Quick answer: On October 8, 2026, Movado Group announced a binding agreement to sell 95% of Ebel for $66.5 million to a buyer group led by Montres Journe SA, the Geneva company behind F.P. Journe, with Chanel and Pierre Jacques participating. Pierre Jacques, the former CEO of De Bethune, will become Ebel's CEO. Movado keeps 5%, and the deal is expected to close in the next few months. (Movado Group)
The buyer group combines three very different strengths. SJX describes the split simply: Chanel brings financial firepower, François-Paul Journe brings watchmaking know-how, and Pierre Jacques brings operational and management experience. (SJX Watches)
Montres Journe SA was founded in Geneva in 1999 by master watchmaker François-Paul Journe and trades as F.P. Journe. It designs and produces its watches and components in-house and is known for precision mechanical timepieces. Journe has won the Aiguille d'Or, the top prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, three times, and his Chronomètre à Résonance remains one of the defining independent watches of the modern era.
Chanel is not a newcomer to this partnership. It took a 20% stake in Montres Journe in 2018, so the Ebel deal extends an alliance that already exists. Chanel has also invested in other watchmaking businesses, including MB&F and Kenissi, the movement maker linked to Tudor. (Bilan)
Pierre Jacques will run Ebel day to day. He co-founded the watch magazine GMT in 2000, directed the organizing company of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, managed the Geneva branch of retailer Les Ambassadeurs, served as CEO of De Bethune from 2011 to 2015, and later led MCT (Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps). Few executives know independent haute horlogerie from as many angles.
François-Paul Journe summed up his approach in three words: "the product, the product, the product." He said Ebel has always stood for exceptional product and that he is delighted to help write its next chapter alongside his partners.
Frédéric Grangié, President of Chanel Watches & Fine Jewelry, called Ebel one of the great names of Swiss watchmaking and said the investment reflects confidence in the brand's long-term potential and a commitment to preserving its craftsmanship.
Movado Chairman and CEO Efraim Grinberg said the sale lets Movado focus on its accessible luxury and fashion watch and jewelry brands while placing Ebel with owners who have the expertise and long-term view to unlock its potential. (Movado Group)
No. Pierre Jacques is the announced CEO. François-Paul Journe leads the company heading the buyer group, and his comments focus on product, but no formal design or product role at Ebel has been announced.
Ebel was founded in 1911 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, by Eugène Blum and Alice Lévy. The name comes from their initials: Eugène Blum Et Lévy.
For a deep dive into Ebel's El Primero chronographs and complicated watches of the 1980s and 1990s, Phillips published an excellent collector's guide.
At $66.5 million for 95%, Ebel is valued at roughly $70 million. That is close to what Movado paid more than 20 years ago. SJX notes that Movado's two decades of revival efforts never returned the brand to its former scale. (SJX Watches)
In other words, the buyers are acquiring a famous name, a design archive and a landmark building at a modest price by luxury standards. The value will come from what they build, not from the business as it stands today.
Europa Star describes today's Ebel as feminine, two-tone and still mostly quartz, an unusual profile for a historic Swiss brand. (Europa Star) The current lineup centers on the Sport Classic, Wave, 1911, Discovery and Beluga families.
The timing is notable: the Sport Classic turns 50 in 2027. A new team taking control just before that anniversary gives Ebel an obvious moment to show its new direction.
Nothing about future products, prices or movements has been announced. Movado's release refers only to a next phase of growth. What follows is Rehaut 1775 analysis, not company guidance.
There is a useful parallel in MB&F's M.A.D.Editions, which offers the MB&F creative approach at a lower price under a separate identity. Ebel's case is different because the buyers are taking over an established heritage name, but the logic of separate identities at different price points is similar.
Not announced. Nothing in the deal establishes movement sharing, and F.P. Journe's in-house calibers are built in very small numbers. Ownership alone does not give an Ebel a Journe movement, Journe finishing or Journe pricing.
For Movado, the sale narrows its focus. SJX notes it leaves the group with two owned Swiss brands, Movado and Concord, alongside its fashion and licensed labels. Movado's filing also flags the usual risks: the deal could close late or not at all, and the final price could change through adjustments. (SJX Watches, Movado Group)
For the industry, it is a test case. Can a respected independent watchmaker, backed by one of the world's strongest luxury houses, revive a fallen heritage brand? If it works, expect other dormant Swiss names to attract similar buyers.
The Hour Markers framed the stakes well: success depends on turning a dormant but authentic heritage into watches people actually want to wear. (The Hour Markers)
This is one of the most exciting watch-industry deals of 2026. Ebel has what most new brands spend decades chasing: a recognizable design, real history and watches people remember. Now it has owners with the taste, capital and experience to use them.
Our expectations are optimistic but focused on execution. The best outcome would be an Ebel that feels unmistakably itself, earning its place on collectors' wrists through the strength of its watches rather than the fame of its owners.
A group led by Montres Journe SA, the company behind F.P. Journe, agreed to buy 95% of Ebel from Movado Group for $66.5 million. Chanel and Pierre Jacques are part of the buyer group. The deal was announced on October 8, 2026, and had not closed at the time of writing.
$66.5 million for a 95% stake, subject to adjustments. That values the whole brand at about $70 million.
Pierre Jacques, former CEO of De Bethune and co-founder of GMT magazine, will become Ebel's CEO once the deal closes.
Chanel is a participant in the buyer group. It has owned 20% of Montres Journe since 2018. The size of its direct stake in Ebel has not been disclosed.
Yes. Movado Group keeps a 5% minority stake and will provide transition services after closing.
Movado expects closing within the next few months, subject to a pre-closing reorganization and any required regulatory, tax or other approvals.
Yes. The Villa Turque, designed by Le Corbusier and owned by Ebel since 1986, transfers with the brand.
No such plan has been announced. Ebel will remain its own brand, and future products, pricing and positioning have not been revealed.
Eugène Blum and Alice Lévy founded Ebel in 1911 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The name stands for Eugène Blum Et Lévy.
The Sport Classic, launched in 1977, with its five-screw bezel and wave-shaped integrated bracelet. It turns 50 in 2027.
Follow Rehaut 1775 for updates as the deal closes and the first watches under Ebel's new owners are revealed. What would you like to see from the new Ebel? Tell us in the Community.
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