Ebel, a Swiss watch brand established in 1911, was a popular and sought-after brand in the 80s and 90s. After suffering setbacks in the 1980s, the brand returned to more moderate tastes, focusing on its sleek early chronograph, the 1911 and/or Le Modulor. Established by Eugène Blum and his wife, Alice (née Lévy), Ebel survived World War II as a supplier of ATP watches to the British Army. The company produced high-end movements for Cartier and foresaw the return of mechanical watchmaking. The 1911 Chronograph, a hit in the 1980s, was featured in Miami Vice.
Ebel was part of LVMH Group until 2003 when it was offloaded to Movado group, who relaunched it as the BTR collection. The Ebel Le Modulor Chronograph was introduced in 1995 as an improvement and update on the 1911 El Primero Chronograph. The Le Modulor features a clous de paris guilloche dial with yellow-gold Breguets hands, chronograph hands, and Breguet numerals. Ebel initially settled on Calibre 1340, the first automatic movement created by Lemania in 1970, but after redesigning and improving several elements, it became Ebel Calibre 137.
Special edition MOP sub-dial Le Modulors were made in four different metals and each limited edition, marking the creation of the Le Modulor Chronograph after over five years of development.
