Eberhard & Co. Presents its New Retro-Inspired Contodat Collection

While Eberhard & Co. is a household name among Italian watch collectors, its rich history and longstanding tradition in producing chronographs have yet to be discovered by a wider audience. Founded by Georges Eberhard in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand’s pocket watch chronographs gave way to its first wristwatch chronograph in 1919. Models that might resonate with our readers include the Chrono 4, a 2001 chronograph featuring four separate counters inspired by the dashboard of race cars, and the more recent revival of the Scafograf dive watch. For its new Contodat collection, Eberhard has drawn inspiration from its rich archive, referencing a 1970s model. Although the name of the collection dates to 1955, the style of the Contodat pays tribute to a sporty integrated 1970s Eberhard chronograph. Presented during Watches & Wonders 2025, the Contodat is currently a two-piece collection comprising a chronograph and a three-hand automatic, both with compact 39mm case sizes, integrated bracelets, and characteristic 1970s flair.

Eberhard’s Italian connection was forged before World War II, when Italian Royal Navy officers wore Eberhard chronographs. The Italian connection was further consolidated in 1969, when Palmiro Monti acquired the company from the Eberhard family, and Mario Peserico, the current general manager, was appointed head of external relations in 1993. Following the arrival of quartz, Palmiro Monti crusaded in the name of mechanical movements with his mid-1970s design for a sporty chronograph watch with a manual-winding movement and bold orange accents – the inspiration for the new Contodat collection. Although the brand does not specify the exact model that inspired the new collection, features of Monti’s 1970s chronograph, such as the bold orange accents, the trapezium-shaped date window, and the 30-minute sub-dial with its special scale for reading up to 45 minutes, are recreated on the Contodat.

The Contodat Chronographe and Contodat Automatic share compact 39mm stainless steel round cases with integrated steel bracelets and a 100m depth rating. The thickness of the case varies from 13.9mm for the chronograph to 11.3mm for the automatic. Finished with sporty vertical satin-brushed surfaces, the brightly polished bezel, the central link of the integrated bracelet, the external bevel running along the case flanks and down the external part of the bracelet and the screw-down crown and pushers highlight the dynamic architecture of the case. Fitted with a domed sapphire crystal over the dial, the screw-in caseback is engraved with the Latin phrase Ubi Tu Ibi Ego (wherever you are, I will be). Both are powered by top-grade Sellita automatics. The integrated steel bracelet, shared by both Contodat models, has a 2CLICK folding clasp with pushers to prevent accidental openings.

Contodat ChronographE

The retro spirit of the Contodat Chronographe is consolidated with the long piston-style pushers and the framed trapezium-shaped date window at 6 o’clock. The elapsed times of the chronograph are displayed on the dial with the 30-minute sub-dial at 3 o’clock and the central chronograph seconds hand alighting on the precision 1/5th of a second subdivisions on the minute scale. As a sporty racetrack chronograph, there is a peripheral 1000 km/h tachymeter scale with a snailed background. Paying tribute to the Monti’s 1970s chronograph, the central chronograph seconds hand, the area between noon and 240 on the tachymeter scale and three sections on the 30-minute chronograph counter are all highlighted in a bright orange colour. Like Monti’s watch, the scale on this sub-dial indicates elapsed times up to 45 minutes.

Available with blue, green and silver sunray dials, we photographed the silver dial with contrasting and snailed navy blue counters. For enhanced legibility, the applied hour markers and the hour and minute hands are filled with luminescent material. The chronograph is powered by a Sellita SW510 BH, an automatic chronograph movement with a frequency of 28,800vph, a power reserve of 58 hours, a quick-set date function and hacking seconds.

Quick facts: 39mm x 13.9mm stainless steel case – piston pushers, screw-down crown, screw-in caseback – domed sapphire crystal – 100m water-resistance – blue, green or silver dials – snailed sub-dials at 3 o’clock for 30-min elapsed times (extends to 45min) and running seconds at 9 o’clock – date at 6 o’clock – orange central chronograph seconds hand, orange area on tachymeter scale, orange sections inside 30-min counter – applied indices and hour and minute hands with luminescence – Sellita SW510 BH automatic chronograph – 28,800vph – 58h power reserve – integrated steel bracelet – ref. 31156.03  – EUR 3,970

Contodat Automatic

Sharing the same case but with a slimmer height, the time-only Contodat arranges its running seconds and date functions horizontally, with the seconds at 9 o’clock and the trapezium-framed date window at 3 o’clock. We photographed the black dial, but the Contodat Automatic is available with blue, green, silver and grey sunray-brushed dials.

The snailed peripheral track has white Arabic numerals matching the small seconds counter with its snailed interior, white numerals and bright orange hand and numeral 60. Like the chronograph, the baton hour and minute hands, as well as the indices applied to the dial, are treated with luminescent material. The watch is powered by a Sellita SW290-1 with a frequency of 28,800vph, a power reserve of 41 hours, a quick-set date mechanism and hacking seconds.

Quick facts: 39mm x 11.3mm stainless steel case – screw-down crown, screw-in caseback – domed sapphire crystal – 100m water-resistance – black, grey, silver, green and blue dials – snailed sub-dial at 9 o’clock for small seconds with orange hand and orange ‘60’ – trapezium-shaped date aperture at 3 o’clock – snailed peripheral track – applied indices and hour and minute hands with luminescence – Sellita SW290-1 automatic – 28,800vph – 41h power reserve – integrated steel bracelet – ref. 41156.05 – EUR 2,940

More information at Eberhard-Co-Watches.ch.