A very nice 1961 Eterna-Matic Centenaire ’61’ men’s automatic watch, in a solid 18k gold case.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
Don’t let the ’61’ fool you! The Centenaire range was available from 1956 (Eterna’s 100th birthday) and continued on. The advert we have found is dated 1962. But this particular watch has a serial number on the movement that we can date to being made in 1961.
CONDITION
Eterna watches of this period are very high quality. Few other manufacturers would have a screw on caseback on a gold dress watch to prevent dust and water ingress, simply because the design requires more materials and 18k gold has never been cheap. But on this model the screw back case is all 18k gold. The 1438U in house movement features the ball bearing centre rotor that Eterna invented (hence their five bearing logo). The movement also has a quick set date, operated by pulling the original crown. Again, this is a very high end feature for 1961.
The caseback does have a couple of minor dents, and the top right lug is slightly bent (but still very secure.) The dial is very clean, and the original crystal, with the ball bearing logo in the centre, will be polished. The strap in the photos will be replaced with your choice of black or brown leather.
This watch will be supplied with our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video below for more detail.
SIZE
Width with crown 35.3 mm
Width without crown 34.5 mm
Between lugs 18 mm
Lug to lug length 40.4 mm
Bracelet maximum length n/a
Thickness 9.7 mm
All sizes are approximate
PRICE
£SOLD including 3 months guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us.