An Eberhard & Co. split-seconds chronograph was among the protagonists of a little-known episode in World War II. In 1942, it flew from Rome to Tokyo, round trip. We are in the middle of World War II and the Axis powers cannot communicate with each other by radio because the secret codes have been decrypted by the Anglo-Americans. Italy, Germany and Japan decide to connect the three countries with a regular air service, also to transmit the new codes to each other. The Italians will be the only ones to succeed, thanks to a watch. We are talking about the 'Magini System', later called the 'Magini Method', by Eberhard & Co., which was the absolute protagonist of the sale organised by the auction house Meeting Art, as it fetched the extraordinary price of 56,000 euros The buyer is unknown, but the value of the Bienne-based Maison's model, which contributed substantially to technical and scientific progress in the history of Italian military aviation, is certain.
The splendid timepiece, which was auctioned at an absolute bargain price, is a unique specimen designed for air navigation and takes its name from the navigator to whom it was given, and who was one of the protagonists of the exceptional historical episode: Publio Magini. Made in the early 1940s, Eberhard & Co.'s 24-hour split-seconds chronograph has a chrome-plated metal case with a pusher coaxial to the crown, a rectangular pusher at 4 o'clock for the chronograph functions, and corrector pushers at 16 and 24 for rapid month and date setting. The 'Magini System' inscription is on the dial, rotated by 15°, silver-plated with enamelled 24 hours and 60-minute/second division, month display windows at 12 o'clock and date at 24 o'clock. The movement is hand-wound and both dial and case are signed.
