eading Italian comic book publisher Sergio Bonelli Editore and Swiss watchmaker Eberhard & Co. are celebrating the 60th anniversary of cartoon hero Zagor - the Spirit with the Hatchet - an iconic character created in 1961 by author Guido Nolitta (aka Sergio Bonelli), with an exclusive limited edition of the Zagor chronograph.
Swiss craftsmanship meets legendary action hero Zagor in a unique object that combines the cartoon’s distinctive draughtsmanship with the high-quality standards of a limited-edition luxury timepiece, available in only 120 numbered pieces.
An occasion described with feeling by the CEO of Eberhard Italia, Mario Peserico: “We very much wanted to enter into a partnership with Sergio Bonelli Editore because it is an Italian publishing house with a remarkable history, born from the genius of a true creative, who has developed internationally-recognised characters. We appreciate the positive values of a character like Zagor, who fights to maintain peace, who takes the side of the weak, and whose distinctive traits are putting his power at the service of a good cause, his yearning for justice and his selflessness.”
"The cartoon hero is celebrating an important anniversary in 2021, and its reputation and audience has steadily grown over the last 60 years, making it a collector’s item. Eberhard & Co., founded in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, has its own, very remarkable history, marked by models that to this day maintain an unalloyed allure, and has also been capable of creating iconic watches in modern new editions with a vintage flavour. Thanks to Zagor, we are approaching the world of cartoon fans, and Zagor aficionados in particular, who are always eager for news about their favourite comics.”
In the words of Sergio Bonelli Editore’s CEO, Davide Bonelli: "The Zagor limited-edition wristwatch is as rare a surprise as it is unexpected. At our headquarters in Via Buonarroti 38, Milan, we have been eagerly awaiting 2021, a year that marks a number of important milestones for our publishing house. Starting from the 80th anniversary of its foundation by my grandfather Gianluigi Bonelli, who later handed over the baton first to my grandmother Tea and then to my father Sergio.”
“An entrepreneurial story brimming with the emotions linked to the adventures of our characters, among them Zagor, born from my father’s imagination and Gallieno Ferri’s draughtsmanship. In June, Zagor will reach the prestigious milestone of a sixty-year’s presence in the news-stands. Among the many celebrations planned for the occasion, a prestigious and exclusive product such as this watch created with genuine enthusiasm by Eberhard & Co. does stand out. The limited-edition wristwatch of the Spirit with the Hatchet, born from the association of high-quality Swiss craftsmanship with comics art.”