Again, this is signed with the Eterna five ball bearings emblem. As we would expect on a lightly used automatic watch, there is no discernible wear to its serrated edges. This is a lovely watch that is among the most appealing on this website, but its real beauty lies in its movement. The quality of vintage Eterna mechanisms from this period is second to none and it is not at all an exaggeration to state that the standard of build and finishing to the unit here is in every way the equal of that found in a Rolex Oyster Perpetual or Omega Seamaster automatic calibre from the same era. It has amazed us for years that classic Eternas have largely slipped under the radar of the collecting community and if judged on merit, their commercial values should be up with those of the household name famous brands. If studied under high magnification, the quality of this item is immediately obvious. Every screw head has been polished by hand to a mirror finish and the bridges are all angled, rather than with a crude 90 degree join.

Note: - The serial numbers are usually found engraved in- or outside of the back case.

Serial number on the case back is 33945xx. It is nearly as accurate as my Rolex and stays within COSC as long as I keep it dial up at night. Seems to be very sensitive to crown down placement with significant time loss. This Eterna came all the way from Norway, and it needs a fair amount of attention! The calibre 12824 is pretty much an ETA2824. It’s not working, so let’s see what’s up! Yes, that looks very much like an ETA2824. Very snappy date change, and a lovely 28,800 bph movement. With the auto winder taken off, the movement starts beating.

– Then take a closer look at ” Serial numbers by year”. Such as the watches produced by the brand Eterna, serial numbers were not used as markers to know.

Strap: Dark brown leather strap (generic / croc pattern) in “as new” condition. Price: EUR325 PayPal fees inclusive.

And everything is ready for the cleaning machine. Escape wheel, pallet fork and cap jewels after the epilame treatment. Old and new barrel wheel. And the movement is ticking again. As the old barrel (on top of the movement) kept opening up (so there was a reason why the lid was off when I took the movement apart), I got hold of a used barrel from an ETA2824.

These will have a market worth that is typically around 40% higher than their equivalents with either badly deteriorated original or, possibly even worse, so-called restored dials. The dial on this watch has two great benefits, these being its colour and its condition. Blacks dials are regarded as being the most desirable on any vintage wristwatch and when present, will add a lot of value. This premium is paid both because they are so attractive but also because of their relative rarity.

If we choose to be deliberately pedantic, we might suggest that there are a few very tiny surface marks here and there, but they are almost invisible to the naked eye. In realistic terms, for a watch that is half a century old, a better case could not be found.

If this was a Rolex or Omega, with the same technically important status, it would command a price of certainly over £3000. As it is, for no other reason than Eterna not being so widely recognised by the public, it can be bought for £685 GB pounds. The value for money offered by this item is nothing less than remarkable and in terms of quality to cost ratio, it is one of the most attractive vintage watches for sale on this website. Those collectors who really know their subject well understand how pivotal Eterna’s ball bearing rotor was and how it enabled the development of automatic winding to reach its next level, but outside of the connoisseur bracket, these watches are not really recognised.

It works perfectly and provided its future owners send it for cleaning and re-lubrication every three or four years, it will last almost forever. We have fitted this watch with a high quality black crocodile skin type strap.

And that looks even better!Great watch. This entry was posted in,,,. Bookmark the. Hi Christian, I have a watch with the very similar movement, 12824 is stamped next to the balance, but the auto winding bridge is not jeweled, as expected for cal. In other words it has only 17j, not 25j as other 12824 I have seen.

All three hands are completely original. The hour and minute hand are very distinctively shaped and perfectly match the art deco styling of the gilt batons.

Determine the Age of your Vintage Pocket Watch How to Use our Vintage Watch Serial Number & Date Lookup Tables Instructions for using our serial number look-up tables This page contains INSTRUCTIONS for using the serial number look-up tables that are found on many of our watch company history pages. The example below uses information from the American Waltham Watch Company, but that is just an example. You should consult the serial number table for the specific brand of watch movement you are trying to date by selecting a company from the menu on the left. Not all vintage watches can be dated using the serial number. Some American watch brands did not use a consistent series of serial numbers, but most of the big manufacturers did. Most vintage Swiss pocket watches did NOT have serial numbers and can't be dated by this method.

The watch here is so interesting because it contains the final revision of the first version of movements to ever have their automatic winding rotors pivoted on ball bearings, this being done to dramatically reduce friction, enabling the rotor to turn with the slightest motion of the wearer’s wrist. Ball bearing mounts are something now found as standard on all high quality modern self-winding watches, but they were invented by Eterna.

I've just never worn a watch and never felt like I wanted or needed one. Thanks folks, Keith. Quote: I really do appreciate all the input I've received from all of you. Yes, Bichondaddy, the watch you referred me to seems to be close enough to date my to the late 1950's. My dilemma now is.. Since I'm really not a watch fancier and likely wouldn't wear it much, what would be better for the watch -- 1) get it cleaned/serviced and keep it running or 2) merely keep it in my wife's jewelry box? You're likely to say, 'Who doesn't wear a watch?'

“Eterna-Matic” is signed on the rotor with the calibre number stamped next to the balance well. It is worth noting that Brev. Is also here, informing us that Eterna, very wisely, had patented its ground breaking rotor arrangement. Even with the naked eye, if we look carefully enough we can make out the all important five ball bearings on which the rotor pivots. There is the individual serial number 3827529, which dates this piece to 1952 and ties in perfectly with the upgrade of the 1247 with the UC, shock resisting, status. Condition of this movement is exceptional. A lot of the 1950s watches in circulation are now well on the way to life expiry, not because of any deficiency in their quality, but simply because at some point in the last six decades, they have fallen into the hands of owners who failed to maintain them in a responsible fashion.

Determine the Age of your Vintage Pocket Watch How to Use our Vintage Watch Serial Number & Date Lookup Tables Instructions for using our serial number look-up tables This page contains INSTRUCTIONS for using the serial number look-up tables that are found on many of our watch company history pages. The example below uses information from the American Waltham Watch Company, but that is just an example. You should consult the serial number table for the specific brand of watch movement you are trying to date by selecting a company from the menu on the left. Not all vintage watches can be dated using the serial number. Some American watch brands did not use a consistent series of serial numbers, but most of the big manufacturers did. Most vintage Swiss pocket watches did NOT have serial numbers and can't be dated by this method.

So it makes me worried about the authenticity of both your watch, and my as well (may be it has the winding bridge from the different caliber) Also my has 044 stamped on the plate, which looks like the internal manufacturing code. Does your movement have that? Thanks, -Victor.

Note that we're using the serial number from the watch movement, not from the watch case. Looking at the table of Waltham serial numbers (see example below), you can see that number 20,900,000 was made in 1917 and 21,800,000 was made in 1918 (marked in red in the table below). Since your serial number falls between those two numbers, you know that your watch was made in 1917 or 1918.

It has amazed us for years that classic Eternas have largely slipped under the radar of the collecting community and if judged on merit, their commercial values should be up with those of the household name famous brands. If studied under high magnification, the quality of this item is immediately obvious. Every screw head has been polished by hand to a mirror finish and the bridges are all angled, rather than with a crude 90 degree join. “Eterna-Matic” is signed on the rotor with the calibre number stamped next to the balance well. It is worth noting that Brev. Is also here, informing us that Eterna, very wisely, had patented its ground breaking rotor arrangement. Even with the naked eye, if we look carefully enough we can make out the all important five ball bearings on which the rotor pivots.

Two examples of exactly the same model will have wildly different values if their dials are not in a similar state. The holy grails for the purist collector are watches that are with their original dials in near mint condition.

Those collectors who really know their subject well understand how pivotal Eterna’s ball bearing rotor was and how it enabled the development of automatic winding to reach its next level, but outside of the connoisseur bracket, these watches are not really recognised. Any collection that aims to chart the evolution of the self-winding wristwatch must include an early Eterna-Matic and for that reason, we highly recommend this piece as an investment purchase.

Eterna began using the ball-bearing auto in the late 40s. Eternamatic was the in-house automatic movement for eterna. If you review ETA movements vs. Eterna movements, you begin to see that any technological improvement eterna created would find its way into an ETA movement several years later. I'm not sure if this was because the patents expired or if some sort of licensing was involved. I think it was only until the late 70s or early 80s that eterna used some modified ETAs.

Have not been able to find out much about this specific watch anywhere on line so any information is great. Hope the pictures help. Look forward to hearing from all of you knowledgeable folks. Any ball park figure on what it might be worth? I seriously doubt that I'm sitting on some priceless sleeper.

I cannot speak to pricing in other parts of the country or internationally. Jun 12, 2011 .

SERIAL NUMBERS BY YEAR This page will enable you to track down the production year of your vintage watch. If you want to know which year your vintage watch was produced? – Then take a closer look at ” Serial numbers by year”. Certina serial numbers by year While Omega keeps the serial number on the inside of the backcase Certina leaves the serial number visible on the out site of the watch back case accompanied with a reference. The two numbers serves the same pourposes as explained in the Omega chapter above-written.

Many watch companies made hundreds of thousands of watches, and some companies made millions of watches! It would be impractical to list the individual serial numbers of EVERY watch made.

Ordinance Dept. Markings C 93,246 – AN 24 Mvt – “US Govt” Case not marked w/ Military Nomenclature, nor “Hamilton” C 93,625 – 24 – – Mvt: “U S Govt” Military Case C 98,793 – SS AN 24 – Mvt: “U.S.Govt.”, Case: Ordnance Dept.

Eterna was founded in 1856 and is probably best known today for its offshoot ETA, the corporate movement maker that supplies almost everyone, from IWC, Rolex and Longines through to Omega, with raw, unfinished movement blanks that can then be processed and refined as required. The situation is complex and too detailed to be dealt with in this description, but basically, Swiss law limits the activities of those brands selling complete watches in the field of movement-only supply in order to prevent monopolies emerging. So Eterna sold finished watches under its own name and, in a rather contrived way, set up ETA as a legally separate entity, operating from the same facility, enabling the latter to sell movements to other concerns. What we do notice is that a common pattern developed, with the latest advances appearing first on Eterna watches, before these were applied to ETA movement production some time later.

Price: EUR325 PayPal fees inclusive. Shipment: The watch and I are located in Norway. I will be helpful to assist in keeping import taxes at reasonable levels.

Though in the periode dating from 1958 to 1974 the reference number on Certina watch carried an encrypted message giving away, which calibre the watch was equipped with, which material the case was made from and which watch model you are dealing with. Omega serial numbers by year Together with a reference number, the brand Omega placed their serial numbers on the inside of the backcase. One serial number indicates in which year or periode the watch was produced while the other number (the reference number) indicates which model or serie the specific watch belongs to.

Please contact me for shipment options.

Any collection that aims to chart the evolution of the self-winding wristwatch must include an early Eterna-Matic and for that reason, we highly recommend this piece as an investment purchase. As enthusiasts become more knowledgeable, as they certainly have done over the last fifteen years since the arrival of the internet, watches like this one will become more sought after and values will rise. Our prediction is that even ten years from now, these charming first generation Eterna-Matics with ball bearing mounted rotors will be a lot more expensive than they are at present.

Thanks for any & all input from you folks. I really do appreciate all the input I've received from all of you. Yes, Bichondaddy, the watch you referred me to seems to be close enough to date my to the late 1950's. My dilemma now is.. Since I'm really not a watch fancier and likely wouldn't wear it much, what would be better for the watch -- 1) get it cleaned/serviced and keep it running or 2) merely keep it in my wife's jewelry box? You're likely to say, 'Who doesn't wear a watch?' Well, I'm 63, had a career in buildings/rooms where there always were wall clocks, in a car where there is a clock, in my home where nearly every room has a clock, and if I should be without the time, I can always look at my cell phone face.

The original owner's name is engraved on the back. Only other thing I can see is 3582238 stamped on the back. It runs and keeps fairly good time until I take it off and it rests for the night when it seems to then be off by hours when not worn.

When the porsche family purchased the company, they continued producing their own movements as well as using a modified ETA ebauche for a few of their models. Eterna began using the ball-bearing auto in the late 40s. Eternamatic was the in-house automatic movement for eterna. If you review ETA movements vs.

As it is, for no other reason than Eterna not being so widely recognised by the public, it can be bought for £685 GB pounds. The value for money offered by this item is nothing less than remarkable and in terms of quality to cost ratio, it is one of the most attractive vintage watches for sale on this website. Those collectors who really know their subject well understand how pivotal Eterna’s ball bearing rotor was and how it enabled the development of automatic winding to reach its next level, but outside of the connoisseur bracket, these watches are not really recognised. Any collection that aims to chart the evolution of the self-winding wristwatch must include an early Eterna-Matic and for that reason, we highly recommend this piece as an investment purchase. As enthusiasts become more knowledgeable, as they certainly have done over the last fifteen years since the arrival of the internet, watches like this one will become more sought after and values will rise. Our prediction is that even ten years from now, these charming first generation Eterna-Matics with ball bearing mounted rotors will be a lot more expensive than they are at present.

The working part with the wheels and gears. Not the serial number from the watch case. Cases and watches were often made by different companies and each usually has its own serial number. You usually have to take the back off the watch case to see the movement serial number which may appear anywhere on the watch movement. Use the movement serial number.

We have fitted this watch with a high quality black crocodile skin type strap. This is not the original strap, but it is very much in tune with the up market aesthetics of the piece and almost identical to those pictured with early Eterna-Matics in period advertising material. This strap has never been worn and is in mint condition. Given its significance as the first model to feature a ball bearing mounted rotor, something that is now a standard across all self-winding luxury watches, this item is almost ridiculously under-valued. If this was a Rolex or Omega, with the same technically important status, it would command a price of certainly over £3000. As it is, for no other reason than Eterna not being so widely recognised by the public, it can be bought for £685 GB pounds. The value for money offered by this item is nothing less than remarkable and in terms of quality to cost ratio, it is one of the most attractive vintage watches for sale on this website.