Eterna: history, models and value

Founded

1856

Founder(s)

Josef Girard, Urs Schild

Headquarters

Grenchen

Owner / group

Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group

Eterna: origins and founding

Eterna was founded on 7 November 1856 in Grenchen, in the canton of Solothurn, by Dr. Josef Girard and Urs Schild, a young teacher. The company, first known as Dr. Girard & Schild, made watch movements. In the 1870s it built its first watch made entirely in-house.

Founders and family

After Girard's death, Urs Schild ran the company alone and built early automatic production machines driven by water and steam. In 1885 the firm began making complete watches as well as movements and was renamed Schild Frères & Co. When Urs Schild died in 1888, his two sons took over. In the early 1900s the name Eterna, originally a collection name, became the company name.

Eterna history and milestones

• 1908: patent for a wrist alarm watch. From 1914 Eterna made the first series-produced alarm wristwatch.
• 1910: "Grand Prix" at the Brussels World Exhibition.
• 1932: the company split in two. The movement-making part became ETA, today the large movement maker of the Swatch Group. The watch-making part continued as Eterna.
• 1948: the Eterna-Matic, with a winding rotor mounted on five ball bearings. The five balls became the Eterna logo.
• 1956: the Centenaire automatic for the company's 100th anniversary.
• 1958: the Kon-Tiki collection, inspired by Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 raft expedition.
• 1962: the Eterna-Matic 3000 Dato, with a movement only 3.6 mm high, described as the thinnest men's automatic with date at the time.
• 1980s: ultra-thin watches, including a quartz model just 0.98 mm thick.
• 1995: Eterna belonged to F.A. Porsche Beteiligungen. From 1998/1999 to 2014 it also made Porsche Design watches.
• 2011: Porsche Design sold Eterna to a subsidiary of China Haidian, renamed Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group in 2014.

Famous Eterna models

• Kon-Tiki: the best-known Eterna line, from 1958, including sporty dive-style watches. Modern versions include the Kontiki Four Hands with central date.
• Eterna-Matic: the automatic watches of the 1950s and 1960s with the ball-bearing rotor, often found with the five-ball logo on the dial.
• Centenaire: the 1956 anniversary automatic.
• Golden Heart: a 1950s ladies' watch with an Eterna-Matic movement.
• Eterna-Matic 3000 Dato: the slim automatic of 1962.

Movements and technique

Eterna's best-known technical contribution is the ball-bearing rotor of 1948, which reduced friction and wear in automatic winding. The company also has a long record in slim movements. In the 2000s it developed new calibres again, such as calibre 6036 (2004), the ultra-thin automatic calibre 3030 (2006) and the Spherodrive ball-bearing system (2009). Calibre 39 powers the modern Kontiki Four Hands.

Eterna today

Eterna is based in Grenchen and belongs to the Hong Kong-listed Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group. It makes mechanical watches in the mid-price segment, with the Kon-Tiki as its main heritage line.

Eterna prices on the pre-owned market

Vintage Kon-Tiki watches from the late 1950s and 1960s are the most sought-after Eternas, especially with original dials and the correct case. For Eterna-Matic and Centenaire automatics, condition decides most of the price. Gold cases add value. Modern Eternas usually sell well below their retail price. Box, papers and service records always help.

How to recognise a genuine Eterna

On vintage Eternas, open the caseback or ask for photos: an Eterna-Matic movement should have the ball-bearing rotor, and the dial, hands and case should fit the period. Redialed watches and Kon-Tikis assembled from parts are the main risks. On modern pieces, compare details with official photos and ask for the warranty card. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch has more checks.

What is your Eterna worth?

Inherited an old Eterna-Matic or own a modern Kon-Tiki? Upload a few photos for a free watch value estimate. If you need a formal document for an estate or insurance, you can order a written watch appraisal.

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