20:02 27.09.2017Kalendarium

2006 - Ball bearing-mounted Big Date disc with integrated gear toothing

In 2006 Eterna's watchmakers had redesigned the historic 1504 calibre from 1974 and created a new mechanism 3030 with unique indication of Big Date.

The Big Date made his debut on the Vaughan Big Date collection. The Eterna 3030 is equipped with a convex profile in the shape of a lens, in which the curved surface is precisely composed of two discs of a date unit. They are designed in the form of two concentric rings rotating side by side instead of a conventional system (common in most Big Date) with two flat overlapping discs.

The design is based on ball bearings with integrated gear transmission and has a quick date change function.

The conversion takes less than a second and is activated at midnight.

Unlike most conventional solutions, Eterna allows to adjust the time and date at any time within 24 hours. One full turn of the crown changes the date by two days.

The 3030 automatic movement with Big Date is considered to be the slimmest in its class.

Ball bearings are Eterna's best known and most popular watchmaker's invention and have been used in the following designs: Eterna-Matic, Spherodrive and the Big Date discussed above.

Notifier: Tomasz Jakubas
Other records: Timeline of Watchmaking Innovations