Ebel is coming out of a long period of turbulence. Although Pierre-Alain Blum had taken the family brand, created in 1911, to great heights, he was forced to sell it in 1994. Not because the brand was in peril, no, not at all, but because of unfortunate non-watch diversifications. Purchased by the Investcorp group, which then resold it for a hefty pricetag to LVMH in 1999, Ebel would suffer various and recurrent changes in its direction. In 2004, LVMH, with CHF 7 to 9 million losses per year threw in the towel and the brand was sold again.
The new owner, Efraim Grinberg, is a man who has known and appreciated the Ebel ‘house’ for a very long time. The head of Movado and Concord, he had already distributed the brand in the United States, and was waiting for an opportunity to purchase it. Finally, that opportunity came. Now, Grinberg has one objective in mind: Ebel would become Ebel again. It was about time, too, because both the retailers and consumers were confused about the brand’s future. Where was it going exactlyı Would it join the globalized fashionistas or would it maintain its watchmaking values, its luxury aura, its distinct place in the realm of high flying Swiss brandsı
The response was not long in coming. Of course, the very first steps were a bit touchy since the new owner chose to personally announce to the troops that he had to reduce the ranks. This was a necessary action in order to survive because, over the years and with the loss of the subcontracts for Cartier, Ebel simply had too many employees.
The second and strategic announcement was more hopeful: Ebel was going to retrace its steps. It would return to its basic values. It would re-introduce its timeless motto ‘Architects of Time’ that had been strangely abandoned by its previous owners. In short, Ebel was going to be Ebel again. Ebel was even going to be more Ebel than it had ever been.




The Villa Turque in La Chaux-de-fonds, Le Corbusier and Claudia Schiffer



Classic Wave Collection


Return to the basics
Since that time, all the brand’s activities are exclusively directed down this road, beginning with the products, of course, but also on every other level: image, communication, ad campaigns, corners, boutiques, stands, codes, merchandising, etc. In every sense, Ebel is returning to its “basics.”
“All the codes of luxury are already there; they are present, alive,” explains Marc Michel-Amadry, Director of Marketing for Ebel. “And, among them is recognition, the recognition of its models, its communication codes and the brand’s universe. Ebel remains a status symbol. Ebel is not a fashion brand. It is classic and its models are immediately recognizable. Our primordial task is therefore to reactivate all the codes that have been ‘sleeping’ since that is all they are asking for.”
Scarcely revived, these ‘codes’ demonstrate familiar ground. They show that nothing has been lost of Ebel’s earlier strength. For example, when we rediscover the warm light brown colour that was Ebel’s for a long time, or the ‘Architects of Time’ slogan, which had for so long been an integral part of Ebel, we quickly have the impression that they were never forgotten. At the end of the day, however, what will be soon forgotten is all that has happened to the brand in the meantime.
Yet, we must not make the mistake of thinking that this is only about ‘restoration.’ “We must first re-establish the foundations,” says Thomas van der Kallen, the brand’s new President, freshly hired from the Richemont group (his previous position was as President of Piaget North America). “We must make people rediscover Ebel. We must attract those who already appreciate it or who appreciated it in the past. Most of our retailers have remained loyal, but they are a bit lost about what is going on. We need to regain their confidence. Then, we will go after new generations for whom Ebel must again become a special symbol of luxury.”




Tarawa “Koru”



Sportwave – GMT


Reconnecting with the products
The stated objective of returning to the brand’s roots and reconquering its clientele are represented in the products. The watches have been entirely reworked. The classics icons of the brand have been revisited with great refinement.
The lines have streamlined, giving an air of grand elegance, with a harmony of subtle retouches. The material is accentuated by polishing and tone-on-tone contrasts. The comfort on the wrist is truly exceptional, thanks to refining the bracelets, offering more flexibility and a superior fit.
Everywhere the central design motif of Ebel is the Wave, which is apparent in a very organic manner, whether in the links of the bracelet, or on the edge of the dial. The integration of the forms, namely the four flagship collections (the emblematic 1911, the Beluga, the Ebel Classic and the Sport Wave) confirms the watchmaking legitimacy of its iconic timekeepers.
The case of the 1911 has been refined; its bracelet made more masculine but softened at the same time. The dials have been reworked to make them more ‘watchmaking’ in appearance with patterns of sun guilloché.
The Beluga Tonneau or Ronde are also moving in this same direction with asymmetrical guilloché designs, refined details such as the polished curved hands on copper or silver dials.
The former Sport Classic line has become the Ebel Classic. “It was necessary that this identical product approaches perfection,” thanks to serious efforts in reworking its lines.
As for the jewellery collection (we will come back to this topic in an upcoming issue of Europa Star), it is witness to a superb ‘studio’ spirit: creativity, refinement, invention.
Visibly, the new managers of Ebel are looking towards the long term. You only have to touch the watches and put them on the wrist to understand the full measure of the work that has already been done, as well as the impression of déjà-vu that is the best thing that can happen to them. Yes, Ebel is back.


Source: April-May 2005 Issue

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