For high-end watches, the trend toward in-house movements is continuing to gain momentum. However, the majority of affordable watches on the market are dependent on mass-produced movements from external suppliers.
When you are first learning about watches, it can be hard to understand the full picture and better evaluate what you want to buy. There are many suppliers out there and many different movements.
That is why we are here to help. So keep on reading and we will walk you through our beginner’s guide to ETA movements.
Table of Contents
What Is ETA SA?
ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse is a company that specializes in watch movements. This includes partially assembled movements, mechanical calibers, and quartz calibers. Today, a lot of popular watch brands use these movements to power their devices.
The History of ETA
ETA started way back in 1856. That year, two men started a movement manufacturer. A few years later, they called the company Eterna.
By the 1930s, the company had split into two entities. The first was a watchmaking factory called Eterna SA. The other was an ébauche making facility called ETA SA.
Through a variety of buyouts and mergers, ETA became a subsidiary of Swatch Group. Because of the company’s position and structure in the market, the Swiss government makes them supply movements to companies outside of Swatch Group.
This odd set of circumstances has paved the way for these ETA movements to be the most popular watch calibers around.
What Are ETA movements?
Some watch companies make their own movements on their own. However, a lot of companies put their names on modified ETA movements.
To make, develop, and design a watch caliber in-house is very costly and time-consuming. Modifying an ETA movement is a more sensible move for most brands.
A lot of people think that the best watch movements need to come from the brands themselves. While that might lead to more customized movements, that doesn’t necessarily make the movements better.
Other people would say that ETA has a lot of quality control and their time-tested movements are accurate and reliable.
A lot of veterans in the industry appreciate the reliable performance of ETA mechanical movements. They make calibers in different grades and with high-quality specs, like COSC certification.
These movements are probably some of the best around, regardless of how one feels about the in-house vs ETA debate.
The Importance of Using This Beginner’s Guide to ETA Movements
Hopefully, after reading the above guide, you now have a better idea of what ETA movements are and how they work. As we can see, these movements are reliable and precise but might not be as customizable as in-house movements.
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