Eterna
ActiveEterna is a Swiss watch manufacturer with origins in Grenchen, known for the Eterna-Matic ball-bearing rotor and KonTiki watches. Its current registered seat and published contact address are in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Josef Girard and Urs Schild founded a movement factory in Grenchen in 1856. Girard left in 1866 and Schild became sole owner. In 1932 the business was separated into ETA for movements and Eterna for watches. Eterna developed its ball-bearing automatic rotor in 1948 and introduced the KonTiki watch range in 1958 after supplying watches for Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 expedition. Later ownership included General Watch Co and Franz Wassmer's PCW group, followed by the Porsche family in 1995. In 2011 International Volant, a subsidiary of China Haidian, acquired Eterna; China Haidian subsequently became Citychamp. Eterna returned to own movement development, including Spherodrive and the modular Calibre 39 family. Bankruptcy judgments in 2018 were overturned. In 2024 the company moved its registered seat from Grenchen to La Chaux-de-Fonds.
QUICK FACTS
BRAND TYPE
Integrated ManufacturerPRICE SEGMENT
LuxuryMOVEMENT TYPES
MANUFACTURING
Full ManufactureSPECIALIZATIONS
HEADQUARTERS
La Chaux-de-Fonds, SwitzerlandOWNERSHIP
1866 Urs Schild
1995 Porsche family
2011 International Volant Limited (China Haidian Holdings Limited)
Current Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited
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