Have I Got a Watch for You!

Those were the words of Eberhard chief Mario Peserico when I walked into the booth for my BaselWorld appointment.  I wasn't sure what he meant.  And then Anais, the PR contact said exactly the same thing...

This was me -

Hard to see owing to the lighting and the dark blue background but I was "nattily" attired in a pair of green floral patterned trousers.  That's "Natty" not "Dandy" (which is apparently the domain of Jack Forster of Revolution according the the Paper of Record).

And this was the watch -

This is Eberhard's Contograf Special Edition.

Courtesy of Eberhard

A self-winding, bi-compax chronograph with date at 6 o'clock.  Available on a bracelet or NATO Strap.  

Here are the specs, straight from the source -

CONTOGRAF SPECIAL EDITION

Technical features

Reference:
31069

Movement:

8147 calibre (ETA 7750 131⁄4)

Mechanical automatic‐winding chronograph 2 counters (30 chronograph minutes at 3 o'clock ‐ running seconds at 9 o'clock) ‐ fast‐changing date window at 6 o'clock. Central hand for the chronograph seconds.

Case:
steel

Total diameter of the case:
42 mm

Thickness of the case:
14.70 mm

Caseback:
steel, screwed‐in, personalized with the inscription SPECIAL EDITION

Bezel:
anticlockwise unidirectional rotation, in black or dark green color. Steel base with external teeth, black ceramic insert with numerals, small indices of the hours and 12 o’clock triangle

Water‐resistant:
50 m

Crown:
steel, screwed‐in, water‐resistant, personalized with an 'E' in relief

Glass:
anti‐reflective domed sapphire

Dial:

“camouflage” in green tones, with green counters, 9 applied black indices, faceted. “Special Edition” written in white.
Date window at 6 o'clock, with particular trapezoidal shape, applied outline and date numbers in red.
Minutes counter at 3 o'clock showing the duration of a telephone call unit which lasted for 3 minutes in the 1960s.

Tachometer scale base 1000 km/h.

Hands:
“dauphine” style, hours and minutes in black, with luminescent treatment; leaf shaped counters hands, black central hand for chronograph seconds.

Strap:
in military green rep fabric. Clasp personalized with 'E&C'.

Bracelet:
“Chassis®”, in steel, 3 links. Déclic® deploying buckle – Patented ‐ 

Eberhard and Ambrí Piotta's MVP - Richard Park

This just in from Eberhard -

Courtesy of Eberhard & Co.

Eberhard & Co. awards prize to Richard Park,
forward from the Ambrí Piotta Hockey Club

A Few Minutes with Mario Peserico

Rugby player, sports journalist - and watch executive!  Once again I've learned that there is more to someone than their job title!  And now, a few minutes with Mario Peserico -

Courtesy of Eberhard 

Tempus Fugit - What was your first watch?  Was it a gift?  Is there a story behind it?

Mario Peserico - It was an heirloom from my grandfather, a vintage hand-winding watch.

TF - When you were a boy, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

MP - I always dreamt of being a Carabiniere, the Italian national Military Police, one of the corps with the highest sense of honor; this was my dream until I was 18.

TF - Where did you go to school, what did you study exactly?

MP - After the high school I attended the Bocconi University in Milan where I studied Economics, I then decided to change my course of studies and enrolled in the Political Science faculty.

TF - What are some of the things you did prior to entering the watch industry?

MP - For a few years I was a bit of a sports journalist, writing rugby reports for an important Italian newspaper, “Il Giornale”; at the same time I was also the match commentator for a local Milan TV station.  I have been playing rugby for 15 years and I believe it has really helped shape my personality.

TF - What got you started in the watch industry in the first place?

MP - It was 1993, and Eberhard was looking for someone to handle the external relations and the the dealer contacts.   I decided to leave the job I had at the time to join Eberhard.

TF - Why Eberhard?

MP - My father was a watch collector, and he had an Eberhard model in his collection. This made it easier to make the decision, as it was a Brand already known and respected in my family.

TF - What is it that makes Eberhard special?

MP - Eberhard is a family Company with a great deal of respect for their customers and for the dealers.  Moreover, Eberhard possesses a DNA second to none when it comes to technical evolution.  It is also a great place to work at, a place where producing ideas does not provoke any rivalry.

TF - I realize it might be difficult, but what is your favorite Eberhard?

MP - It is really tough, I like almost all of them, from the historical pieces to the current collections. Having contributed to the creation of them all makes it even more difficult to make a choice. I want to surprise you by choosing  the “120^th Anniversary” model in gold with the brown dial: innovation, elegance and proportion of size.

TF - What are some of the challenges facing Eberhard?

MP - We are proud to have remained independent ever since our foundation, but markets are definitely more and more globalized these days, and it is not easy for a company that is not a "group member" to invest in very expensive territories such as China or the USA.  At the same time, this continuous challenge produces ideas, innovation, and a creative approach that often the “big boys” don’t have.

TF - What is Eberhard's strongest market?

MP - Historically, Italy has always been very important in terms of turnover size and also of consumer taste.  A watch that is successful in Italy always promises to be so in the other markets as well.

TF - How do you see Eberhard developing in the coming years?

MP - Always focusing on the same criteria: identity, technical developments, creativity and service to clients.  Distribution is changing and this is another important aspect, but we will always consider the multi brand shops as our main supporters.

TF  - What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

MP- I live in the country side with many animals and I like spending my leisure time with them, particularly the dogs.  I also try to remain fit by exercising as much as I can over the week-ends (jogging, cycling, paddling, horse riding).  I like contemporary art very much, as well as reading.  And I love food and wine.

TF - If you weren't working with Eberhard, what do you think you might be doing?

MP - I do not see my self anywhere else and I like the watches so I could not be happier.The only different thing I would do, once retired, is living in the country side or in the mountains with no noise and no technology

TF - What advice do you have for the next Mario Peserico out there?

MP - Be unassuming, work hard, and respect others.

Eberhard & Co. Welcomes Gennaro Gattuso to Switzerland

When I met Mario Peserico in Las Vegas this past June, we talked about watches - but we also talked about Football (Soccer) and the magical Italian team from 1982.  For me, Paolo Rossi and his fellow Azzurri still stand out as one of the greatest teams, and the World Cup of 82 the most memorable.

Courtesy of Eberhard

Until 2006 that is!  One of the key members of that tournament was Gennaro "Rino" Gattuso.  The FC Scion player recently visited with Mario Peserico, and was presented with a unique Extra-fort Roue à Colonnes Grande Date 125ème Anniversaire - in gold - number 8.  And as he wears number 8, that seems fitting.  And think about this, you put 8 on its side - its infinity!