1966 Eterna-Matic Automatic Date 34mm Stainless Steel 17J Swiss Vintage Watch — view 1 of 4 — View 1 of 4 · Image: Sphere Auctions LLC / LiveAuctioneers · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

View 1 of 4 · Image: Sphere Auctions LLC / LiveAuctioneers · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

1966 Eterna-Matic Automatic Date 34mm Stainless Steel 17J Swiss Vintage Watch

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.

Maker / attribution: Eterna (maker)
Date: c. 1966
Historical period: Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Country of origin: Switzerland
Object type: Wristwatch
Auction house: LiveAuctioneers auction archive
Lot: Item 215540082
Credit line: Auction lot record: lot 143, Exclusive Watches and Jewlery, Sphere Auctions LLC (2025), via LiveAuctioneers
Catalogue title (original): 1966 Eterna-Matic Automatic Date 34mm Stainless Steel 17J Swiss Vintage Watch (English)

View the source record (auction lot) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 215540082), this is a wristwatch by Eterna, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1966. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Lot description — Sphere Auctions LLC

Up for auction is a vintage Eterna-Matic automatic wristwatch with date, circa 1966, powered by a 17-jewel Swiss automatic movement signed Eterna-Matic Watch Co.The watch features a 34mm stainless steel case with screw-down back. The caseback bears a period presentation engraving reading Scott Anderson 1966 along with number 4856247.The dial is original, finished in champagne/silver with applied hour markers, Arabic numerals at 12 and 6, luminous plots, and matching luminous hands. The five-ball logo above Eterna-Matic highlights Eterna’s famous ball-bearing rotor innovation. A framed date window sits at 3 o’clock. The dial shows even age patina and spotting, giving it classic vintage character.The movement is an automatic 17-jewel caliber, adjusted to 2 positions, signed Eterna-Matic Watch Co.. Rotor is signed and turns freely. The watch is currently running but may need service for optimal long-term performance, as is typical for a watch of this age.The piece is fitted with a vintage stainless steel stretch bracelet (not original Eterna).Condition: Running, but may need service. Dial shows spotting/patina from age. Case has scratches from wear. Bracelet is aftermarket.A fine example of a mid-century Eterna-Matic automatic dress watch, important in horological history as the origin of the ETA automatic movement.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timeline More wristwatches from this period Earlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Automatic (self-winding) watches

Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.

What to look for

A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.

Dating clues

Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Mechanisms mentioned

Jewel bearings — Component
Self-winding (automatic) mechanism — Component

Record completeness

Maker or attributionRecorded
DateRecorded
Place or countryRecorded
MaterialsNot in source
DimensionsNot in source
Narrative descriptionRecorded
Inscriptions / marksNot in source
ProvenanceNot in source
Several photographsRecorded

Editorial status: Documented — facts as published by the source; not independently verified by Atlas editors.

Explore further

Sources & image rights

Record source: LiveAuctioneers auction archive (opens another website in a new tab).

Image rights: © Sphere Auctions LLC / LiveAuctioneers — permission required (opens another website in a new tab).

Images are hosted by the Atlas for study and credited to their owner. Rights holders may request correction, credit changes or removal, or grant permission, via the editorial office.

Cite this record

"1966 Eterna-Matic Automatic Date 34mm Stainless Steel 17J Swiss Vintage Watch." LiveAuctioneers auction archive, Item 215540082. Catalogue record in The Horology Atlas, WatchMuseum.org, https://atlas.watchmuseum.org/museum/1966-eterna-matic-automatic-date-34mm-stainless-steel-17j-swiss-vintag-04ec3c.