Chronometer, is the fancy feature that any automatic wristwatch collector wants to, since thanks to the COSC-definition: a watch that is categorized with chronometer specifications must have the average daily rate (average deviation from standard time) fall between – 4 and + 6 seconds. Arisen from that desire, I chose to become the owner of this nice and rare Eterna Chronometer (as marked on the rotor of the caliber) assembled in the 1970s – which really corresponds to the golden age of automatic watches; after months of researching on Chrono 24. There were some issues with the delivery, but it was totally worthwhile for the waiting and hype.
The History of Eterna brand
Eterna has a long history and has had a huge influence on the watch manufacturing market. In the 1900s, wristwatches were just starting to become fashionable. Schild Freres started to produce lady’s wristwatches adapted from small pocket watches. In 1905, the company changed their name to Eterna. The company continued to be at the leading edge of watch development, and in 1908 it patented the first alarm wristwatch. In 1932 Eterna split into 2 companies, ETA SA and Eterna. The former is currently the largest manufacturer of watch movements in the world and Eterna continues to make complete watches.
In 1948, Eterna advanced self-winding watch technology with the development of the Eterna-matic automatic movement. The use of five strategically placed ball bearings made the movement very efficient with significantly reduced friction and resistance on the oscillating weight that wound the mainspring. This reduced the wear and tear on internal parts, increasing the watch’s accuracy and its useful life. This technology has not been surpassed and is in use massively today. Rolex on the other hand, didn’t want to pay the fees to Eterna or recognize their accomplishment so they developed their own system for an automatic rotor. It’s a nice system yet fragile. Its popularity was such that in 1948 Eterna adopted the image of five ball bearings as its corporate logo.
Nowadays, the Eterna watches are some of the finest with their rich heritage value, despite being relatively unknown in the vintage marketplace.
The Eterna-Matic Chronometer series
Looking closely at this 1975 mid-size (35mm without crown) Eterna the level of design and detail is quite exceptional. One can easily imagine the 1970s Swiss design team looked at every element of the watch and being fascinated by the thin case of the Eterna and how such a reduced size automatic movement could be so accurate. There is a real sense of sophisticated engineering with the watch rather than, dare I say, the mass-produced feel one gets from some mainstream high-end brands. The face is clear and uncomplicated offering excellent legibility. Topped off with classic 70s armoured flat-top plexiglass, measuread at only 11mm, certainly makes it a dress watch sliding comfortably under the cuff. The hour indices are intricate rectangular silver-tone batons catching the light from different angles. The indices are subdivided by small minute stripes and each hour marker has a precise luminescence spot with double spots at the 12 o’clock mark. The hands are elegant but not too thin adding to the functional look of the watch. They are about one-third luminescent and two-thirds inlaid with ton-sur-tone silver coating as the dial. The sunburst dial is very appealing with applied Eterna logo complimenting all the aesthetic elements. Honestly, the photos don’t do the dial justice (one of those hard-to-photograph dials).The date window is sharp and clear with the backing colour of the date wheel almost matching the dial.
There is something gloriously 70s about the “Matic” after Eterna; in an era when such branding was suggestive of advanced technology – typified by the wonderfully named Dynaflow gears in classic American automobiles. Being the watch designed to wear with formal attire, the watch is very light yet feels robust enough to take the knocks of life.
I know that you read until this point and wonder: why is this watch classified as a chronometer then? That comes down to the movement, the heartbeat of this watch. It is the Eterna 12824 caliber; which is essentially the modified version of the widely utilize ETA 2824 caliber in the horology world. On the movement, it is signed with “Eterna-Matic”, Adjusted 6 Positions & Temp. (=Chronometer), beat rate 28800 A/h, 25 jewels, and 40h power reserve. With such a high beat rate, it is a so-called fast oscillator compared to the industry standard of just 21600 A/h till modern day. This higher oscillating frequency helps in improving the accuracy by compensating the deviations with each swing of the balance wheel, so eventually keeps the average daily rate to minimum.
So how does this timepiece stand the test of time?
The watch came running excellently and is ready to wear, which totally exceeds my expectations. The automatic just magically works after all those years it have been through while still retaining all the typical chronometer characteristics. Right from the moment it arrived until now, it is the most accurate timepiece in my whole collection of normal mechanical watches. The date change function with half pulled crown works faultlessly, without any glitch and changeovers almost instantaneously around midnight.
Being a vintage piece, embedded on this watch expectable but very slight signs of wear and years of life it has been a quite witness. These traces could be polished without problems but watch was intentionally left in its original condition by the previous owner, which I actually prefer. The dial is very well preserved, free of patina. Minimal defects can be seen with the magnifying glass. At the edge of the dial is typical abrasion (contact points to the reinforced crystal), but in normal use this is practically invisible, which you can find on the photos of isolated dial. The hands and indices have minimal patina. The luminous material of the hour hand is minimally defective.
The watch bottom cover is made of stainless steel with the screwed-in design for water resistant and with satin finish at the center. Although it bears some minor scratched, these traces of use are also easy to polish.
As I wanted to own the watch in its pristine condition I sought a quote for a complete service and authentic replacement plexiglass from the private watch servicer I use for all my high-end brands. A favourable response was forthcoming and the watch was submitted being returned around four weeks later. The horologist reported back that he was most impressed by the condition of the movement and that the watch had probably not been opened since purchase in 1975. He had to replace very few parts and commented that the watch displayed outstanding accuracy. I wore the watch for a full day immediately on return and then deliberately took it off to check the power reserve. A full forty hours later, when I could no longer resist the temptation to wear it, the watch was still ticking smoothly and had retained accuracy. You can see that from the excellent gauge values of this Eterna being measured in 6 positions with a timegrapher.
In conclusion, I am happy with the acquisition of this watch, and I believe that when I have spent enough time for myself to get acquainted to the model that I would like to own, there will be no surprise when it shows up. I would advise you to have some patience and the perfect match will naturally come to you and you will be satisfied with your choice.
HannZack Magazine 