Settled in Grenchen, Eterna today is owned by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and it is one of the very few manufacturers remaining independent. Eterna is an important brand with a glorious watch making expertise that features timepieces like the iconic Super KonTiki.
Named about a hundred years after Eterna was first born in 1856, the KonTiki model takes its name from the famous balsawood boat, which sailed across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia in 1947.
Thor Heyerdahl and his fearless crew were wearing one of the most robust and most reliable wristwatches at that time which happened to be an Eterna model.
The watch was thus named in 1958 after their successful raft; and its design, which somewhat has been effected with several refinements and revisions which resulted as the timepiece we know today (the ETERNA Heritage Super KonTiki Limited Edition 1973), an very close re-issue ( excluding the case size ) of the 1973 Super KonTiki which was officially used by the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) for their divers.
Lets move on with the review now..
First of all, the iconic timepiece comes in a very beautiful box set which suits nicely with a limited edition model. What makes me quite happy about the box set, is the presence of three different straps packed together with a very useful tool for strap changing.
The 45mm diameter case is made of stainless steel and coated in black PVD. Oval case is a classic design detail for both the brand and the 70s era. I am glad to see Eterna stayed loyal to this cult design. Let me add that the PVD touch totally changes the wrist presence of the watch especially when compared to the plain stainless steel version.
The watch is rated as WR200M. Though it’s more than enough for most of the water activities I, feel like 300M would go better with that watch.
The coating feels super high quality and details are quite nice for a classic dive watch with a nice price/performance value.
A vivid tone of yellow can be seen in various parts of the watch however, the dosage is cleverly balanced. The matte black dial is gorgeous and competes the sporty character of the watch perfectly.
During my inspection, I noticed the the yellow color is not the same in each part. Maybe its about the watch I had for my review but the difference of the yellow tones is visible.
The case back of the watch features a super cool boat figure made of the same wood used in KonTiki. The ring surrounding the boat figure sports informative engraving about the watch.
Solid case back does not allow me to see the movement but as far as I know it is a Sellita SW200-1 which is known for its reliability.
As I mentioned before the box set features three different straps; a black leather strap, a yellow/black striped Nato strap and a PVD coated mesh type bracelet. The tool packed in the box set is a handy addition for easy strap change.
The watch can easily shift between smart casual and tactical diver modes thanks to the strap options. Eterna Super KonTiki comes with a folding clasp for the mesh bracelet and a tang buckle for the straps both in black PVD coating.
Overall, I am very glad to see that Eterna is doing something for its iconic Super KonTiki dive watch. It is a beautiful timepiece with a strong history and very well rounded up craftsmanship. If you are after a re-issued version of an iconic dive watch be sure to give a shot to Eterna Super KonTiki. I am sure you would not be waking empty handed out of the store...
