From Segen Mishne (Second Lieutenant) James

With its military background, I like to wear the Super KonTiki 1973 on a green NATO, which helps manage the size and weight of the case. Baselworld is a grind, but you do it for the love of watches and that insatiable need to see and experience more, to learn new perspectives in watch appreciation. I’ve been with ABTW for a few years now, and these custom engraved Super Kontiki divers are a reminder that when we want to do great things, we have to do them as a team.

From רנ”ג (Chief Warrant Officer) Mark

The mesh bracelet’s clasp may be authentic and retro, but it’s simply too hard to use. So I removed the bracelet and put a black alligator strap with a deployant on my Eterna. I most often wear the watch on Sundays when I make a supply run to a woodworker’s shop for my wife’s business. I know it’s tough enough to handle loading/unloading boxes, and I use the bezel to time the round trip.

Baselworld: the people and the watches are great, and I will miss both tremendously in 2017. On the other hand, the hotel prices and availability, the parking, the bathrooms, and the crowds, in truth, I will not. The ABTW team is outstanding and a great group to work and hang out with. It’s a shame I usually only see these friends once a year, but that just makes the time we have together that much more special.

I like and wear my Eterna KonTiki a lot and with the special “War of BaselWorld 2016” engraving plus the name and faux IDF rank engraving this is both a highly personal watch and also one that reminds me of the time we spent together as “Team ABTW” – and also of the time we spent at the Eterna booth in 2016, the last booth we visited that day.

From אל”מ (Colonel) Max

This was my first Baselworld, and while the team had prepared me with details on what to expect and not expect, I have to say that my expectations were met and surpassed. While it’s a very busy time for anyone at aBlogtoWatch, whether on site or not, I think it’s an experience I will cherish forever – and hence to have a watch that so nicely commemorates the occasion makes it just that much more special. It’s also a reminder of the last meeting we had, with Eterna, which was one of the best. No pressure, great affordable watches, and great people.

I really like the unique design of the Eterna Kontiki 1973 and the history that it carries with it. While I also appreciate the mesh bracelet that came with it, I found it hard to adjust it to my wrist size so I looked for a replacement mesh with the same dimensions but more adjustable. After much searching, I found one on eBay from Hong Kong bespoke seller. The great thing is that not only can I now wear it, but it looks exactly how it came but fits well, and I can adjust the size when the weather varies and my wrist expands. I wear this for work so it’s mostly desk diving, though I’d love to take it to some excursion, perhaps next summer.

From First Officer Neil

When I wear this watch out, whether it is for business with a suit or casually, I always get very positive feedback on the strap as a talking point, then on whether it is genuine vintage or a relaunch, and then everyone loves the story and engraving – even potential competitors.

I never get comments with an Omega or Rolex; I think that non-watch people like to be discreet, so they always comment on the look and feel of what they perceive to be vintage, rather than new.

From Sergeant Zen

Baselworld and team ABTW’s grueling but shared experience is a yearly challenge, and that is equally true for me even though I wasn’t on site in Switzerland. That said, this special edition watch is quite an appropriate badge, and I honestly wear it a lot. There is something about wearing a watch received for a special reason that can never be replicated by a watch one carefully chooses for oneself. That and the fact that it’s damn cool on its own has made it a favorite in my modest collection. It is also neat knowing that our team members across the world have and wear their own versions of the same watch I am wearing for the same reason.

It’s interesting that each team member seemed to have had their own interpretation of the watch expressed through the strap or bracelet they chose for it. Though the seatbelt-like buckle in particular is unusual, I ended up liking the included mesh bracelet a lot after I found a creative way to make it fit, though I also enjoy it on a soft black silicone strap. The quirkiness of the deemphasized hour hand is something that seems like the genuine product of another era that simply could not be created today in a contrived effort to be “retro.” It’s very cool and even gutsy that Eterna chose to stick with that, and it helps give the watch a lot of character and charm – and, yes, you do get accustomed to reading it. You can bet I’ll be wearing it straight through Baselworld 2017.

From Private “Crash Test” David

Watches, when done right, carry a lot of sentimental value for their owner. Year after year, we handle and write about hundreds of them (a large portion of which we see during Baselworld), which, strangely enough, leaves me sort of uninspired to find a watch that I can truly call my own. I have a few watches in my small collection, but they hardly get much wrist time and hence there is also less of a bond with them, as new review watches come and go all the time.

This streak came to an end with this Eterna Team aBlogtoWatch special edition, a line of watches only a handful of us in the world own, making it a very special possession that will forever carry great significance for me – while also reminding me of the (mostly fun) times that we had together during Baselworld 2016. And why “Crash Test”? Because I crash quite a lot (just with myself, not with vehicles – knock on wood), and also because when Ariel and I paid Bremont a visit, I almost ended up as a crash test dummy for Martin Baker fighter jet ejection seats. Almost.

There you have it, this was a quick wrap-up and everyone’s take on their very own Eterna Heritage Super KonTiki 1973 Limited Edition “Team aBlogtoWatch” (original retail price of $3,300) watches… Do not, however, mistake this for a closing chapter: team ABTW will be back on the Baselworld grounds in under a week to bring you all the latest and greatest. Onwards! eterna.com