Ebel

During the 1980s, Ebel stood at the height of its influence. The brand not only weathered the quartz crisis but continued producing mechanical watches, many of them built on Zenith’s celebrated El Primero chronograph movement. Culturally, Ebel was everywhere. The distinctive gold wave bracelet became a signature of the era, and Don Johnson’s appearance with a gold Ebel chronograph in Miami Vice cemented the look in the popular imagination.

In 1984, following the success of its chronograph line, Ebel introduced a perpetual calendar. It was an ambitious move at a time when high complications had little mainstream appeal. By building the model on the El Primero base, Ebel preserved the movement’s remarkable 5 Hz beat rate, placing the watch in direct conversation with offerings from far older and more traditional maisons.

The present example remains one of the more underappreciated perpetual calendars of its period, yet among collectors familiar with the era, it represents a compelling and quietly sophisticated addition to any collection.