Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Eterna-Matic 1248UC Automatic 17J Stainless Steel Wristwatch, 32 mm (1950s)
- Maker / attribution
- Eterna (maker)
- Date
- 1950s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Auction house
- LiveAuctioneers auction archive
- Lot
- Item 218814090
- Credit line
- Auction lot record: lot 395, EXCLUSIVE WATCHES AND POCKET WATCHES 3, Sphere Auctions LLC (2025), via LiveAuctioneers
- Catalogue title (original)
- Eterna-Matic 1248UC Automatic 17J Stainless Steel Wristwatch, 32 mm (1950s) (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 218814090), this is a wristwatch by Eterna, made in Switzerland, dated 1950s. 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
vintage Eterna-Matic automatic wristwatch, circa 1950s, powered by the renowned Eterna Caliber 1248UC 17-jewel movement — one of the first ball-bearing rotor automatics. The clean silver-tone dial displays raised triangular and Arabic hour markers under a domed acrylic crystal. The case interior is stamped Eterna Watch Co. Swiss 24177-MR Acier Inoxydable, and it comes fitted with a period-correct stainless steel stretch bracelet marked H.C. Brevete Marque Dep – Swiss Made. Running and keeping time, with service recommended for long-term reliability.DetailsBrand: Eterna Watch Co.Model: Eterna-Matic AutomaticEra: 1950sCase Size: 32.4 mmCase Material: Stainless steelMovement: Eterna Caliber 1248UC, automatic, 17 jewels, Swiss madeDial: Cream patina dial with raised triangular and Arabic markers at 12-3-6-9Crystal: Domed acrylicCrown: UnsignedBracelet: Vintage H.C. Swiss-made stainless steel stretch bracelet, marked Brevete Marque DepCondition: Running and keeping time; service recommended; light dial patina consistent with age
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 timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: 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.
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