Hands-On: The 37mm Ebel Sport Classic — A Go-To Watch Of Yesteryear Is Still Relevant
To put it mildly, Ebel is not the most active brand. But if the products are okay, that goes a long way. Ebel was a force to reckon with back in the 1980s and early 1990s. The brand was everywhere, from the wrists of the world’s best tennis players to those of kids who had just turned 18. I haven’t done any solid market research that leads to the following statement, so it’s just my gut feeling, but I will make it anyhow: an Ebel was the watch to gift for 18th birthdays, graduations, and retirement. Why? It’s because the brand had great advertising campaigns, the price was right, and the curvy looks were charming and easy to recognize. The 2024 Ebel Sport Classic is a blast from the past made in the present.
The Ebel Sport Classic has me thinking of the ’90s and everything I liked about that period. In retrospect, the carefree, social-media-less era gave me plenty of time to go see Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and listen to Grace by Jeff Buckley in 1994 because I was a student. I was not wearing an Ebel but a Baume & Mercier Formula One chronograph that looked great with my 1991 black Air Jordan 6s — I thought so, at least. Still, Ebel watches were around, and my then-newly installed horological radar spotted them everywhere. During the last three decades, nothing too memorable left the Ebel workshops. The brand went quiet, although it continues to create new watches — well, not entirely new.
The “newish” 37mm Ebel Sport Classic
Although I think of the ’90s when picking up an Ebel Sport Classic, I should mention that it debuted in 1977. The 2024 Ebel Sport Classic you see here is basically a 47-year-old watch. The model has evolved ever so slightly over time, but the vibes have stayed the same. The galvanic green dial with a sunray finish is a recent addition to the “newish” three-hand Sport Classic.
The rounded, brushed case has moderate proportions, with a 37mm diameter from 10 to 4 o’clock (40mm from 9 to 3 o’clock, including the crown), an 8.85mm thickness, and a 41mm lug-to-lug. The relatively small 29mm dial shows reflective rhodium-plated Roman numerals, shiny sword-shaped hands, and a date window at 3 o’clock with the date in black on a white background. It also sits under a sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment on the underside. The composition is full but not too cluttered, and it kind of keeps the radiant green dial in check.
Flaunt the Imperfection*
The “imperfect” fives screws around the polished bezel look perfect to me. I am a sucker for functional stuff being used for decoration. The fact that the screws are not aligned gives them a nonchalant look (which is one of the reasons I prefer the vintage IWC Ingenieur over the latest version). And then there’s the Sport Classic’s elegantly thin and suave steel wave-link bracelet with polished and brushed surfaces.
It matches the case shapes perfectly, and the way the polished parts light up is probably why this watch still works decades after it first appeared. With a design this good and original, who needs big marketing campaigns? Don’t answer that; it’s a rhetorical question.
Ebel markets it to ladies, but don’t let that hold you back
Full transparency here: there’s little to say about the Ebel Sport Classic. I do need to mention the folding clasp. It’s small and comfortable, and the square middle part with the Ebel logo ties it all neatly together. Sellita makes the SW300 automatic movement inside the five-bar-water-resistant case, and you can see it through the transparent case back. This caliber has a fairly average power reserve of 42 hours, but it helps keep the watch case nice and thin.
The 37mm Sport Classic oozes nostalgia while looking contemporary, and, even better, it sits perfectly on my wrist. Now, on Ebel’s website, it’s presented as a “women’s design,” and I took issue with that. A classy, sporty 37mm watch with smooth, flowing lines and a touch of bling perfectly suits guys who pick up on warm, nostalgic vibes — guys like me, anyway.
Well, upon closer inspection, I found that Ebel also lists this watch in the men’s section. In any case, you should never let anyone cramp your style. And style is the reason to buy or not buy this watch. Of course, you don’t acquire this watch for a sublime and unique movement. You could also buy it because a relative is turning 18, of course. But before you go online or head out to the closest Ebel dealer, you might want to know the price. This Ebel Sport Classic will set you back €2,900. You tell me if that’s a fair price. My brain can’t deal with monetary matters after listening to Alice in Chains’ Dirt, another great 1990s album.
*Flaunt the Imperfection is a 1985 album by China Crisis, featuring the hit song “Black Man Ray.”
