Offered here is a rare, unique and highly collectible gold and steel Ebel Ref.1134901 MK1 “Miami Vice” El Primero Chronograph (Neo-Vintage Hidden Gem•Iconic Variant)
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The Watch is running well in perfect condition. The Chronograph and Date complication functions perfectly.

The Dial is in perfect condition, clean with no signs of markings or damages.

The Case in superb condition, unpolished and thick, with no deep scratches.
The Ebel wave bracelet is in unpolished condition, showing signs of wear.

Year: Circa 1984

Watch comes with its Original Ebel Wave Bracelet, extra links, outer and inner Ebel box pouch.
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Brief summary:
The brand Ebel was once a highly known and very popular/sought-after brand back in the 80s and 90s. Since the once-thriving, venerable Swiss watch brand Ebel suffered a series of setbacks in the 1980s, its fortunes have been revived by a return to more moderate, subtle tastes. Today, its sleek early chronographs, the 1911 El Primero and the Le Modulor, are considered a modern classic and quite sought-after among collectors in the know.

Ebel was established in 1911 by Eugène Blum and his wife, Alice (née Lévy). The brand name originates from the first letters of their names: Eugène Blum Et Lévy.

Ebel survived the Second World War as one of the suppliers of ATP watches to the British Army. The company took a significant upturn since the beginning of the 1970s and produced/supplied watches/high-end movements for Cartier, among others, and with its prescient leadership also foresaw the return of mechanical watchmaking, working with Zenith to resurrect the El Primero for their 1982 Sport Classic Chrono line. This very example we have today, the 1911 Chronograph, made Ebel a hit in the 1980s, gracing Sonny Crockett’s wrist in Miami Vice, the rolled-back suit cuffs ensuring plenty of screen time!

The company was part of LVMH Group until the end of the 2003 and offloaded Ebel to the Movado group, who had no such qualms about macho watches. Movado took the Ebel 1911 case design, pumped it up to 44.5mm and relaunched it as the BTR (“back to roots”) collection. 

This very iconic example offered today is the previously mentioned, 1911 El Primero Chronograph aka the “Miami Vice”!
This exact reference, the Ref.1134901, is encased in a bi-metal, yellow-gold and steel case featuring the iconic 1911 Ebel case shape design.

As the name suggests, this iconic timepiece is powered by the Zenith El Primero Chronograph calibre, dubbed as the Ebel Cal.134 for their own 1911 model.

This example offered is the very iconic variation that represents the “Miami Vice” title featuring a white dial with black hands for the hour, minute and chronograph hand. While the rest of the watch is in stainless-steel such as the case, the bezel, screws and crown are in yellow-gold.
Lastly the iconic Ebel Wave Bracelet, that makes this example highly collectible!

These early Ebel wave bracelet were the initial default Ebel bracelet paired with the earlier batches of MK1 1911 Chronographs, such as this example offered, before being changed to the 1911 bracelets.

Additionally this With these early Ebel Chronographs, it is reported that early production/MK1 Dial pieces are identified to have a 4 digit or less serial number, with this example having a 4-digit serial number.
Another element that can shows us this example being an earlier production piece is the crown, with the octagonal shaped crown usually found on Ebel’s earliest 1911 production which later changed around 1986-1987.

(A big shout out to our buddies at @watchbrotherslondon for documenting these! The official Ebel bible by them at: https://www.watchbrotherslondon.com/articles/neo-vintage-ebel-chronographs )

Once disregarded and forgotten like many treasures buried from the golden age, Ebel has always been a brand that something truly iconic and unique in its own right, yet also housing a truly spectacular high quality movement.
Today in the market, they offer incredible value and finesse on a collectors wrist, explaining the significant and sudden interest for them, and rightfully so! Anyone looking to add a watch that’s really unique and special without a premium of any kind, this beautiful and iconic early Ebel Chronograph is the one for you!
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Please feel free to contact us for more questions or for a private viewing of the watch!
For more information do visit our Q&A post at https://carousell.app.link/roUoDh0y3kb

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