Pradipta. K. Mohapatra

There are many ways and influences that determine how brand names are coined. This one is unique. In 1911, Eugene Blum and his wife Alice Levy founded a company to manufacture watches. Then they decided to use the acronym of the first letters of their name (Eugene Blum Et Levy) to create the brand name EBEL. The Blum couple decided to concentrate on manufacturing private label one watches. Alice would   look after the factory and Eugene like many great watch salesmen such as Francois Constantin and Antoine Norbert de Patek took on the responsibility of going around the world to sell the watches. EBEL managed to sell its watches under private label to Vacheron Constantin, Cartier and during the wars was the sole supplier of watches to the British army.

The EBEL brand however had very little recognition except probably in the US. In the early days EBEL sold many of its watches in the American market under the brand name of Paul Breguette.  In an otherwise undistinguished brand history, the company was taken over by Charles-Eugene the only son of the founders. Charles-Eugene continued the private label tradition of his parents.

Arrival of Pierre-Alain

Charles-Eugene’s son Pierre-Alain Blum and the grandson of the founders had decided quite early that he had no interest in carrying on the family tradition. He went   to America for studying mechanics and electricity. It is only in 1969 that Charles Eugene invited his son for the last time and Pierre Alain agreed. It is only after Pierre Alain, joined the company in 1970, almost 60 years after it was founded, that EBEL began to create history.

Between 1970 and 1975 the Company grew at an annual rate of between 30 per cent and 60 per cent - unheard of in the Swiss watch industry. Pierre Alain Blum brought three distinct elements of creating a brand to the EBEL Company.

- Create a distinct identity

- Create a viable range

- Create some unique cutting edge products.

The unique bracelet

It is almost impossible to believe that a bracelet design can become a unique hallmark of a watch brand. When Pierre Alain Blum relaunched, the classic EBEL model – 1911 - he introduced it in the form of a bracelet with mellow lines and a unique sinuous wave pattern. The new 1911’s distinguished bracelet became a hit in every continent. All subsequent models introduced, almost always carried a new variant of the unique sinuous wave bracelet design.

It was the same with the Sports Classic introduced under the brand ‘Sports Wave’. It was also true for the dresswatch introduced under the name ‘Dress Wave’.

It is after the success of the new 1911 that Pierre Alain introduced the tag line – ‘The Architects of Time’. The company has continued to use the same line for the last 30 years.

Pierre Alain also brought in a range of watches. Unique amongst them being the self-winding chronograph EBEL with 300 components and working at 36,000 vibrations per hour. The EBEL Chronograph ranks amongst the classic time pieces of our time. EBEL’s cutting edge watch was yet to come.

In 1985, EBEL introduced Beluga as an expression of beauty. Beluga was created as a line to touch all your senses. Beluga was launched also in 18 carat gold with or without diamonds in the Bezel and bracelets. The Beluga continues to be the top of the line range for EBEL.

Indian connection

By 1996, Investcorp had become a major shareholder in EBEL and Sandro Arabian became Chairman of the Company. The high point was launch of the ‘Shanta’. The secret of Shanta is a story from the depths of time and Indian mythology. Shanta is supposed to be the highest and purest of the nine emotions and the dignified goddess of beauty. She revealed herself as a flower of creation in the Dance of the Unseen. The grace and sensuality of Shanta inspired a watch of extraordinary design. More than a time piece Shanta became a piece of legendary jewelery.

In the 90’s, Pierre Alain like many independent watch brand owners could not carry on this business in a viable way. Then LVMH arrived.

Luxury Group

LVMH, which had earlier bought over brands such as Zenith and Tag Heuer, decided to bring in EBEL as a part of their portfolio of brands on offer.

While most of the watches under the EBEL brand now come in quartz, the real collector is lapping up the EBEL chronograph.

(The author is an amateur historian of events, objects and people)

Research Assistant - Siddharth M