Movado agrees to sell 95 per cent of Ebel to F.P. Journe-led group for US$66.5m
A group led by Montres Journe SA, with Chanel taking part, will pay US$66.5m for 95 per cent of the Swiss watch brand Ebel, subject to adjustments and closing conditions. Movado keeps 5 per cent.
Original reporting:Hodinkee · 9 October 2026National Jeweler · 9 October 2026Monochrome
What happened
Movado Group has agreed to sell a 95 per cent interest in the Swiss watch brand Ebel for US$66.5m, according to National Jeweler, which reported the deal on 9 October 2026. Monochrome also gave the price as US$66.5m. The buyer is a group led by Geneva-based Montres Journe SA, the company behind F.P. Journe.
The luxury house Chanel and the Swiss watch industry figure Pierre Jacques are also taking part.
National Jeweler said the transaction is subject to customary adjustments and closing conditions. Movado will keep a 5 per cent stake and support Ebel through its transition. Monochrome said the shares of the different investors in the buyer group were not disclosed.
It described Chanel as already a partial owner of F.P. Journe.
National Jeweler also mentioned the Villa Turque, a historic modernist house designed by the architect Le Corbusier, in its account of the Ebel assets involved. Monochrome placed the house in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Jacques will serve as Ebel's chief executive, according to National Jeweler. It said he previously ran the independent Swiss watch brand De Bethune for 15 years before stepping down in the summer before its report.
National Jeweler reported that most Ebel watches retail above US$2,000 and top out at more than US$9,000, while Movado's own brand offers many options under US$2,000. The sources did not state Ebel's sales or profit, so the price cannot be set against earnings.
Ebel was founded in 1911 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, by the husband-and-wife team of Eugene Blum and Alice Levy, according to National Jeweler. Monochrome said Investcorp bought the brand in 1994 and sold it to LVMH in 1999.
The sources differ on when Movado bought it: Monochrome said 2003, National Jeweler said 2004.
Key issues — our analysis
- Price subject to adjustments and closing conditions
- No Ebel sales or profit disclosed
- Individual investor shares undisclosed
Who should pay attention
- Ebel owners and collectors
- Family offices tracking watch brand deals
- Wealth managers advising watch investors
- Insurers of watch collections
What to watch
- Announcement of a closing date and final adjusted price
- Any disclosure of the buyers' individual shareholdings
- First product or pricing plans under Pierre Jacques
Sources
- Source: Hodinkee · 9 October 2026
- Source: National Jeweler · 9 October 2026
- Source: Monochrome
How this was produced
This original summary was prepared with AI from the linked reporting and published through automated editorial checks. It has not been individually verified by a human editor. Analysis sections are our interpretation. For information only; not financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Editorial standards · Corrections.
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