To read an elapsed time of more than 60 seconds requires a bit of deciphering and reasonably good eyesight, unless of course you have an Eberhard & Co. Chrono 4: then it's a piece of cake
A chronograph typically has one, two or three counters arranged harmoniously on the dial to indicate the elapsed seconds, minutes and hours. However, not all chronographs have the same configuration and information may be displayed in different ways depending on the brand and model. Additionally, due to the small size of a watch face, reading elapsed time often requires a certain amount of visual gymnastics, which is of course not ideal, especially when it comes to timing high-speed sporting events.
When the switches are in a row
In 1999, Palmiro Monti, then CEO of Eberhard & Co., imagined that there should be a better, more quickly readable way to show elapsed time. After two years of long consideration, research and development with his team, he decided to display the elapsed minutes, elapsed hours, 24 hours and small seconds one after the other, aligning four counters on the dial to ensure a special logical reading, of from left to right. This arrangement not only proved to be optimal in terms of readability, but also visually appealing.
Patented mechanism and registered model
Although seemingly simple, displaying information in this way required the invention of a complex device, which was the subject of a technical patent and registered design. The chronograph was introduced at Baselworld 2001 as the first Eberhard & Co. model of the new millennium and was the first and only in the history of watchmaking to feature four aligned counters. Therefore, today it is a true icon of the brand.
Since its launch, numerous versions have seen the light of day: watches with 40, 42, 43 or 46 mm diameter, in stainless steel, 18k gold or titanium, all powered by the brand's Chrono 4 automatic movement, which counts no less 53 rubies. In 2005, the brand introduced the tonneau-shaped version Chrono 4 Temerario, in which the four counters are aligned vertically. In 2008 the Chrono 4 Grande taille with 43 mm was introduced, in 2010 the Chrono 4 Géant with 46 mm.
The history of the Eberhard & Co chronograph.
It is important to note that the Chrono 4 is part of a long line of historical chronographs that the brand has released over the years since its founding in 1887. In 1919, Eberhard & Co. introduced a single-pusher chronograph wristwatch, the most advanced of its kind at the time. In 1935, an innovative model followed with two pushers, with stop and start without resetting. In 1938, the brand's first chronograph with an hour counter came onto the market and the following year, 1939, a split-second chronograph was introduced that allowed two separate events to be measured simultaneously.
Chrono 4 '21-42' © Eberhard & Co.
Continued success
During the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, chronographs remained predominant in Eberhard & Co. collections, with the Extra-fort and Contograf lines ahead of their time. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Chrono Marine and the Chronomaster “Frecce Tricolori” were born, dedicated to the famous acrobatic patrol of the Italian Air Force. Among the chronographs from Eberhard & Co. we cannot forget the Tazio Nuvolari, created in memory of the legendary racing driver who never left his Eberhard pocket watch.
20th anniversary celebration
The latest editions of the Chrono 4, the Chrono 4 “21-42” models, were created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the collection 21 for 2021 and 42 for the 42 mm case diameter. With the numerous versions, you can choose between a bezel made of stainless steel or black ceramic, dials and counters in different colors (black, white or light blue) and a sun or Clous de Paris decoration. All models have snail counters and are available with a variety of straps made from black rubber, black alligator leather or stainless steel.
The Chrono 4 from Eberhard & Co. is a chronograph where form and function come together through an attractive sporty design, complex technical workmanship and easy readability, making it one of the most intuitive chronographs ever developed.
Eberhard & Co. Chrono 4 “21-42”
HOUSING: Steel
DIMENSIONS : 42mm
MOVEMENT: automatically
FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, small seconds, 24 hours, chronograph
CHOOSE: white dial with black counters (model 2001); white dial with white counters (model 2021)
BRACELET: black alligator leather
INTRODUCTION YEAR: 2021 for the 20th anniversary of the collection
This year, GMT Magazine and WorldTempus began the ambitious project of collecting the chronograph since 2000 in “The Millennium Watch Book – Chronographs”, a large and beautiful, beautifully illustrated book. This article is an excerpt. The Millennium Watch Book – Chronographs is available here in French and English.