Gevril was founded in 1758 by Jacques Gevril in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with records of the watchmaker creating a chronometer as early as 1742. Early highlights include Grevil being one of the first Swiss exporters to the king of Spain and eventually becoming the king’s watchmaker. While the history is hazy, the brand appears to have stayed within the family until the early 1800s.
Brand Revival
Rights to the Gevril name was acquired in the 1990s by Swiss Watch Company UTC, which according to the Gevril website were international distributors of brands like Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Breitling, Bertolucci and Girard-Perregaux. A series of pieces making an appearance at the Basel Fair in 1995.
Gevril has been owned by American-based Swiss businessman Samuel Friedmann, who re-introduced the brand in early 2001.
Gevril TriBeca
While not a licensed watch, the Gevril TriBeca is worth a mention. Launched in 1999 and limited to 500 pieces per steel variant, the TriBeca has gained a renewed interest around 2017 as a reputable homage to the Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona. Gold versions were also made, with a limited run of 100 pieces each.
Alberto Ascari Limited Edition
The Gevril Alberto Ascari Limited Edition was announced in September of 2016. Three versions were made: 1100, 1101, and 1102. All three feature a brake disc-inspired dial with “Alberto Ascari” engraved on the bezel, a rotor inspired by a vintage Ferrari steering wheel, and runs on an MD3G automatic movement by Ruben & Sons, which is owned by Alberto’s grandson Massimo Ascari. A certificate of authenticity and tribute booklet containing images of Ascari were also included.
The original announcement stated a limited edition of 500 pieces. It is not clear if this meant per version, or the total quantity across all three versions.
Ascari Collection
According to an Instagram post by @gevrilofficial, the Ascari collection was announced in December of 2022. There appears to be no official licensing involved, nor a direct connection to the 2016 Alberto Ascari Limited Edition.
Related Pages
References
https://www.gevril.com/pages/gevril
https://www.gevril.com/pages/backup-of-about-gevril
https://www.gevril.com/pages/gevril-story
https://watchranker.com/gevril-watch-reviews/
https://www.watchforum.com/threads/a-history-of-gevril-watches-past-and-present.2940/
https://www.europastar.com/magazine/features/1000863594-gevril-the-best-of-old-and-new.html
https://www.europastar.com/magazine/features/2029159-the-rebirth-of-gevril.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20110925124251/http://gevrilgroup.com/our-watch-brands/
https://www.gevril.com/blogs/history/historic-gevril-tribeca-watch-collection
https://timeandtidewatches.com/curious-case-gevril-tribeca-5-reasons-king-homage-watches/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNJKsAHyrpE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvGApiQjFvw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijU1uGMgg6ggevril
https://www.instagram.com/gevrilofficial/p/CmrWSIQtuWG/
https://www.gevril.com/collections/ascari