L’Eternal KonTiki is one of those watches that tell a story. And what a story! Anthropology, ocean crossing and makeshift raft, it’s all there. Without forgetting a faithful timepiece, firmly attached to the wrists of these sailors of another kind. Here is the incredible story of the Eterna KonTiki, or how theexpedition of a band of scientists a little wacky gave his name to a watch that has become iconic.
A question of anthropology
It all starts with a question: could the islands of the South Pacific have been populated by populations coming from South America? A hypothesis coldly received by the scientific community at the beginning of the 20th century. And yet, its most faithful defender, the self-taught Norwegian adventurer and anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl, believes in it hard as iron. For him, everything coincides: the sea currents, the prevailing easterly winds, the physical traits of the Polynesians, their biological characteristics, and even an old Inca legend! This tells that an Indian chief, named Kon-Tiki Viracocha, is said to have sailed from Peru into the sunset on a large raft made of balsa, a local tree. So when archaeologist Herbert Spinden challenges him: “Of course, you can very well try to navigate yourself from Peru to the Pacific Islands on a balsa raft”, Heyerdahl does not disassemble. Quite the contrary! He immediately mounts an expeditionwith the aim of demonstrating, by example, the veracity of his hypothesis.
A perilous crossing
Heyerdahl quickly gathers everything he needs: balsa wood, measuring instruments, radio equipment, but also sleeping bags, survival rations, sunscreen and tin cans. It also brings together a crew around him. five men, chosen for their “great courage”, and for their abilities useful to the expedition. Even if, on closer inspection, the “capacities” in question may appear a little thin. The second in command is a thermodynamic engineer, while the only crew member with maritime experience is actually a childhood friend of Heyerdahl who served 5 years in the merchant navy. Two former military radio operators and an anthropologist follow. Not to mention that none of them have any real experience at sea. Not exactly the kind of crew you would imagine facing the waves of the Pacific aboard a wooden raft. Some even consider it a suicide mission. As if to ward off fate, Heyerdahl baptized his raft the Kon-Tiki, in homage to the Indian chief who had supposedly made the trip before him. Finally, ignoring all the ominous birds, the raft sets sail on 28 Avril 1947. And against all odds, he reached the coral reef of the atoll of Puka Puka, in the Tuamotu archipelago, after 101 days of crossing.
The Eterna Kontiki becomes a legend
But let’s get back to the subject that really interests us: watchmaking. Because Heyerdahl has planned everything on that side. Aware that the success of his mission also depends on his instruments, he does not neglect the importance of providing his crew a watch up to the challenge. A sufficiently precise timepiece, capable of withstanding the elements, and of course waterproof. The choice falls on a watch of the Swiss brand Eterna, who already enjoyed a solid reputation in terms of reliability and robustness. “Heyerdahl simply went to ask the boss of Eterna, Rudolf Schild-Comtesse, for perfectly water-resistant watches for him and his teammates,” says Jean-Jacques Weber, CEO of Templus, the company that today distributes Eterna in France. And the Eterna watches did not disappoint: “Despite the permanent humidity, the salt, the shocks and the various other aggressions, the watches had worked perfectly during the crossing and made it possible to calculate the course of the raft on a daily basis”, specifies Weber.
A successful career
The feat is commemorated in all its forms, from books to films, including derivative products of all kinds. And 11 years later, in 1958Eterna finally unveils a watch called Eternal KonTiki. A simple and robust watch, with a steel case of 37mm in diameteran oversized crown, and large triangular indexes, reminiscent of the “floating” of boats, these triangles displaying maritime signals. THE caseback is engraved with a raft, in homage to the makeshift boat that carried Heyerdahl and his crew over 4300Nm, or almost 8000Km. Commercial success is there and Eterna then declines the watch in other forms: diver, chronograph, GMT… The KonTiki quickly built a solid reputation, and was even chosen by some armed forces, like the Israeli commandos in the 1970s.
Since 1958, the KonTiki collection remains the pillar of the Eterna catalog. It is now available in several diameters (44, 42, 38 and 36mm), in steel or bronze, fitted with an automatic or quartz movement. In a rather strange way, it is however its little sister, the Super-KonTiki which dominates the catalog; so let’s hope that the brand will dig into its archives to reissue the icon that we presented to you. For the record, a 2nd expedition even saw the light of day in 2006. A new crew, led by Olav Heyerdahl (Thor’s grandson) is sailing aboard a balsa raft named KonTiki II, identical to that of 1947, and again connects Peru to the islands of the South Pacific in 72 days. And on the wrists of these unusual sailors, Eterna KonTiki watches, of course.
To learn more, visit the Eterna website.
2023-07-12 19:20:01
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