Madison Eight-Days

Press release

The "Madison Eight-Days" © ETERNA 

Eterna, watch manufacturer since 1856, presents the Madison Eight-Days – elegance for men with an eye for originality and authentic character. Grenchen. In 2010, Eterna has selected the Madison Eight-Days design to reaffirm its longstanding traditions of pioneering technology. Launched at this year's World, Watch and Jewellery Show, Baselworld, the Madison Eight-Days is fitted with the hand-wound Eterna 3510 movement featuring the new Eterna Spherodrive construction – a novel spring barrel design rotating on ball bearings, in a demonstration of this proprietary Eterna movement's exceptional distinction. This stylishly trim design will be available in autumn 2010 from selected Eterna dealers. Established in 1856, Eterna's own development has paced, and even occasionally spearheaded watchmaking, with its watchmakers and technicians making decisive contributions to the advancement of the industry over the years. Thus, a calibre featuring a power reserve of more than a week is nothing new for Eterna. Already as early as 1915 its watchmakers astonished the world with movements of this kind that would, for decades, show the time in alarm, table and car clocks. The basis for the construction of the eight-day calibre Eterna 3510 is the Eterna Spherodrive design from 2009 – a novel spring barrel design rotating on ball bearings. “The Eterna Spherodrive represents a revolutionary improvement to the mechanical efficiency as well as to the longevity and reliability of the watch movement”, explains Patrick Kury, Eterna Technical Director. By fitting the spring barrel on ball bearings, Eterna engineers eliminated in one go most of the problems caused by wear and tear at the exact point where the movement is subjected to the greatest pressure and friction. Furthermore, the Eterna Spherodrive construction proved ideally suited to the pair of series-coupled spring barrels of the Madison Eight-Days' Eterna 3510 calibre.

Oversized date and power reserve indication in a stylish design

Along with the understated elegance of its stainless steel case with its discreet lateral decoration, water-resistant to 30 metres (~ 100 feet, 3 bars), the originality of the Madison Eight- Days' dial layout makes it an eminently suitable companion for today's busy travellers. It provides an attractive choice of silvered, grey or black dial faces with centre cobbled texture and sunray-pattern surround, enhanced with rhodium-plated or gold-coloured baton hour makers and seconds hand while the hour and minute hands are coated with a luminous compound. Both the oversized date calendar at 2 o'clock on the dial and the power-reserve indicator between 7 and 8 o'clock occupy original, particularly practical positions. A scratch-resistant and antireflective crystal completes this unusual dial face. Secured by four screws, the case back features a sapphire crystal porthole revealing the movement's intricate workings. The Madison Eight-Days comes with a brown, grey or black Louisiana alligator strap, coordinated with the dial hue.

Eterna calibre 3510 – extended and smooth operation

Mounted on ball bearings in Eterna Spherodrive fashion, this proprietary Eterna movement's two series-coupled barrels provide the hour, minute and seconds hands with eight full days of exceptionally smooth and regular operation. This extended period is of course also recorded on its oversized date calendar and the power-reserve indicator with 192-hour graduations. What's more, to protect the movement's highly precise rate, calibre 3510 includes an automatic cut-off of the balance wheel after eight days' continuous operation. Equally practical, the fast-acting date corrector, usable without restriction 24 hours a day and positioned at 10 o'clock on the case flank, is ideal for travellers regularly crisscrossing time-zone lines. Providing 192 hours of power reserve, the hand-wound calibre 3510 with Eterna Spherodrive, 14 3/4 x 12 lines, 28,800 v.p.h., features 7 ball bearings, 22 jewels and a Glucydur balance wheel. Fitted with the Eterna calibre 3510 movement, the Madison Eight-Days embodies to perfection the spirit of the Eterna brand, fostered by over 150 years of pioneering achievements.

Eterna, centuries of horological expertise

Ever since it was established in 1856 Eterna has turned out fine, high-quality timepieces highlighting the craftsmanship and professional commitment of generations of artisan watchmakers. Their significant contributions to the craft and science of horology include the design of the Eterna-Matic winding rotor on ball bearings and the first wristwatch fitted with an alarm mechanism. It goes without saying that last year's launch of the Eterna Spherodrive ranks among the milestones of the brand's history. A revolution in terms of operational regularity, smoothness and longevity, it is ideally suited to the Madison Eight-Days' Eterna calibre 3510. Today Eterna ranks as one of a handful of full-fledged watch manufacturers actively seeking new avenues of development with the highest quality materials while maintaining traditional workbench production. Over the years, it has often come up with innovative answers to centuries-old technical challenges. Today one of the last remaining independent watch manufacturers, Eterna is owned by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. Alongside its traditional production, it has been assigned the licence for the acclaimed Porsche Design watch collection.

Madison Eight-Days with Eterna Spherodrive

 

Technical Specifications Movement: Eterna calibre 3510; hand-wound mechanical movement with Eterna Spherodrive; power reserve 192 h; 28,800 v.p.h.; 22 jewels; length: 33.2 mm (14 3/4 lines); width: 27.2mm (12 lines); 7 ball bearings; Glucydur balance wheel; hours, minutes and seconds, big date and power-reserve indicator. Dial/hands: silver, grey or black, cobbled-pattern structure at centre and sunray brushing; rhodium-plated or gold-coloured baton hour markers; rhodium-plated or gold-coloured centre hour and minute hands with white luminous compound; rhodium-plated or goldcoloured seconds hand; big date dial aperture at 2 o'clock; power reserve indication between 7 and 8 o'clock; scratch-resistant, anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Case/back: polished stainless steel tonneau shaped case with decorative pattern on either side; case back secured with sapphire crystal opening, secured by four screws; water-resistant to 30 m (3 bars); length: 53.3 mm; width: 38.5 mm; height: 13.25 mm. Bracelet/clasp: brown, grey or black Louisiana alligator leather strap with polished stainless steel folding clasp.