racing between 1920 and the late 1940s – in a year corresponding to the 100th anniversary of his birth. The watch firm, which had meanwhile been bought up by an Italian investor during the quartz crisis, was well known in Italy. Commemorating the “campionissimo” – a legend in his native land, praised by Ferdinand Porsche as well as Enzo Ferrari, and whose coffin was carried by Juan Manuel Fangio at his funeral in 1953 – was doubly natural. Not only did Tazio Nuvolari own and wear an Eberhard & Co. watch, but in 1991 the Swiss watchmaker also became timekeeper and official partner of the now famous Grand Premio Nuvolari, which starts and finishes in Tazio Nuvolari’s native city of Mantua.
Since the time of its launch, the Tazio Nuvolari collection has been enriched with several chronographs inspired by the Italian champion’s victories and feats, including the Grand Prix or Vanderbilt Cup models – the latter referring to the race he won in 1936 in New York at the wheel of his Alfa Romeo Type C 36. In 2015, the 336 Limited Edition with dual-time display honored the world speed record (336 km/h) that Tazio Novolari set in 1935 on a highway near Florence.
The latest Tazio Nuvolari, announced in February at the Salon Rétromobile classic car show in Paris, acknowledges the legendary stature of the “Mantovane Volante” (flying man of Mantua). Available in two sizes, fitted with a choice of aged leather strap or steel bracelet, this vintage-look timepiece with its large luminescent Arabic numerals features an original spiral-type display of the tachymeter scale in the center of the black dial. There are numerous references to the “Maestro”, including his initials on the dial, an Alfa Romeo Type 12C from the Scuderia Ferrari engraved in gold on the back… and a tortoise on the wristband clasp. The latter is a nod to a gold chelonia tortoise that the driver was gifted by the poet Gabriele d’Annunzio and which became his lucky charm, bearing the dedication : “To the fastest man in the world, the slowest animal.”
SCAFOGRAF, A HISTORICAL COLLECTION
“And the winner is… the Scafograf 300 by Eberhard & Co.” : in November 2016, the Scafograf 300 launched at the start of the year won the Sports Watch prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. An apparently swiftly earned distinction but which actually rewards a famous model by Eberhard & Co. Designed for adventurers, the Scafograf was born in the 1950s, when technical watches from the major brands were in their heyday.
2018 NEW MODELS : SCAFOGRAF 100 AND SCAFOGRAF GMT “THE BLACK SHEEP”
This year, Eberhard & Co. is opening up the Scafograf to women by offering them an unusual 38mm stainless steel model water-resistant to 100 meters. Available in white or in a chocolate brown shade that is unusual for a ladies’ watch, it maintains all the key aesthetic codes of the collection : the date at 3 o’clock, the screw-in case engraved with a starfish traditionally used by Eberhard & Co. since the 1950s, as well as the somewhat virile-looking baton-type hands. But the elegant faceted motif on the bezel which replaces the numerals that are indispensable on diver’s watches gives a softer touch to the watch, while the mother-of-pearl adorning the dial of the white and chocolate brown versions version enhances its femininity.
The Scafograf GMT already exists since last year in a black or blue version, of which the 2018 interpretation reprises the main characteristics and the triple time-zone display adjustable via the position of the bezel and of the orange central GMT hand. The new entirely black-clad version bears a curious nickname that singles it out in an industry that loves to use technical or grand-sounding names. This “black sheep” exudes a singular charm with its steel and black DLC®-coated case and a relatively exclusive production run of just 500.
