Vintage Eterna Saddam Hussein Portrait Dial Ladies Watch Swiss Manual 21mm Box

About this watch

A rare piece of 20th-century Middle Eastern history: a petite Eterna ladies' wristwatch whose silver-white dial carries a printed colour portrait of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in a blue suit. Watches bearing his portrait were made for Iraq as commemorative / presentation pieces, and Swiss brands such as Eterna supplied the watches. This example has a crisp silver dial with applied silver baton markers, the ETERNA signature, "T SWISS T" at the bottom, polished steel case and knurled crown, fitted on a grey leather Eterna-signed strap with a gold-tone buckle, and comes in its original white Eterna presentation box.

Brand heritage

Eterna was founded in 1856 in Grenchen, Switzerland, by Josef Girard and Urs Schild. The company is credited with one of the first alarm wristwatches (patented 1908) and, in 1948, the Eterna-Matic with its ball-bearing-mounted rotor, which inspired the five-dot logo still used today. Eterna watches also accompanied Thor Heyerdahl on the 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition, and the movement maker ETA was originally Eterna's own movement division.

Why this one is special

• Historic portrait dial: a genuine collector's piece of Iraqi political memorabilia
• Signed Swiss Eterna watch, not a generic novelty brand
• Comes with the original Eterna box and an Eterna-signed strap
• Petite 21mm ladies' size, an elegant everyday dress watch

Specifications

• Brand: Eterna (Swiss)
• Dial: silver-white with printed portrait of Saddam Hussein, applied silver baton markers, signed "ETERNA" and "T SWISS T"
• Hands: silver dauphine-style hour and minute hands, no seconds hand, no date
• Movement: Swiss mechanical, manual wind
• Case: stainless steel, 21 mm (excluding crown), snap-on caseback with serial number
• Strap: grey leather, signed Eterna on the underside, gold-tone pin buckle
• Era: vintage, circa 1980s

Condition

Pre-owned vintage condition with signs of age and use: light scratches on the case and caseback, minor age marks on the dial and crystal, and wear to the leather strap. The portrait print is clear and intact. Please check all photos carefully as they are part of the description.
Working at time of listing.

What's included

The watch on its Eterna leather strap and the original Eterna presentation box (with age wear). No papers.

Shipping & Returns

Free shipping with DHL from Cairo, Egypt.
30-day returns, buyer pays return shipping.

Ref: H820