Press release
Established in 1856, Eterna has over the years contributed more than its share of ground-breaking designs to the development of mechanical horology. Intent upon making these classics available to current and to future generations, its new Heritage Collection opens with two of its most celebrated historic designs, the Pulsometer Limited Edition 1942 and the Super KonTiki Limited Edition 1973. Both are scheduled to reach market in autumn 2010. This relaunch underlines Eterna’s ambition to make truly personable, high-quality mechanical watches available at reasonable prices to watch enthusiasts.
Super KonTiki Limited Edition 1973 © Eterna
Super KonTiki - the return of a legend
The Super KonTiki owes its name and fame to the celebrated balsawood raft aboard which Thor Heyerdahl and his crew sailed from the coast of Peru to Polynesia in 1947. Strapped to their wrists was the sturdiest, most reliable wristwatch of the day, an Eterna design. In 1958 the watch was named for the now-celebrated raft; the original design was periodically re-styled and updated in line with market demand. The 1973 version of the Eterna Super KonTiki is the one joining the Heritage Collection today.
Made in 1973 units only, the cambered rectangular case of the Super KonTiki Limited Edition 1973 features the period rotating bezel with alternating Arabic numerals and hour markers. The case back bears a KonTiki medallion along with the limited edition number. Water-resistant to 200 metres (approx. 655 feet or 20 bars), the Super KonTiki’s case today holds a self-winding mechanical movement providing 38 hours reserve power. A scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal naturally protects its black dial as well as its hour markers and hands, both coated with a luminescent compound. A flexible metal mesh bracelet with diver’s extension and safety clasp completes the watch’s equipment.
Eterna, going on two centuries of expertise
From its foundation in 1856, Eterna has been turning out fine, high-quality timepieces high-lighting the workmanship and professional commitment of generations of craft watchmakers. Their notable contributions to horology include the design of the Eterna-Matic winding rotor on ball bearings (1948) as well as the first wristwatch featuring an alarm mechanism (1908). The 2009 launch of the Eterna Spherodrive also ranks among the milestones of the brand's history; this revolution in mechanical timekeeping in terms of rate regularity and endurance comes into its own with Eterna’s Calibre 3510 fitted in the Madison Eight-Days design.
Today Eterna stands among a handful of full-fledged watch manufacturers who bring to bear the finest materials and craft methods to their quest for new developments while maintaining traditional workbench production. Over the years, it has often come up with innovative answers to centuries-old challenges. Today one of the last remaining independent manufacturers, Eterna is owned by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. Alongside its traditional production, it has been assigned the license for the acclaimed Porsche Designcollection.
Super KonTiki Limited Edition 1973
Technical Specifications
Movement:
Calibre ETA 2824-2
Self-winding mechanical movement
Power reserve 38 h
28,800 v.p.h
25 jewels
Diameter 25.6 mm (11 1⁄2 lines)
Hour, minutes and seconds, display of the date.
Dial/hands:
Black; white baton hour markers coated with a white luminous compound
Black and white centre hour hand coated with a white luminous compound
White centre minutes hand with a white luminous compound
White centre seconds hand; date aperture at 6 o’clock.
Case/back:
Polished stainless steel case
Black turning bezel with metal Arabic numerals and hour markets and orange triangle
Scratch-resistant, anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Screw-down case back with engraved number 0001/1,973 and stamped KonTiki medallion
Water resistant to 200m / ~660 feet (200 bars)
Diameter 44 mm
Thickness 13.7 mm.
Bracelet/clasp:
Polished stainless steel with folding clasp and diving extension.
