Ebel 1911 Tekton Automatic Chronograph Swiss Watch Review

Ebel 1911 Tekton both crowns and concludes the brand's advanced technological and design exploration – at least for now. The company's ambition to push the limits of horology following the credo of fifty-fifty feminine-masculine influences reaches its cusp in the 1911 Tekton.

These watches are reminiscent of 1911 BTR chronographs, but they have an extra something that makes them more polished, refined, and consummate. The collection offers three lines: Caliber 137, Caliber 139, and Caliber 245 – Limited Edition.

Design

Though the dials sometimes display white faces, the aesthetic of the 1911 Tekton is undoubtedly black and gray. The straps, the cases, and often the dials as well, present a black and gray color scheme that produces an effect of determination, even grim, and of unrelenting professionalism and focus.

1911 Tekton watches are nothing like the supple softness or even strength of Brasilia or Classic pieces: there are muscles here on display – visuals that shock and inspire action rather than seduce with their curving line.

The timepieces demonstrate a hexagonal look, slightly reminiscent of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, but only slightly, as it's obvious that the design is completely original. The dial is still fully integrated and surrounded by six screws (acting as a decorative element).

Stainless steel, black rubber, and technofiber contribute to the black and gray coloration of this collection.

The collection takes a different approach to the chronograph function. Instead of the routine subdials and small hands, the brand designed a multi-leveled system of rotating disks, which, when combined with a static marker on the upper tier – essentially the face of the dial – show the seconds and the minutes that passed since the pushing of the button occurred.

This design allows to place the disks at non-standard locations (six o'clock, pushing the date to four o'clock), and create a wide space for displaying chronograph measured minutes. This is a refreshing, unconventional design by Ebel.