Eterna Calatrava ‘1st Prize Ski Competition’ February 2nd 1940

Brand history: 
Eterna watches have a long history, starting in 1856 when the company was founded in in Grenchen, Switzerland, by Josef Girard and Urs Schild. They’re known for making important contributions to watchmaking, such as creating one of the first self-winding wristwatches in 1948 called the Eterna-Matic. In the 1960’s, they became famous for using special materials in their watches to improve their functionality. An example of this great innovative character, Eterna has, is the implementation of putting a small ball bearing in the automatic rotor. Eterna is also world renowned for making watches like the Eterna KonTiki, which are great for adventurers. After more than 100 years, Eterna still makes top-quality watches that people love. But for us, it is a small group of the vintage examples, which are worth collecting.

Product information:
Indeed, this Calatrava wristwatch from Eterna is truly beautiful. However, what initially piqued my interest was its pristine condition. The back of the watch narrates a captivating story, impeccably preserved over the course of 83 years. And if that weren’t remarkable enough, the striking blue steel hands gracefully sweep over the exceptional, original and non-luminous ‘Telephone’ style dial. This is made possible by the exquisitely finished Eterna calibre 600S, which is in stunning technical condition.

As for the engraving on the case back, your eyes are immediately drawn to it: a composition of a mountain with skis, alongside a date (2nd of April 1940). This date marks the occasion when this watch was awarded as the 1st prize in a skiing competition: ’34th Swiss National Ski race in Montana, Valais (Wallis), Switzerland, on February 2-4th 1940′ Evidently, it must have been a prestigious skiing event, as owning a steel wristwatch of this caliber in the 1940’s was indeed a remarkable achievement. The watch case measures 31 x 41 mm.