After the Smiths purchase I sold the Zodiac Grandrally. I didn't think I'd do that for a long time. A few circumstances led me to sell it; the seconds hand was just as inaccurate and rattley as ever, the central seconds didn't always reset to home, and it was on my wrist during an extremely difficult, stressful time during the summer. I just didn't want to even look at it any more, so I sold it off.
After I sold that, I made another purchase in my pursuit of thin, dressy, but ruggedly built watches. I'd been really smitten (still am) with the Cartier Santos. I liked the fact that it was a very dressy dial, plain white with romans, simple handset, but in a ruggedly built highly water resistant stainless steel case that still managed to be slim and traditionally dressy (tank-like shape, polished areas, etc.) This prompted me to start a thread looking for similar but more affordable options, and I eventually came upon this watch in the deals thread. Several of us bought these at the time. The Eterna Kon Tiki 1270.41.12.1378 (catchy name).
This is the only watch I have ever bought, that I did not even put on once during my time owning it. A pity, because it's a really great watch.
I bought this shortly after beginning the August watch fast challenge sponsored by [mention]Sporkboy[/mention], and I was determined to stick to the rules. I figured at the end of the watch fast or whenever my determination ran out, that I'd have a fun new watch to play around with.
Well a week into the watch fast I made the biggest purchase of my watch collecting career and acquired a real grail piece (that's coming up!). To raise funds I had to slash and burn the collection ruthlessly. The Eterna, while good looking, was a stranger, and held no sentimental value, so it was up for sale and sold quickly.
One fact about this watch that I think keeps it out of the general WIS eye: it's a women's model. It's 37mm in diameter, which suits my 7" wrist perfectly, and I'm guessing the large majority of wrists out there. For the real casual elegant look I was hoping to achieve, a larger case diameter actually would have been welcome (I almost never say this!) but as a dressy watch the size suited it well.
Also, it's quartz- a decent Swiss Ronda movement, but less WIS points there as well. That plus 100 meters of water resistance and, surprisingly, a screw down crown, make this one a real contender for a truly capable but still svelte piece.
Would I rebuy it? I don't know. If it comes down to the right price I'll definitely be tempted! Thor Hyerdahl's
Kon Tiki was one of my favorite books as a teenager and still one of my favorites today. I love that connection Eterna has with that endeavor, and would really like to own one someday.
This thread helps me with WPCG related control in helping me remember what I liked and disliked about any given watch, and what my feelings on it were when I owned it.