There is something quietly confident about the way Mario Peserico walks into a room. No grand spectacle, no sprawling booth of a dozen novelties clamouring for attention: just two watches, each one rooted in a founding story that stretches back decades, and each one carrying enough detail to reward a collector’s gaze for years.
At Watches and Wonders 2026, the maison from La Chaux-de-Fonds arrives with the Scafograf 200 MCMLIX and a new Tazio Nuvolari chronograph: one born of deep water, one of racing tarmac, and both sharing a single triangular symbol that ties heritage to horizon. With the brand’s 140th anniversary approaching and the watch world in one of its more thoughtful, introspective moods, I sat down with General Manager Mario Peserico to understand what drives Eberhard‘s choices, and where this most singular of independent maisons is heading next.
Mario, Eberhard & Co. is approaching 140 years, yet at Watches and Wonders 2026 you arrive with just two novelties: the Scafograf 200 MCMLIX and a new Tazio Nuvolari chronograph. Was this focus a deliberate creative statement, or a calculated response to a complex market moment?
It is both. In a complex market environment, we deliberately focused on two novelties with strong identities, consistent with our belief in presenting a limited, carefully curated number of annual releases to ensure proper attention.By focusing on compact diameters and the evolution of our historic Scafograf (our bond with the sea since 1959) and Tazio Nuvolari collections (linked to motorsport), we maintain a steady strategy that avoids market “bubbles”. We present a curated selection of novelties aligned with our price positioning and brand identity, closely following market trends rather than an excessive number of new products.This approach is even more important in the current delicate and complex geopolitical context, where stability and closeness to clients are essential.
You are now regulars at both Watches and Wonders in Geneva and Inhorgenta in Munich, two very different stages. What does each fair actually give you that the other shows cannot? And which audience feels closer to the Eberhard soul?
Both are essential, but they serve different strategic purposes. Watches and Wonders is the premier global stage where we unveil our most significant novelties of the year. Inhorgenta, on the other hand, is a vital opportunity to strengthen our presence in the DACH market and foster direct, meaningful dialogue with retail partners and professionals in a key European region.
Both audiences represent the Eberhard & Co. soul: those who seek global horological innovation and the excitement of new launches in Geneva—the world stage of watchmaking—and a more focused, regional yet highly engaged audience in Munich, which also speaks to the wider world of jewellery and luxury retail.
The triangle is everywhere in your 2026 novelties: in the Scafograf’s indices and hand, and in the micro-pyramid weave of the Nuvolari’s Clous de Paris dial. You describe it as a form where the base is history and the tip points to the future. Is this a design coincidence, or has the triangle genuinely become Eberhard’s new visual signature?
It is a very deliberate symbolic element. In the Scafograf, the triangular indices are a direct functional reference to the 1959 original, designed for maximum legibility. In the new Tazio Nuvolari, we evolved this shape into a three-dimensional Clous de Paris structure.
We see this form as a hallmark of our identity: the base represents our roots and tradition, while the tip points toward future evolution. It is the visual embodiment of our philosophy that “the future is born from afar”.
The Scafograf 200 MCMLIX is a professional diver in a 39 mm case, with a helium escape valve and maximum legibility, but it also comes with a Milanese mesh bracelet and a dégradé dial. That is a fascinating tension. How do you keep a tool watch honest when the collector market is pushing it towards the dressing table?
We keep it “honest” by never compromising its professional character. Alongside refined finishes and the vintage-inspired Milanese mesh bracelet—which offers an elegant alternative—the watch remains a certified tool watch with an automatic helium escape valve and domed sapphire crystal for deep-sea reliability.
It is a professional instrument that also happens to combine performance with a design sophisticated enough for everyday wear.
Tazio Nuvolari is one of motorsport’s most mythological figures. This year you introduced the yellow TN symbol on the dial for the first time, alongside the tortoise talisman and the Clous de Paris finish. How do you make sure these layers of symbolism feel earned and emotional, rather than decorative storytelling layered on top of a nice chronograph?
For us, celebrating Nuvolari is not an exercise in nostalgia. We see him as the embodiment of human talent and courage. Every symbol we use is rooted in his actual life: the yellow “TN” monogram is the exact one he used on his racing attire and personal camera, and yellow was his lucky colour (an unconventional choice, given that traditionally the color is often associated with bad luck).
By integrating these details with high-end horological finishes such as the Clous de Paris, we create a dynamic dialogue between Nuvolari’s charismatic personality and the sporty spirit of the chronograph.
Both the Scafograf and the Nuvolari lines carry very specific founding stories: urban legends that mention Maurice Eberhard personally immersing the first Scafograf in Lake Neuchâtel, or the gold tortoise gifted by D’Annunzio to the fastest man. How deeply do these archive stories influence actual design decisions in your studio today, beyond the marketing narrative?
These stories are not just narrative inspiration for us—they are a real design source. As CEO Barbara Monti says, “inspiration always comes from Eberhard & Co. itself”. Having only two families guiding the Maison throughout its history gives us privileged access to a living heritage that goes beyond a professional relationship.
We constantly explore both tangible and intangible archives, studying vintage watches, technical drawings, and historical documents to reinterpret aesthetic and technical codes in a contemporary way. The goal is never to replicate the past, but to transform it into something coherent and relevant today.
For example, in the Chronographe 1887, elements such as the coaxial reset pusher and specific crown designs come directly from this approach, rooted in vintage horological language and the tactile experience of traditional watchmaking.
Beyond Geneva and Munich, where can collectors actually experience the Eberhard universe in 2026? Are there events, track-side moments, retail experiences or collector gatherings that enthusiasts should know about?
Collectors can primarily experience our universe through our trusted network of multibrand retailers. We also value selected local events and fairs and in-person moments, as well as appointments at the Eberhard & Co. Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds, including special openings for enthusiasts during the Watchmaking Heritage Biennial (La Biennale du Patrimoine de l’Horloger), taking place from 29 October to 1 November 2026, where we will open the museum doors to passionate visitors.
These occasions allow us to connect with passionate communities in a warm, direct environment rather than only through a digital interface.
The 140th anniversary is coming. Without giving too much away, is it going to be a celebration that looks inward, drawing on the archives and your founding collections, or will it push Eberhard into genuinely new territory?
It will be a balance of both. While we will certainly honour our founding collections and independence, we are also looking forward with confidence, interpreting trends in our own way—never passively, but always through the lens of our identity. We do not follow the market blindly; we interpret it and transform it according to our vision.
Looking at the current generation of watch collectors, particularly the younger ones entering the hobby, which Eberhard references do you feel speak most naturally to them, and is that a consideration that shapes your design and communication strategy?
The Contodat collection, introduced in 2025, is a perfect example. It responds to the 39 mm trend and the revival of 1970s design language with its integrated bracelet. Younger collectors appreciate that this era—defined by balance, functionality, and creative freedom—does not age.
Final question, and the one I always look forward to most: what are you personally wearing today, and why did you choose it for Watches and Wonders?
Today I am wearing the Tazio Nuvolari Gold Car Collection (ref. 31176). I chose it because it perfectly represents the summit of our 2026 novelties. Through the sapphire caseback, you can see the finely finished movement and the 18 K gold reproduction of Nuvolari on his Alfa Romeo. It is a constant reminder of our commitment to blending mechanical sophistication with the extraordinary stories that define our Maison.
Thank you Mario and Eberhard team for the time and lovely experience at the Eberhard booth.