Sports Classic Chronograph Ref. 8134901 “Dark Mother-Of-Pearl”

The Ebel Sport Classic — later known as the “1911” — stands as a true emblem of 1980s watch design, capturing the era’s distinctive blend of confidence, luxury, and flair like few others. With its fluid lines and interesting case shape, the model became synonymous with the bold elegance of the decade. While it’s a brand and model you might not recognize, Ebel was a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s through the mid-1990s. With a sport focus, the brand was among the first to sign athletes as “ambassadors” — namely in tennis, where legends like André Agassi, Yannick Noah, and Boris Becker wore an Ebel on the court.

Founded in 1911, Ebel initially built its reputation through private-label manufacturing, quietly supplying timepieces to other brands. Its renaissance came in the late 1970s, when Pierre-Alain Blum, grandson of the founders, revitalized the company and transformed it into one of the defining names of the 1980s and 1990s. The time-only Sport Classique was introduced in 1977, but it wasn’t until 1982 that Ebel launched the chronograph variant, powered by none other than the Zenith El Primero movement. At the time, Zenith had ceased production of the caliber but retained a small reserve. Ebel was among the first to bring the iconic movement back to life, predating Rolex’s use of the El Primero in the 1988 Daytona by six years.

The present example is a particularly extravagant version of the chronograph, featuring a rare dark mother-of-pearl dial set with diamond hour markers, all powered by the final evolution of the legendary El Primero: the Caliber 400. This particular dark mother-of-pearl dial is extremely, extremely uncommon. It is found in fewer watches than the more standard white and blue mother-of-pearl variants. To complete the look, this Sports Classic Chronograph is fitted on a case-matching 18k yellow gold Ebel bracelet — this is Ebel at the top of its game.