George-Emile Eberhard
Encyclopedia
George-Emile Eberhard was a Swiss watchmaker
and industrialist who founded Eberhard & Co.
.
, the son of a prominent Bernese family tracing its origins back to the 10th century. The Eberhard family had been instrumental in the early development of the wiss watchmaking industry
.
George-Emile's father initated him to the art of watch making. Eberhard was only 22 when he moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds
, the historic birth place of the watch-making industry, where he founded its own factory, Eberhard & Co.
inaugurated that year. The buildings take an entire block at the very center of rue Leopold Robert, La Chaux-de-Fonds
's main avenue. The Parisian-like five-storey building was designed in distinctive Beaux Arts style with a round tower topped by an impressive eagle
sculpture
that has become one of the city's wellknown landmark
, and its highest construction until the 1960s.
In 1919, Eberhard passed the company's executive leadership to his sons, George and Maurice.
of one of the wealthier and most prominent industrialist family of Switzerland. By the time of his death, his children and grand-children had married into several of the elite
industrialist families of the Swiss watchmaking industry, the Blums, Vogel
s and Ditisheim
s, and thus were in an ownership position of many of the largest brands of the industry: Eberhard & Co.
, Ebel
, Movado
, Vulcain
, Solvil et Titus
or Paul Ditisheim
.
Watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since virtually all watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers solely repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand...
and industrialist who founded Eberhard & Co.
Eberhard & Co.
Eberhard & Co is a famous Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1865 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Swiss watch making industrialist George-Emile Eberhard.-George-Emile Eberhard, the founder:...
.
Early life
George-Emile Eberhard was born in 1865 in Saint-ImierSaint-Imier
Saint-Imier is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura .Observatoire Astronomique de Mont-Soleil is located above the village....
, the son of a prominent Bernese family tracing its origins back to the 10th century. The Eberhard family had been instrumental in the early development of the wiss watchmaking industry
Swiss Made
Swiss Made is a label used to indicate that a product was made in Switzerland.-Overview:The wording was formally adopted in the late 19th century and is unique in that most other countries use the phrase "Made in ". The most obvious place where the label is found is on Swiss watches...
.
George-Emile's father initated him to the art of watch making. Eberhard was only 22 when he moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of...
, the historic birth place of the watch-making industry, where he founded its own factory, Eberhard & Co.
Eberhard & Co
Eberhard's watch-making genius and sense of business turned his factory into one of the largest Swiss watch manufacturers by 1909. Symbolic of its success was the group's new headquartersHeadquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
inaugurated that year. The buildings take an entire block at the very center of rue Leopold Robert, La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of...
's main avenue. The Parisian-like five-storey building was designed in distinctive Beaux Arts style with a round tower topped by an impressive eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
that has become one of the city's wellknown landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
, and its highest construction until the 1960s.
In 1919, Eberhard passed the company's executive leadership to his sons, George and Maurice.
Later life
In his later life, Eberhard became the patriarchPatriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
of one of the wealthier and most prominent industrialist family of Switzerland. By the time of his death, his children and grand-children had married into several of the elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
industrialist families of the Swiss watchmaking industry, the Blums, Vogel
Paul Bernard Vogel
Paul Bernard Vogel was a Swiss industrialist who owned the Solvil et Titus watch manufacture.-Business life:In 1930, Vogel acquired the Solvil et Titus and Paul Ditisheim brands from their founder Paul Ditisheim....
s and Ditisheim
Ditisheim
The Ditisheims are a prominent dynasty of Swiss watchmakers and industrialist family who have been instrumental in the development of the watchmaking industry...
s, and thus were in an ownership position of many of the largest brands of the industry: Eberhard & Co.
Eberhard & Co.
Eberhard & Co is a famous Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1865 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Swiss watch making industrialist George-Emile Eberhard.-George-Emile Eberhard, the founder:...
, Ebel
Ebel
Ebel is a famous Swiss luxury watch company, founded in 1911 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Eugene Blum and Alice Levy.-E.B.E.L.:...
, Movado
Movado
Movado is a Swiss luxury watch company whose name is Esperanto for "continuous movement". Movado was founded in 1881 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland by Achilles Ditesheim....
, Vulcain
Vulcain
Vulcain is a family of European cryogenic first stage rocket engines for the Ariane 5.-History:The development of Vulcain, assured by a European collaboration, began in 1988 with the Ariane 5 rocket program. It first flew in 1996 powering the ill-fated flight 501 without being the cause of the...
, Solvil et Titus
Solvil et Titus
Solvil et Titus is a formally Swiss, now Hong-Kong-based, watch company, founded in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland by Paul Ditisheim and developed by Paul Bernard Vogel.-Paul Ditisheim: the founder:...
or Paul Ditisheim
Paul Ditisheim
Paul Ditisheim is a famous Swiss watchmaker, inventor and industrialist.-Early years:Paul Ditisheim was born in 1868 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the historic birth place of watch-making industry...
.
External links
- Eberhard & Co. official website, www.eberhard-co-watches.ch/
- Eberhard & Co's Company History, www.eberhardwatches.net/
- Eberhard & Co. profile, www.worldtempus.com/