A Moment at the Maison: Eberhard & Co.
A Moment at the Maison
Eberhard & Co. – The Value of Continuity.
First impressions are often more than just a snapshot. They’re about the feeling, the atmosphere, and about authenticity. That’s exactly what we look for when we encounter brands: beyond the staged presentation, where passion, craftsmanship, and history come to life. For our series “A Moment at the Maison,” we traveled to Switzerland to capture these moments at the great watchmaking houses.
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a name that resonates with watch enthusiasts. Many of the most prominent brands in Swiss watchmaking are based here. Together with neighboring Le Locle, this city in the Jura region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique history in the watch industry.
First-time visitors, however, are in for a surprise: with its rational, grid-like layout, the city initially seems almost austere. That impression changes instantly, however, upon entering the historic headquarters of Eberhard & Co. at 73 Avenue Léopold-Robert—the famous building with the eagle on the tower.
Today, this is where the brand’s offices are located, and above all, the company museum. It’s hard to imagine a more fitting place for it. Behind the heavy entrance door lies a world where history isn’t staged, but is simply a natural part of the environment.
Back to the Roots
Mario Peserico, General Manager of Eberhard & Co., gives a tour of the building and explains why this place is so important to the brand:
Mario Peserico: “Here, you can feel the vibrancy and history of watchmaking much more strongly than anywhere else. Eberhard worked in this building for nearly 70 years, until the company moved in 1969. In 2019, we decided to return. We were fortunate to find space again in this historic building, which has always remained an iconic symbol of the brand. The return felt completely natural.”
Through the ages: A milestone from Eberhard & Co.
It’s not just about a prestigious address. For Eberhard, the return marks a deliberate step back to his roots.
Mario Peserico: “This return was a very important step for us. Not only because the building is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Chaux-de-Fonds, but also because it marked a true new beginning for the brand. We opened the museum here and resumed our work on developing movements—more specifically, movements that we design and prototype ourselves.”
Continuity as the core of the brand
A tour of the museum quickly makes it clear what Peserico means by this. Amid historical display cases, documents, and timepieces spanning nearly a century and a half, it becomes evident that continuity is not merely a marketing term at Eberhard.
Mario Peserico: “The museum showcases the continuity of our history since 1887—that is, nearly 140 years in the market without interruption. This continuity is rare in the watch industry. Even more unusual is that it has been carried on by just two families. Initially, there were several generations of the Eberhard family. In 1969, Palmiro Monti took over the brand. Since then, his family has continued to run the company. In total, we’re talking about roughly seven generations across two families. Very few brands can boast such continuity.”
Bringing history to life
The fact that this story is now publicly accessible is part of the brand’s new identity. For a long time, many historical items were kept exclusively in the company’s safes.
Mario Peserico: “In the past, our historic clocks were kept in safes and were only displayed on special occasions. Today, they are on permanent display. Visitors can tour the museum and learn about our history.”
The tour of the collection feels less like a traditional exhibition and more like a concise overview of the brand’s evolution. One piece in particular catches the eye: a chronograph from 1935 that plays a pivotal role in Eberhard’s history.
Mario Peserico: “There are, of course, several milestones. But one stands out: the 1935 chronograph. On the one hand, this watch served as the inspiration for the Extra-Fort collection, which remains one of Eberhard & Co.’s most important pillars to this day. On the other hand, it also inspired our Chronographe 1887.”
The past as a source of inspiration
For Eberhard, however, the past does not serve as a nostalgic look back, but rather as a starting point for the present. For Peserico, this is where the true value of mechanical watchmaking lies.
Mario Peserico: “The stronger the roots and the richer the heritage, the more meaningful one’s presence becomes. One’s origins are not a limitation—they are a constant source of inspiration.”
This approach is also evident in the brand’s current collections—such as the Chrono4, the 8 Jours, and the reimagined Contodate, which reinterprets the style of the 1970s in a contemporary form.
Time as a long-term asset
For Peserico, the true strength of mechanical watches lies in their durability.
“What truly gives a watch its value is the fact that it still works even after a hundred years. You can take a mechanical watch out of a safe after decades—and it still runs. A smartwatch works for two or three years—then it’s obsolete. A mechanical watch can still be restored and repaired even after a hundred years or more.”
Peserico also interprets the growing interest in independent brands as a cultural rather than an economic phenomenon.
“Independent brands bring creativity and diversity to the industry. They have to constantly fight to carve out their place in the market—and that is precisely what often leads to authenticity.”
After a tour of the museum and the building, it becomes clear that it is precisely this authenticity that defines the character of Eberhard & Co. La Chaux-de-Fonds is not merely a historical backdrop. The town serves as a point of reference that continues to influence the brand’s work to this day. Here, it becomes evident that heritage is not merely a part of history—but an attitude from which the future unfolds.
