Explore Eterna

Eterna’s five-dot signature is more than a dial ornament. It refers to the five ball bearings used in the rotor mounting of the Eterna-Matic, introduced in 1948—a solution that reduced friction and wear in the automatic winding system. For a Swiss maker founded in 1856, that small arrangement of circles became a wonderfully concise expression of its engineering.

The other name to know is KonTiki. Eterna watches accompanied the Pacific raft expedition in 1947, and the collection that followed in 1958 gave that connection a permanent place on the dial. Across its many versions, the family leans toward substantial cases, clear luminous markings, and a practical, outdoors-facing character. The Super KonTiki takes that vocabulary firmly into dive-watch territory.

Vintage Eterna-Matic models offer a quieter side: slim dress watches, restrained dial furniture, and automatic movements beneath modest cases. Later KonTiki references can be much bolder, with broad hands and prominent bezels—a different expression of the same mechanically minded brand.