We take trades against any of our watches!!! We also buy watches and watch packages.


Among the many great historic dive watch “families” is the Eterna KonTiki. The famed range of sport watches has had a legion of variants over the years and has dabbled in entry-level to exotic depending on the model and the direction the company was going. What is clear, however, is that the personality and heritage of the KonTiki is too strong for the brand to ignore, so let’s take a look at the more recent generation of 1273.41 Eterna Super KonTiki dive watches, and see what this rather affordably priced “Super KonTiki Date” watch is all about. 

A Blog To Watch debuted this new Eterna Super KonTiki Date watch here back in 2015 when it was first introduced. Swiss Eterna decided to return to the roots of the KonTiki a bit by producing a relatively simple but easy-to-understand-and-wear Super KonTiki dive watch with a large tonneau-shaped case and powered by a sourced Swiss Sellita caliber SW200-1 automatic mechanical movement.

As you perhaps know, Eterna also produces its own movements which currently consist of the rather capable Caliber 39 and its various executions. Eterna designed the Caliber 39 as a “base movement” which means it is designed to incorporate a variety of complication modules such as a chronograph. Since the Eterna Super KonTiki Date is more simple, having a basic three-hand movement with the date, it probably wasn’t necessary to use a simple version of the Caliber 39 versus a Sellita SW200-1. That might have added a bit of “collector appeal,” but I don’t think the added cost of the watch would have been necessary.

Now, I don’t mean to imply that the Super KonTiki is in a league of its own without competitors – as there are many – but rather that there is a lot of value here for the money and more high-end Swiss dive watches can easily range from $5,000-$15,000 (and up). What you also probably know is that the dive-style sports watch segment is perhaps one of the most competitive (if not the most competitive) spaces in the enthusiast watch market. Options in the under-$3,000 range are vast, including models form major and minor brands, as well as models from brands coming from a range of countries (even though the Swiss and Japanese ones are the most desirable).

What Eterna has done with the Eterna Super KonTiki Date is seemingly pack a slick design into a high-end-feeling package with an affordable movement that makes for a solidly made all-purpose Swiss sports lifestyle watch. Moreover, while Eterna tweaked the design here and there, this modern Eterna Super KonTiki is directly inspired by the 1970s models which sported a similar color palette and case design. For this modern iteration, Eterna decided to up the case size to a burly 45mm wide and 12.6mm thick in steel.

As a dive watch, the Eterna Super KonTiki has 200 meters of water resistance with a screw-down crown. That is enough for recreational diving, and over the dial is an AR-coated flat sapphire crystal. Eterna opts for a slightly glossy black dial with applied and polished hour markers and matching hands. The thick areas of painted SuperLumiNova allow the dial to have very good legibility and the polished sections make for some reflections when the dial plays with the light. Normally, I am against reflections, but Eterna has a purpose for them here. 

First of all, Eterna cleverly doesn’t use any rounded polished surfaces on the dial, as they are all flat, for the most part. This helps reduce glare and still allows these elements to reflect with the light. Why? For shininess, of course. It seems silly, but yes, a slight light reflection on the dial brings visual attention and, when done right, gives watches a more “high-end feel” versus a strict tool watch personality.

Dial design proportions are well done, and I appreciate the overall symmetry on the dial. Little details are welcome, such as the lumed arrow tipping the seconds hand and the proper length of the hour and minute hands. The design of the hour markers with some round and some “pizza slice” in shape is going to be a matter of taste, but the overall composition is done well.


Going back to the movement, the Swiss Sellita SW200-1 is a functional equivalent to the ETA 2824-2. Self-winding, the movement has 38 hours of power reserve operating at a frequency of 4Hz (28,800bph). On the back of the Eterna Super KonTiki, the screw-down caseback has two types of engraving. First are the very nicely done deeper engravings which are of the Eterna brand name and the Kon-Tiki ship that Thor Heyerdahl sailed across the Pacific Ocean in 1947. Around those engravings are more simple laser-cut engravings which aren’t as impressive-looking, but get job done.


I am not always a fan of mesh metal bracelets, but they can work very well when matched to the right case and when they operate properly. Some mesh metal bracelets have links to take out, or even need to be physically cut to size. Thankfully, Eterna uses a bracelet with an easy-to-adjust deployant clasp that slides along the bracelet and can be locked into place allowing for a perfectly precise fit and that has the excess bracelet being tucked under the strap so it looks clean when worn. This is about the best you can expect in a bracelet like this – which has a very solid and comfortable fit. Eterna did what they needed to do in order to make sure the mesh metal bracelet experience on the Eterna Super KonTiki is as good as possible.


Given that the sporty/dive watch category is so competitive, it is difficult to suggest this particular timepiece over so many others that vary in small ways less about functionality and more about personal taste and subjective comfort. With that said, Eterna has its own nice dive watch heritage that it is nicely keeping alive, and when it comes to purpose, style, and value, there is a lot to enjoy here.


BRAND: Eterna

MODEL: Super Kontiki Date

MOVEMENT: Swiss Automatic

CASE: Stainless Steel

CROWN: Screw Down

SIZE: 45mm

LUGS: 22mm

DIAL: Black Dial 

BEZEL: Black rotating Diver

CONDITION: Pre owned - As-New!

BOXES/PAPERS: Yes/Yes - Complete Eterna Box Set, Original Warranty Card, etc - Everything as shown in pictures! 

WATER RESISTANCE: - 200m

STRAP/BRACELET: - Original Eterna Milanese Stainless Steel Bracelet with all links.


Trades welcome!!


We buy similar watches...large packages as well as one at a time. We also take trades against any of our watches...


Let us know what you have in your collection!!


I consider all watches in trade! Please upload pictures of your trades through the eBay message system! I will only complete deals here through eBay to protect both buyer and seller!


Thanks,


Norm


eBay likes it if you upload your pictures here on eBay through this message system...if you do from your phone there is a little camera icon to click on and add pics...from your computer there is a tab above the message field that you can click on and addd. They allow up to 5 pictures total...


Thank you!


Ordering Watches


Finally, With more than a decade in selling, trading and buying watches throughout the globe, there is an etiquette to this sport; "what's your bottom/best price" doesn't fit and is obnoxious.  Yes, it makes the rest of us talk about you.  Don't be that guy... that guy is ignored.


PLEASE NOTE: EFFECTIVE OCT 2019, PAYPAL DOES NOT REIMBURSE THEIR TRANSACTION FEES WHEN PROCESSING A REFUND. THEREFORE, IF YOU CHOOSE PAYPAL TO MAKE YOUR PAYMENT AND WISH TO RETURN A WATCH FOR ANY REASON, THEIR FEES WILL NOT BE REFUNDED TO YOU. I GLADLY ACCEPT PAYMENT WITH BANK TRANSFER, ZELLE, VENMO, CASH APP, ETC. Note: I ship via Fedex with signature required. Signature required to make sure the package gets into the right hands and avoids it being taken from your front door. If you will not be home during normal Fedex delivery hours and either cannot or will not make arrangements to pick up the package from Fedex, DO NOT BUY MY WATCH! I refuse to be held accountable because you ?have a day job? and refuse to take accountability for receiving the package. Secure delivery is my #1 priority and it should be yours as well. Thank you.