Manufacturer
Eterna
Also recorded as: Dr. Girard & Schild · Eterna-Matic
Grenchen manufacturer whose movement division became ETA, and pioneer of the ball-bearing rotor.
Dr. Josef Girard and Urs Schild founded an ébauche factory in Grenchen in 1856; the Eterna brand dates from 1905. In 1932 the movement business was separated as ETA, which became the core of Swiss movement production.
Eterna patented a wristwatch alarm (1908) and introduced the Eterna-Matic with its rotor mounted on five ball bearings (1948), an emblem of the brand.
- Country
- Switzerland
- City / centre
- Grenchen
- Founded
- 1856
- Status
- Active
- Key people
- Josef Girard; Urs Schild; Theodor Schild
Innovations & specialities
- Ball-bearing rotor (Eterna-Matic, 1948)
- Early wrist alarm (1908)
Works by Eterna in the catalogue
Open in the catalogue →
Clocks · 1800–1899
Alarm clock by Eterna w, Gothenburg, 1800–1899
Museum of Gothenburg
Wristwatches · 1900–1999
Wristwatch by Eterna, Sweden, 1900–1999
Nordic Museum Foundation
Wristwatches · circa 1930's
Eterna wristwatch, circa 1930's
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Clocks · 1945
Clock by Eterna, 1945
Museum Rotterdam
Wristwatches · 1955
Wristwatch by Eterna SA, Switzerland, 1955
German Clock Museum
Wristwatches · 1972
Wristwatch by Eterna SA, Switzerland, 1972
German Clock Museum
Linked through the Atlas maker authority list, which reconciles the spellings used by different institutions. Attributions are as stated by each holding institution or auction house.
