Contessa Two-Hands

Contessa from Eterna: a diamond for every woman

The watchmaker presents a ladies' collection

Grenchen. Women assume a central role in Eterna's over 150-year history. The watch-maker was already delighting women back in the 1930s with the world's smallest ba-guette movement. This year's Baselworld World Watch and Jewellery Show, which is held from March 26 to April 2 2009, sees Eterna launching its new Contessa ladies' collec-tion. Scoring strongly with its timelessly elegant rectangular design in the Art Deco style, it features intricate manufacture and precious materials. The watch is endowed with a diamond-topped crown, so that every owner will possess her own personal gem. The Contessa from Eterna will be available from summer 2009.

In the first half of the last century – a time when ladies' watches were required to be very small – Eterna was already acquiring a reputation for its superior designs and advanced manufacturing techniques. Even then in the 1930s, the world's smallest baguette calibre for ladies presented its designers with ample room for expressing their creativity. The ap-pearance in 1950 of Eterna's smallest self-winding movement – a world first – persuaded international stars such as Gina Lollobrigida and Brigitte Bardot to wear an Eterna.

Streamlined rectangular case

The new Contessa finds Eterna once again demonstrating its watchmaking prowess. The stainless steel case is distinctly – almost wilfully – rectangular. The subtle gradations and side chamfering of the cross pieces on the top and back of the case are reminiscent of the golden age of Art Deco. Polished and satin-finished cheeks and sloping band bars merge to create a streamlined effect that brings out the Contessa's femininity.

Eterna's new ladies' watch is optionally available on a three-link polished stainless steel bracelet, a white or light-brown lizard strap, or a dark-brown alligator leather strap. The gentle gradations on the folding clasp of the leather strap echo the characteristic Art Deco design elements of the watchcase.

The basic model is offered with a choice of two white dials: one with rhodanised indices and the other with a sunray-brushed finish with rhodanised Roman numerals. The Con-tessa is powered by a quartz movement for reliable timekeeping.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Nothing speaks to a woman's heart like a diamond, which is why Eterna adorns the crown of each Contessa with one of these sparkling gems (Top Wesselton, VVS, 0.06 carat), thus lending the timepiece a further touch of understated glamour.

Making a somewhat bigger splash is a case endowed with 46 diamonds (Top Wesselton, VVS, 0.42 carat). This combines with a particularly fine, white mother-of-pearl dial, which comes with either rhodanised indices or 12 diamonds (Top Wesselton, VVS, 0.096 carat).

By way of special feature, the Contessa in 18-carat rose gold (4N), endowed with 46 dia-monds (Top Wesselton, VVS, 0.42 carat), comes with two quick-change straps: a dark-brown alligator leather strap for everyday wear, and a white stingray strap for more glamorous occasions.

The Contessa from Eterna is a watch for the self-assured, elegant woman who loves something special, as evidenced by the meticulous craftsmanship and use of choice ma-terials.

The Eterna brand

Eterna has been a byword in high-quality mechanical timepieces manufactured by tradi-tional watchmaking craftsmanship since 1856. Numerous major developments have emerged from the company's long history. Revolutionary innovations such as a rotor mounted on ball bearings and a chronograph with mechanical digital stopwatch display originated from Eterna. Other milestones include the recently developed 3030 movement with a cambered big date as well as the calibre 3500 hand-wound movement. This tradi-tional Swiss brand now belongs to Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, and is one of the world's last existing independent watchmaking companies. As a Porsche Design Partner, Eterna is responsible for the popular Porsche Design watch collection.