Eterna announces two new dial designs for the Vaughan Big Date line in the autumn of 2008 – one in anthracite, the other in off-white. The Vaughan Big Date marked Eterna’s return to the established art of fine watchmaking in 2007, a line with its own movement. The Eterna 3030 calibre provides the function of a unique big date display.
The watch’s outward appearance matches the brilliant design of the movement in the Eterna Vaughan Big Date; for the first time, the rose-gold case has been given an anthracite-coloured dial in combination with a brown alligator-leather strap, emphasizing the watch’s classical elegance.
The stainless-steel version now fitted with an off-white dial also comes with an alligator-leather strap in either black or brown. The convex dial shaped to match the lens-shaped movement gives the casing particularly smooth contours. Design highlights such as the subtle minute markings, purist design of the indices and straight, classical dauphine hands combine to form a fine outward appearance.
The big date display of the Eterna Vaughan Big Date has a fast-acting date function that switches over in less than a second at midnight. In contrast with the majority of conventional movements, the switch mechanism allows both the time and date to be adjusted over twenty-four hours. The units disc automatically turns the tens disc in the date display as needed. In order to achieve a slim-line movement, the engineers at Eterna have developed a ball bearing-mounted date disc with integrated gear toothing.
As customary, the date can be manually adjusted by twisting the crown; one complete turn adjusts the date by two days. Setting the date is both quick and straightforward. The Eterna 3030 calibre has a convex profile on both sides, in the form of a lens. The two discs of the date display blend seamlessly into the cambered surface of the movement.
They are designed as two concentric cambered rings that rotate side-by-side instead of the conventional arrangement with two flat superimposed horizontal discs. The automatic movement with big date display function is the slimmest in its class.
The basic movement is closely modelled on the Eterna 1504 calibre from the 1960s. However, Eterna’s design engineers have subjected the movement to a complete overhaul for the new model, significantly enhancing ease of maintenance while extending the lifetime of the movement. The movement can be fully dismantled for any individual component to be replaced.
A photolithographic process has been used for the production of the main components. This method allows high-precision creation of the compact, complex components responsible for key functions in any watch movement, components in extremely hard nickel or nickel-phosphor alloys that are highly resistant to wear. Movements with components of this type are particularly noted for their longevity.
The rhodium-plated bridges in the Eterna 3030 calibre are decorated with a combination of Perlage and Colimaçon, while the rotor sparkles with a dazzlingly beautiful Côtes de Genève finish.’
Technical details
Eterna Vaughan Big Date
Reference Number: 7630.41.61.1186
Movement
Eterna calibre 3030; mechanical automatic movement with cambered big date display
Dial
Off-white coloured dial with rhodanized bar indices; big date at 3 o’clock; centred hour, minute and second hands
Case
Polished stainless steel case; anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, case back with sapphire crystal opening, held in place with 4 screws; waterproof to 50 m Dimensions: Diameter: 42.0 mm; Height: 9.3 mm
Strap
Black alligator leather strap with polished stainless steel folding clasp.
Additional reference
7630.69.51.1185: Rose gold (4N) Case, Anthracite dial with bar indices, Brown alligator leather strap
Retail price
Eterna Vaughan Big Date in stainless steel: CHF 6,500
Eterna Vaughan Big Date in rose gold: CHF 13,800
