By Jovan Krstevski
The new Eterna Royal KonTiki Chronograph watch this 2016 is probably the coolest version of the Royal KonTiki ever released and I am not alone on this assumption so I safely presume that if you know what I am talking about then you will be hopping onboard too. There is no doubt about the prestige and exhilaration that the Royal KonTiki collection of sport watches evoke and we all got pretty excited about it way back in 2013 with the Royal KonTiki GMT watch followed by the Royal KonTiki Chronograph GMT in 2014. The 2014 release was often referred to as controversial because of its unconventional design approach which in my own words seemed contradictory to the brand’s philosophy. However, I personally like that it was subtly aggressive which is what I really want in the first place especially for a watch this caliber. It also rated with up to 200 meters of water resistance.
ref. 7755.40.50.0280
As for the new Eterna Royal KonTiki Chronograph the controversy has gone overboard since obviously the brand restricted their design aggressiveness, particularly on the choice of colors, making it adhere more to its original valued design personality – well, at least, everyone is happy in the end. The 42.55 mm case is lovely and a lot smoother than the previous release. It has a collection of subtle features such as the PVD coated black bezel screws including the PVD black crown and crown guard. We find the chronograph pushers in a sporty black rubber too. I personally like the bezel for its mechanical appeal thanks to the star inspired screw alignment.
ref. 7755.40.50.1289
When it comes to the dial that is very legible by the way courtesy of reduced stuff that gets in the way of the hands unlike the previous releases, all I can say is a loud wow. The sub-dials are excellently placed side by side at 9 and 3 with a connecting rounded line that also connects the date display at the 6 o’clock. The hour indices are very nice with ample white lumed coats that are also present on the hands minus the red-tipped seconds hand. The chronograph looks easy on the eyes too and I get an overall feeling of neatness while gazing at the dial. If you like dark but not so dark thus not compromising the legibility, the new Eterna Royal KonTiki Chronograph really delivers.
ref. 7755.43.40.1289
What powers the new Eterna Royal KonTiki Chronograph is an in-house Eterna Caliber 3916A – the simpler version of the Caliber 3927A found on the Eterna Royal KonTiki Chronograph GMT. The only difference, however, is the removal of the lower GMT dial for the second time zone so you don’t miss anything at all. This automatic movement operates at 4Hz providing an excellent power reserve of 65 hours. Using a flyback mechanism, the watch promises chronometer accuracy which is a very welcome deal comparable to the high-end chronometers offered by Omega.
The new Eterna Royal KonTiki Chronograph comes with three versions namely ref. 7755.40.50.0280 (a steel version with a bracelet), ref. 7755.40.50.1289 (steel version with a rubber strap), and ref. 7755.43.40.1289 (a fully PVD-coated black model on a rubber strap). For more info, please visit eterna.com
JOVAN KRSTEVSKI – FOUNDER, PROPRIETOR & EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Jovan Krstevski has been collecting watches every since his father bought him an Omega Seamaster back when he was just a teenager. He launched Watchgeek back in 2011, which is now known as WristReview and is one of the most widely read watch blogs on the Web. He quotes ’WristReview is a site to help people find, explore, discover and enjoy wristwatches.’ Besides WristReview, he also writes for a number of publications. Read his articles here
