Ebel 1911 Tekton Chronograph: Underworld Style on a NARC Budget

• The Ebel 1911 Tekton Chronograph is the modern incarnation of the Miami Vice classic.

• Roll like Scarface, but spend like a NARC; Ebel delivers Hublot style for a fraction of the cost.

• The 1911 Tekton Chronograph features real pedigree with Ebel finish and an in-house movement.

• Ebel’s straps and clasps are brilliant. No pin holes or strap loops means an ultra-clean look.

• watchuwant.com value saves critical funds for your Ferrari Testarossa and Wellcraft Scarab speedboat.

A 1986 Ferrari Testarossa – white. Ray Ban Wayfarers. A T-shirt draped with a seafoam Armani jacket. And an Ebel 1911 Chronograph.

For five years, this was the formula for the hottest show on TV. Twenty five years, at least one thinly-veiled video game ripoff (I’m looking at you, GTA Vice City), and a movie adaptation after the last appearance of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, there’s a small revival underway at the watchuwant.com offices.

Ebel is a name that should resonate with fans of Miami Vice. The first generation Ebel 1911 chronograph co-starred alongside Don Johnson from 1984 to 1989 and became something of an icon to enthusiasts of luxury watches, 80’s pop culture, and the South Florida scene.

As a Greater Miami Area stalwart, watchuwant.com is thrilled to offer this Ebel 1911 Tekton Chronograph. All Ebel chronographs are house favorites around these parts, and company CEO, OJ Whatley, is an avowed fan of the original “Crockett” model. Having experienced this 1911 Tekton, we’re pleased to report that it updates the ’80s cult classic with a contemporary attitude.

In short, this Ebel is an Hublot-killer. Packing a 48.5mm case and a skeletonized dial with visual impact to match, the 1911 Tekton is a luxury chronograph with enormous presence. Ebel’s designers made deft use of a classic color palette comprising black, silver, white, and red in order to blend readability with high style. In the flesh, the satin-finished steel case, brushed bezel with polished bolts, and visible engine-turned movement plate will engage and impress even casual judges of modern men’s fashion.

Style notwithstanding, this Ebel really trumps the Big Bangs and King Powers of the world with refinement that many Hublots cannot match.

A big watch that wears small is the goal of every modern watch designer. Hublot has built its name on size, but this Ebel takes its Nyon-based rival to school. Hublot’s watches often challenge men with smaller or rounder wrist profiles; straps that fit rigidly to lugs don’t help matters.

Ebel avoids these pitfalls by equipping the 1911 Tekton with a very thin case, extremely short lugs (it’s almost a cushion case), and a supple strap that bends straight downward to hug smaller wrists. Due to the extremely low profile for such a large watch, the Ebel fits neatly under shirt cuffs.

Ebel’s original 1911 Chronograph relied on a Zenith El Primero movement finished by Ebel, but the company worked with Lemania to develop its own chronograph movement for the Tekton. By designing an entirely original rotor winding system for the Lemania unit, Ebel reduced the thickness of the final cased watch. The movement itself contributes to the shockingly low wrist height of the 1911 Tekton Chronograph.

The Ebel Caliber 139 found in this luxury watch was built and finished by Ebel in its own workshops. The gorgeous movement is visible through both the sapphire display caseback and the skeleton dial; Ebel’s pedigree as an etablisseur or “finisher of parts” is on display in its polished, brushed, and drawn glory. To this day, very few Hublot movements are finished to this standard, and even fewer are equipped with in-house movements.

The Cal. 139 is a certified Swiss chronometer for confirmed accuracy. Lest doubt linger regarding the virtues of Ebel’s movement, consider that in 2012, celebrated innovator Ulysse Nardin purchased the movement rights, all inventory of movement blanks, and five Ebel watchmakers to secure the Cal. 137/139 as the basis of UN’s first “in-house” chronograph.

The 1911 Tekton‘s unique strap is an outstanding example of practical innovation. Featuring neither pin holes nor “minder” loops, this strap advances through the deployant clasp until it is sized correctly, then a slot in the clasp tucks the remainder of the alligator band under its opposite side. When on the wrist, the result is an incredibly clean look that is reminiscent of the exact-fit sizing normally exclusive to bracelets.

Even better, Ebel takes the unusual step of hand-stitching each 1911 BTR and Tekton strap. While machine stitching is faster, hand-stitching permits a tighter pattern that creates the impression of a constant band of thread; when paired with contrasting thread as on this Tekton, the effect is upscale and unique. Ebel knows how to finish what they start, and in the case of this strap, the terminal segments are cut to conform with the case flanks in seamless integration.

And because even Sonny Crockett was known to fall off his Scarab cigarette boat, Ebel equips this latter-day 1911 Chronograph with 20atm water resistance: over 600 feet. That’s orders of magnitude more protection than the classic 1911 Chrono enjoyed, and it puts the Tekton firmly in the beach-safe column when fitted with a proper Ebel rubber strap. Miami is a beach town, after all.

The Ebel 1911 Tekton is available immediately from watchuwant.com. Compared to a new Hublot Big Bang at over $13,000 MSRP, the Tekton offers just as much style with twice the substance. So if you want to live like a kingpin without a Scarface-style end game, roll like Crocket and Tubbs and strap on an Ebel. Then start saving for that Testarossa.