WHAT CAN THE GENERAL OF THE GREAT POET, LEGENDARY RACE DRIVER AND INDEPENDENT SWISS HOUR BRAND RECENTLY MARKED 125TH ANNIVERSARY BE? THE NEW CHERONOGRAPHER EBERHARD & CO. EXTRA-FORT "ARDISCO NON ORDISCO", ISSUED BY THE LIMITED LIMITED SERIES OF POET, WRITER AND PHILOSOPHE GABRIELE D'ANNANNZIO.
Poet and turtle
Watches released in honor of the writer are a rarity in themselves. Moreover, a mechanical chronograph from a brand historically associated with the racing world. But for Eberhard & Co. this model fits perfectly with the philosophy of the House and is based on the true heritage of the company. In 1887, the 22-year-old Georg-Emile Eberhard founded a small atelier for the production of pocket watches. But the world was changing rapidly, and after only a couple of decades, Eberhard was forced to respond to the needs of a new era: he turned his attention to car racing, and the company concentrated on creating high-precision chronographs. The first wrist chronograph of Eberhard & Co. was released in 1919. And a year later, fate brought the novice timekeeper to the novice star of motor racing - 28-year-old Tazio Nuvolari, who participated in his first official race in Cremona. Soon, Nuvolari became a professional racer. He began his career with Enzo Ferrari and turned into a real favorite of Italy. Later, it was Nuvolari Ferdinand Porsche who called it “the greatest racer of the past, present and future.”
And in 1931, having won the Grand Prix of Monaco, France and Italy, Tazio Nuvolari met his old idol, who, unexpectedly for the rider, also turned out to be a big fan of motorsport - writer, poet and thinker Gabriele d'Annunzio. Not only a writer, but also a hero of the First World War, this man has always admired human courage, the ability to act to the limit - and these are the qualities he saw in the first riders. It is no coincidence that the famous d'Annunzio motto sounded like "Ardisco non ordisco" - "Take risks, not adjust." By the way, these were not empty words. The writer himself always followed his motto, for example, he was not afraid at 52 to sit for the first time at the helm of an airplane!
With his characteristic sense of humor, d'Annunzio gave Nuvolari a souvenir - a golden turtle with the dedication: “The slowest animal - to the fastest person on earth” as a keepsake. One hundred years on the track Unfortunately, Georg Emil Eberhard himself had already retired by the early 1930s and could not attend the historic meeting of his friend Tazio Nuvolari with Gabriele d'Annunzio - however, his company continued to actively participate in sports timing, for example , it was in the 1930s that the first split chronograph Eberhard & Co. was introduced And chrono-racing literary history has found an interesting continuation in our time.
As you know, the company Eberhard & Co. itself, which remains independent and in family management (in the 60s, the Monti family bought it from the heirs of Eberhard), never forgot about its racing "specialization". Her most recognizable modern model is the Chrono 4, a chronograph with 4 counters arranged in one line, as on the dashboard of a car. But back in 1992, marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tazio Nuvolari, for the first time released a limited series of chronographs dedicated to the legendary athlete. Since then, various variations of the Tazio Nuvolari appear almost every year. And, notably, the topics are not repeated. For example, in 2012 it was a modern black carbon-coated chronograph, in 2013 - the chic retro Tazio Nuvolari Vanderbilt Cup, dedicated to the victory of Nuvolari at the Vander New York Cup in 1936, and in 2014 - a model with fashionable carbon fiber, but now classic performance, without a chronograph. Supporting the Gran Premio Nuvolari rally, held annually in the pilot’s homeland in Mantua, the brand also respects the great athlete.
Ardisco non ordisco
In 2014, in honor of the 150th birthday of Gabriele d'Annunzio, engineers and designers of Eberhard & Co. decided to express the strong character of an outstanding personality in a limited series of watches. All 22 years of experience with the Tazio Nuvolari collection was involved, and the famous Extra-fort series, which appeared in 1950, was chosen as the base model. This classic Arabic numeral chronograph is now used by Eberhard & Co. only for the most significant collection editions - in 2007 in honor of the 120th anniversary of the brand and in 2012 in honor of the 125th anniversary.
In the version dedicated to Gabriela d'Annunzio, a black dial is surrounded by a tachymeter scale - in memory of his passion for racing. Instead of the not-so-needed chronograph hour counter, designers placed the poet’s autograph and the inscription: "150 years." By the way, the release limit for this elegant classic chronograph is limited to only 150 pieces. And around the 30-minute counter you can read the famous motto of d'Annunzio: "Take risks, not adapt!"
