ETERNA 1948 Legacy Big Date
With the 1948 Legacy Big Date, Swiss watch maker ETERNA takes us to 1948, when the ball-bearing assisted rotational movements were introduced by the manufacture for the first time in the watch making industry.
Since then, Swiss wristwatches fitted with this revolutionary innovation soon enjoyed worldwide success, solidly consolidating Eterna’s international reputation. Today’s revival of the “1948” in a dimensionally updated version preserves the technical inventiveness and overall excellence of the original. A contemporary classic in its own right, its shapely contours and typically incurved case lugs are back essentially unchanged.
In 1948, Eterna introduced an epochal development that proved a major step forward for self-winding technology, with a ball-bearing greatly easing the oscillating weight or winding rotor’s rotation around the pivot axis. Reducing wear and tear on vital parts, Eterna’s development extended the watch’s working time, hence its useful life. The 1948 watch equipped with these innovations became sensational during that period and became one of top sellers in the industry. The five spheres of this famous bearing has become the celebrated corporate symbol of Eterna.
As a tribute to this glorious past, Eterna has decided to make the “1948” available to new generations. “Legacy”, the contemporary version of the “1948” features a sturdy proprietary self-winding mechanical movement, calibre 3030, fitted with a ball-bearing device similar to the original’s. 41.50 mm across, its finely polished 18 ct 4N rose gold and stainless steel case with transparent sapphire porthole at the back embodies today’s design preferences.
The case frames a silver-toned dial enhanced with rounded hour markers and a large-date window at 3 o’clock, over which rotate rhodium-plated hour, minutes and seconds hands protected by an anti-reflexive scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
Like the original design, today’s “1948 Legacy” comes with elegantly facetted and incurved case lugs securing a brown alligator strap fitted with an 18 ct rose gold deployment clasp.
Technical details
Model: ETERNA 1948 Legacy Big Date
Reference 7681.47.11.1320: Polished and satin-finished stainless steel case, bezel in rose gold (4N) 18-carat, silver-toned dial and Brown alligator leather strap
Movement
Calibre Eterna 3030, self-winding movement
Power reserve: 48 h
28,800 v.p.h.
25 jewels
Diameter: 30 mm (13 ¼ lines)
Height: 4.63 mm
1 ball bearing
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds
Large date calendar
Dial/hands
Silver-toned sunray brushed
Gold-plated baton hour markers
Gold-plated centre hour, minute and seconds hands
Large date calendar at 3 o’clock
Case
Case in polished and satin-finished stainless steel
Bezel and crown in 18-carat 4N rose gold
Case back with sapphire crystal porthole, secured by five screws
Water resistant to 50 m (5 bars or ~ 165 feet)
Diameter: 41.50 mm; height: 9.46 mm
Scratch-resistant, anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Bracelet/clasp
Brown alligator leather strap with 18-carat (4N) rose gold folding clasp
Recommended retail price
CHF 8,500/€7,550/ $ 9,950
