This Watch

If you like your vintage with a bit of attitude, this is it. Signed ETERNA-MATIC 2002 on the dial, this square/cushion steel automatic is pure early-’70s design: a compact, wearable 34mm x 34mm case, a funky textured dial that shifts between alpine-camo and mosaic depending on the light, and a very cool piece of engineering on the back with Eterna’s four-screw clamshell case construction. An unusual case construction produced to protect the dial and movement from moisture. Never seen this exact model before so excited to add it to stock.

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Eterna was founded in Grenchen, Switzerland in 1856 by Josef Girard and Urs Schild. Jointly founding the famous ébauche factory.  The company was formerly known as Schild Fréres, starting out by producing ladies’ wristwatches. In 1905, the company changed its name to Eterna.  By 1932, Eterna set up a subsidiary company, ETA SA, which made movements for itself and other Swiss watch companies.  In 1948, Eterna created the advanced self-winding movement called the Eterna-Matic automatic. They used five ball bearings that were placed in such a way to make the movement very efficient. Its popularity was such that in 1948 Eterna adopted the image of five balls as its corporate logo.

After 1982, Eterna was sold several times. In 1999, Eterna produced a range of watches marketed under the Porsche Design label. Porsche Design sold Eterna to International Volant Ltd, a subsidiary of China Haidian in June 2012. China Haidian was later renamed in 2014 to Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited where they continue to own Eterna.

This watch comes fully serviced by our on-site workshop and with a 12 month, non-waterproof service cover.

What we think

The transitional design between the 1960s and 1970s is what drew us to this watch. Square watches are having a real moment again—and this one hits the sweet spot: not a huge “TV case”, not a tiny dress piece either. The 34mm square footprint wears larger than the numbers suggest, and that dial does the heavy lifting: it’s the kind of texture you only really see in this era, and it makes the watch feel designed, not just “another silver vintage automatic.

Spec Stuff