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Eterna

Switzerland · Founded 1856

Founded 7 November 1856 in Grenchen, Canton Solothurn, by Josef Girard and Urs Schild, originally as an ebauche/raw-movement maker ("Dr. Girard and Schild Ebauches"), moving to complete watch production by 1866 and adopting the Eterna name c.1875-1889. Invented the ball-bearing-mounted automatic rotor in 1948 (Eterna-Matic), commercialized as the world's first ball-bearing self-winding system; the five balls of that bearing became Eterna's five-dot logo. Also credited with an early wrist alarm clock patent (1908) and serial production (1914). Acquired by SMH/Swatch Group in 1982; produced Porsche Design watches after IWC's Porsche Design license lapsed in 1998. Sold by Swatch Group in 1995 to FAP Beteiligungs GmbH; acquired in 2011-2012 by International Volant Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed China Haidian, whose parent was renamed Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited in 2014 - Eterna's current owner. Modern flagship in-house movement family is Caliber 39 (COSC-certified), used in the Royal KonTiki line; other in-house calibers include 3916A (chronograph) and 3030 (big date). Sourced via Wikipedia, watch-wiki.net, and eterna.com/shop.eterna.com; ownership and founding-date details are well corroborated across sources (high confidence), but exact transition dates for the 1875-1889 brand-name adoption are vague in the sources and not independently verified further.