Kontiki

The Eterna KonTiki takes its name from the 1947 Pacific raft expedition whose crew wore Eterna watches—not from a diving specification dreamed up afterward. The collection itself arrived in 1958, and its best-known dial signature, four broad triangular hour markers, gives it a character quite unlike the usual round-marker sports watch.

For that unmistakable look, favor the versions that keep those triangles prominent; they connect the modern 42mm watch to the earlier designs without making it a literal reproduction. Don’t treat Super KonTiki as simply another dial option: that name belongs to a more overtly dive-oriented branch of the family. On older KonTikis, pay particular attention to the dial furniture and luminous material. Refinished dials can soften the crisp geometry that makes these watches so satisfying in the first place.