Eterna Unveils the Grace Open Art Collection

Eterna Grace Open Art Collection

Eterna is creeping into a higher range of watches partly due to the fact that it has turned from a mere brand to a watch manufacturer.  By revealing a new mechanical ladies collection, Eterna is leveling out the playing field between man and ladies watches especially when it comes to mechanical movements.  Since the recovery of the quartz crisis and the Swiss watch industry in general, companies figured mechanical watches were too complicated for a women.  Quartz was just fine and much appreciated.  Within the past 10 years - and  I have to give a nod to Girard-Perregaux's Cat's Eye movement created in 2004 - women's mechanical watches have been increasing in number as well as complexity. Currently Jeager-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Collection are at the pinnacle of women's complex watches and  are paving the way for other brands to follow suit.

Frederique Constant Double Heart Beat Collection

Eterna's Grace Open Art Collection is very similar to Frederique Constant  Double Heart Beat Collection  unveiled in 1994. Its aperture is shaped by a double heart through which the heart of the watch -  the balance wheel - is visible. 

Not only is Eterna creating a new mechanical watch collection for woman, but is emphasizing the fact by exposing the oscillations of the balance via a dramatic aperture at the 12 'o'clock position.  A gold crescent  paved with diamonds seems to capture the heart of the movement in secure embrace.  Surrounded by a bezel set with 57 Top Wesselton diamonds, the white mother of pearl dial plays with the light as it serves as a shimmering backdrop to the display of time. A yellow gold case protects an ETA calibre 2824-2 Open Art movement.  
ETA is mostly used by Swatch Group owned companies.  Eterna is not owned by Swatch Group-  so how is it that a new watch collection utilizes an ETA movement.  Well it may have to do with the fact that Eterna has quite a history with ETA movement; after all it was Eterna who founded ETA back in 1856 to make movements for itself and other Swiss companies.  So there you have it. 

The movement chosen to be honored by the Grace Open Art Collection is the most dependable movement out there.  The automatic 25 jewel movement is known as the workhorse of the ETA mechanical line.  Its precision has been tested over and over again in countless timepieces over many years. Eterna cannot go wrong with this movement and one cannot go wrong in purchasing a timepiece with precision performance. 

The case is secured on the wrist by a satin wristband.   This watch is also available in black mother of pearl.

Countdown to Baselworld 2014

A week from now Baselworld doors fling open unto an eager crowd of watch and jewelry enthusiasts, buyers, boutique owners, journalists and seekers. From March 27th to April 3rd, show goers will venture from hall to hall and event to event gathering information about new styles, prices and brands. Old friends will meet, new ones made, contacts forged, orders arranged and signed upon the dotted line. Seven informative Baselword Daily News issues ,available online and at the show itself,  keeps visitors abreast of "must-see", news and current trends. A Baselword App on your i-phone, i-pad, blackberry and android provides useful interactive information.

I have outlined a brief Pre-Baselworld Virtual Walk to Navigate the halls. Keep in mind, this is just a hint of what awaits you at the show.


Hall 1.0 is a given to go with highly popular prolific top notch brands such as Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Phillipe, Tissot, Hublot, Tag Heuer - you get the gist.

Breitling for Bentley 6.75 Midnight carbon

Hall 1.1 houses a bejeweled assortment of high end brands - famous for gem encrusted watches and jewelry  such as House of Graff, Boucheron, Jacob &; Co. and of course de Grisigono.  Great Sporty brands such as Edox, U-Boat and Clerc are displayed among high end accessory brands such as Hermès, Dior and Chanel. Seiko holds a prominent place being in a category of its own.
Quite a few lessor known brands are within these walls, but favorites are found all around.  Europa Star spans one wall - an excellent watch news source.
 Hall 1.3 showcases affordable brands such as Invicta, Follie Follie, Guess and Casio.

Jacob & Co. Epic SF 24

International Brands
Hall 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 is abundant with jewelry - each booth displaying originality in design and expertise.
Eterna, Ball Watch USA holds command of Hall 5.0.
The Palace is by far my favorite Baselworld local, housing unparallelled watch making expertise.  HYT renowned for its hydro mechanical timepiece is at P03, while at P06, the edgy and daring Artya brand  rubs shoulders with the elusive Haldimann Horology.

HYT H2 Forged from Titanium & White Gold with Blue Fluid

 The Palace is abundant with complex complications perfected by MB &F, Konstantin Chaykin (genius in watch design) and Christophe Claret.  Badollet - keeper of my favorite design and De Bethune- creator of the finest blue  are found at P01 and P02 respectively.

Badollet Ivresse like a Painters Pallet

Hall 3.0 and 3.1 is abundant with jewelry and gem.
Hall 4U holds necessary tools for the trade and Hall 4.0 and 4.1 are National Pavilions.



Unlike the exclusive SIHH , where visitors must receive an invitation to attend, Baselworld is open to the public without prior registration.  Simply show up and purchase your ticket "on-the-spot" or online at www.baselworld.com. Prices are quite affordable at CHF   60.-for the day or CHF 150.-for the week.

Coming from far and away without a place to stay? Enjoy some Swiss Hospitality at the Mövenpick Hotel Egerkingen. If you wish to be a bit closer to the action, a room at the Hotel Alexander Basel is a stones throw away. Zürich is  a 90 minute train ride away with hotels galore ready to welcome a Baselword traveller. But whether you come by land or air, it is on the water you can stay.  Book a floating room on the "Hotel Ship" for the duration of your trip. A free shuttle bus will transport you to the show - just 15 minutes away. 

The show does not end at closing time, Baselworld Village is open from 6pm until 2am.  Restaurants and Bars provide prime places to seal a deal over some fine wine and delectable dine.  

For the best and most productive Baselworld experience planning is crucial, but  the most memorable moment may just be chance. Make a memory, a deal, a contract, a sale, a moment.  Come to Baselworld.

The Origin of 10 Watch Logos

1. Eterna -  5 ball bearings.  In 1948 Eterna unveiled the Eterna-Matic which comprised of a low friction ball bearing used to support the rotor of the automatic movement. This led to a great increase in the efficiency of the rotor. The invention of the Eterna-Matic with its ball bearings had such an overwhelming effect on Eterna, it fashioned its logo after five ball bearings.

 2. Longines - Winged Hourglass - Oldest Valid Trademark in the in the International Registary at WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) . The iconic winged hourglass was originally registered in 1889 in Switzerland followed by a filing under the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks in 1893. Read More

3. Bulova - Tuning Fork - From Bulova's 1960's Accutron 214 movement, which was a ground breaker in electronic watches using a battery instead of a spring and a tuning fork instead of a balance.  This resulted in a watch that "hummed" rather than "ticked." Quartz eventually phased out the Accutron, but they are still well loved. Read more info on Bulova Accutron. 

4. Vacheron Constantin - Maltese Cross - First appeared on watches in 1880.  The logo is taken from the shape of the component of the movement  affixed to the barrel.  This hallmark component ensures the number of wheels can be kept low.

 5. Patek Philipe - Calatrava Cross -  A powerful symbol signifying  unbridled success.  The Calatrava Cross comprises of the Greek Cross with four fleur-de-lis at its ends. Created in 1158 by Pope Gregory VIII, as a symbol for the Knights of Calatrava (the name of an old Moorish castle that had been liberated), to bring victory in battle against the numerous and experienced Moors, as the Knights of Calatrava had been simple shepherds before becoming Knights.  The Knights of Calatrava were victorious, winning a battle outnumbered 10 to 1.  Patek chose this symbol very well.  He placed it on every Patek Phillipe timepiece to protect the timepiece and bring success to the wearer.

 

 6. Girard-Perregaux -  the Tourbillon Sous Trois Points d'Or or Tourbillon Under 3 gold bridges Crafted by Constant Girard Perregaux.  After which the design lay dormant for 115 years. In 1982 the design was revived in pocket watches and in 1991 adapted for wristwatches to commemorate the 200th birthday of Girard-Perregaux.

7. Breguet - Breguet Hands.  Breguet Hands were designed by  Abraham Louis Breguet in 1783 and are instantly identified by hollowed out points. 1775 inscribed below "Breguet" is the year that Abraham Louis Breguet, best known for the father of the tourbillon, founded the company. He was born in Neuchâtel, Switzeland on January 10th, 1747 and became one of the most revered watchmaking legends.



8.  JeanRichard - JR Initials of the company, name and date below.  Although there is no significant movement upon the logo, the date placing the foundation of the company deep within the 17th century is significant enough. The legend about the company's founder - Daniel JeanRichard is to intriguing to write here in just a few lines, but I recommend that you
Read it here - The Legend of Daniel JeanRichard 

9. Corum - Key to perfect time.
The name Corum stems from the Latin word Quorum meaning
"The minimum number of members whose presence is necessary to make the proceedings and decisions of an assembly or society valid. It is then said a Quorum is reached."
The number of a Quorum is very definite depending on the society,

The key is the key to perfect time, and the last person to arrive at a meeting whereby a decision has to be made is the key that unlocks the process. Without that one final person the door is closed and no decision can be made.

10. Omega, and its corresponding symbol Ω, is the 24th Letter in the Greek Alphabet.  In 1898, The company changed its name from Louis Brandt et Frères to Omega after its groundbreaking movement - the 19 caliber "Omega".  This relatively affordable movement introduced time setting via the crown as well as a new "assembly line" production procedure.

The Origins of The Eterna Logo

One can never mistake an Eterna Watch. On the dial are five dots below the 12 'o'clock. But what are the dots? Do they mean something? Why did Eterna choose a seemingly random dot pattern?

Eterna's logo hints at a certain technological improvement to a certain watch movement. Read more and you will find out.

In 1856 Eterna began strictly as a company manufacturing blank movements. Not unlike hundreds of such watchmaking workshops dotted around Switzerland. In time Eterna's supreme quality of work became widely recognized. Urs Schild, who co-founded the company with Dr Josef Girard, had a vision of producing a watch from start to finish . Thecompany bore the name of Schild Fréres, and manufactured small ladies wrist watches adapted from pocket watches. In 1905 the company changed its name to Eterna. By 1925, Eterna watches were

being advertised in US newspapers such as the Southtown Economist 12/01/1925. By then Eterna had made history. In 1914, at the Swiss National Exhibition in Bern, Eterna intro

duced the first alarm wristwatch - 6 years after Eterna had patented it. Eterna watches were coveted for their slimness and precision. In 1930, Eterna unveiled the smallest Baguette Calibre

Watch, which was manufactured in series production. Still no logo marked the dial. However in 1948 Eterna's dial would change forever. The logo marks a huge technological milestone unveiled in 1948. Eterna introduced the Eterna-Matic which comprised of a low friction ball bearing used to support the rotor of the automatic movement. This led to a great increase in the efficiency of the rotor. The invention of the Eterna-Matic with its ball bearings had such an overwhelming effect on Eterna, it fashioned its logo after five ball bearings.

The five ball bearings grace every dial of an Eterna timepiece.