The EternaMatic was the revolutionary use of five micro-balls in a ball-bearing to reduce the friction of the automatic-rotor -- *klikk here. A patent for this innovation was filed in 1948 and thus protected the IP until 1968. It is probably the most important horological innovation of Eterna and the brand understood that and immediately changed the brand-logo to these iconic 5 balls.

It is easy to nowadays underestimate this innovation but given that almost any automatic-movement works with a rotor based on a ball-bearing today and given that even Rolex switched to this concept in 2015 with their cal3255, it seems like this was the setting of a standard -- in 1948 and by Eterna. Yes.

So it took quite a while for some to come around that corner but Eterna understood quite fast, that they presented an important horological milestone and so they decided to make the Golfer-pocketwatch. With the EternaMatic automatic-movement behind a see-through caseback to examine the impressive work of the EternaMatic. Cased in solid gold. And the fact that the biggest and best in horology (ie. Beyer, Zurich) were keen to print their name on the dial of such a watch, when they sold it, indicates that these were very important icons during that era: the 1950s and 1960s.

NB: It seems like Rolex is using that as a strategy: to take-over almost forgotten innovations, decades after their initial presentation, and sun-bath in their renewed glory. The ball-bearing in automatic-rotors, introduced by Rolex -- patent-free, although Rolex was monopolizing the rotor-automatic qua patent between 1933 and 1953 -- in 2015 in their cal3255. Same in 2025 with the loud presentation of their first high beat-movement: the cal7135 in the LandDweller, their 1st 5Hz-movement -- something that was quite hot in the 1960s and 1970s: *klikk here and *klikk here. And then they come around and claim they are building tomorrow already today. And visible is just ingratiating lobbying. Well, I have some serious doubts this strategy will work. But who am I to question the decisions of the greatest?