Tag Archives: vintage watches

In this blog, our watch specialist Steven Yambo takes us back in time to the 70s, and into the world of Eterna watches. Design in the 70s The 1970s was a golden time for watch design. The designers embraced the age and came out with some truly avant-garde, crazy designs. Some of these have become design classics and are among the most sought-after watches in the world today. And others, that have been dumped in the dustbin of horologic history. Some of the designs that have become iconic are by the watch designer Gerald Genta. He designed the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1970 and the legendary Patek Phillippe Nautilus in 1976. Also, another watch that was hugely popular in the 1970s and reflected the design of the period was the Omega Dynamic which was launched in 1968 but ran until the late 1970s. The case design and bold dial colours reflected the style of the 70s. Eterna Watches Other watch companies were also creating, original, eye-catching watches in this period. One of which was Eterna. They have a long history of making fine watches, dating back to 1856 in Switzerland. They have produced some well-known watches, such as the Kon-Tiki range, they developed a friction-reducing ball-bearing automatic movement, known as the Eterna-Matic in 1948 and established a subsidiary company making movements, ETA, back in 1932 who’s movements can be found in many famous brands such as Breitling, Tudor, Cartier and TAG Heuer, to name just a few. The Watches and Watch Accessories sale on Wednesday 25th October features some of Eterna’s 1970s eye-catching creations. These may have been forgotten over time but today they stand out as a fabulous slice of horology design.  Another factor that makes these watches stand out is their condition, they really are classed as NOS (new old stock). Eterna Watches at Auction The auction offers a rare opportunity to own one of these eye-catching watches that will have people asking you ‘Where did you get that!’ A Rolex Submariner is a fantastic watch but there are many on the pre-owned market at any given time. You may have to wait years before some of these come up for sale again! And the best bit is that with estimates between £60 and £260, they may prove to be a bit of a bargain!!!! Lot 237 Eterna-Matic – a 2002 bracelet watch, 36x38mm. Estimate: £180 – £260 Lot 239 Eterna-Matic – a SevenDay wrist watch (36mm) with Eterna-Matic watch. Price Realised: £286.00 Lot 241 Eterna – a Sonic wrist watch, 37mm. Price Realised: £130.00 Valuations Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction. The process is simple. You can fill in a form online or book an appointment to visit either of our offices in Birmingham or London. Virtual valuation appointments are also available. Find what you’re looking for Make sure you don’t miss finding that special something by signing up to our email alerts. You’ll be the first to know when catalogues become available, receive invitations to special events and preview the hottest lots from our auctions, plus much more. Why not use our free personal shopping service? Sign up for lot alerts and tell us exactly what you are looking for. Each time we upload a catalogue, we search for your keywords and email you lots matching your interests. Your personalised email will include images, lot descriptions and auction details. Steven Yambo | Watch Specialist Richard Griza | Watch Specialist