Like Baume Mercier’s Riviera, the Ebel Wave is a sport luxury watch conceived in the 70’s. Both watches are high quality and super comfortable on the wrist, but Baume Mercier’s Riviera and the Ebel Wave design each reflect the distinct DNA of their manufacturer. The Riviera in very much of its time with an 80’s swagger, while the Ebel seems timeless. With its simple curvy shape and smooth edges, the design is organic, pure of embellishment, and yet still utterly distinctive.
How strange that companies, sometimes over many generations of different leadership, maintain a certain design aesthetic. It’s no coincidence that Ebel began (in 1911) as a husband/wife partnership. Eugene Blum was the watchmaker, his wife Alice Levy was the artist. It was Levy’s leadership that tilted Ebel into the direction of designing beautiful watches for women. This emphasis on women’s timepieces was unique in the industry and the lovely feminine design of the Ebel Wave reflects the company’s history.
Unlike some other famous maker’s women’s sport/luxury timepieces (talking about Audemar Piquet Royal Oak and Vacheron Overseas – neither look right in the smaller size), the Ebel Wave is not a shrunken men’s watch with diamonds added. For me, the Wave’s lovely pure design defines Ebel and it’s history of manufacturing beautiful women’s watches.