Eterna
Grenchen, Switzerland · Est. 1856
Founded by Josef Girard, Urs Schild
Eterna is a Swiss watch brand founded in 1856 by Josef Girard and Urs Schild in Grenchen, Switzerland, responsible for developing the automatic ball-bearing rotor system in 1948 that became the foundation of ETA movements. The brand is also credited with developing the first five-ball-bearing rotor, a technology it licensed widely.
- Founded
- 1856
- Headquarters
- Grenchen, Switzerland
- Group
- Other
- Price Segment
- Entry
- Status
- Revived
Key Collections
- KonTiki — Legendary sport watch collection inspired by Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 Kon-Tiki Pacific raft expedition, featuring robust dive and GMT variants.
- Eternity — Slim dress watch collection showcasing Eterna's movement-making heritage with refined classical design.
- Tangaroa — Advanced sport collection named after the Polynesian sea god, featuring triple-calendar and moonphase complications.
- Heritage — Vintage-inspired collection reinterpreting iconic Eterna designs from the 1940s and 1950s.
Timeline
- 1856 — Josef Girard and Urs Schild found Eterna in Grenchen, Switzerland.
- 1932 — Invents the ball-bearing automatic winding rotor, a revolutionary mechanism that becomes the industry standard.
- 1948 — Sponsors Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki raft expedition across the Pacific, inspiring the legendary KonTiki collection.
- 1956 — Establishes ETA SA as its movement-making subsidiary, which later becomes the world's largest watch movement manufacturer.
- 2014 — Acquired by China Haidian Holdings, beginning a new chapter for the brand.
- 2025 — Continued rebuilding under new ownership after previous financial difficulties, with limited new releases.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eterna
- What is the connection between Eterna and ETA?
- Eterna founded ETA in 1856 as its movement-making division. ETA (named from the first and last letters of 'Eterna') eventually became the world's largest supplier of Swiss watch movements, now part of the Swatch Group.
- What is the five-ball-bearing logo?
- Eterna's logo of five small balls represents the five ball bearings used in the brand's revolutionary 1948 automatic winding rotor system, which became the standard for automatic watches.