![]() ![]() ETA focuses on all these aspects so the brands themselves can now focus on the creation of their watches. Firstly, it’s expensive and, of course, time-consuming. Researching, designing, developing, and manufacturing in-house movements take a lot of risks. ETA’s existence greatly takes off the burden from various watch brands. Photo from ETA SA Advantages of an ETA MovementĪ lot of brands produce in-house movements. However, most of these in-house movements still find its roots from an ETA movement, only modified and improved in certain ways (such as with the Omega Co-axial watches). In 1998, SMH was renamed to what we know today as ‘The Swatch Group’. However, as the main shareholder, Hayek ultimately became the only person of reference for SMH. and FHF that were both parts of SMH.Īs the first CEO of SMH, Dr. Thomke, ASUAG and SSIH merged and became Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie or SMH. Then, in 1985, ETA acquired all production from Ébauches Ltd. Later, in 1983 and under the leadership of Dr. Thomke became the CEO of Ebauches SA and was delegated on the Board of Directors of ASUAG. After few years, in 1978, SA and ETA merged. However, with the Quartz Crisis in the 1970s, both ASUAG and SSIH faced financial troubles and ultimately, bankruptcy. They started complementary research and development programs to fight the economic crisis. The companies, however, didn’t stop at that. ASUAG, in itself, became the biggest group by purchasing companies under its subsidiary General Watch Co (GWC). Since the establishment of both companies, SSIH and ASUAG led the Swiss watch industry in many ways. The years that followed weren’t particularly good for the Swiss watch industry. Before the war emerged, Omega and Tissot founded Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère (SSIH) in 1930. The company established itself as a powerful player in the industry by unifying companies that produce high-quality movements and watches. A year later, in 1931, Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG) came into the picture. As a solution to the Great Depression that took over the economy in the same year, the Swiss Government and the Swiss Banks formed ASUAG. The Fall and Rise of the Swiss Watch Industry Then in 1926, a tie-up between Eterna’s ETA SA and FHF formed Ébauches Ltd. Generally, ETA SA was Eterna’s movement branch founded in 1896. Through the years, Eterna established a separate section for its movements. In 1856, more than six decades later, in Grenchen, an ébauche factory emerged through Urs Schild, a schoolmaster, and Dr. In 1793, four master watchmakers - namely David Benguerel, Isaac Benguerel, and François and Julien Humbert-Droz - opened a workshop and business named Fabriques d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon (FHF). Photo from ETA SA History of ETA SAĮTA SA’s history traces as far back as 1793 despite it being officially founded in 1856. The institution ultimately came about as a result of the consolidation of the Swiss watch industry. The amalgamation of former movement manufacturers such as Valjoux, Peseux, and Lemania brought the company about. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Swatch Group, ETA supplies its sister companies and other competing companies parts or whole movements for their timepieces. The company produces quartz movements, hand-wound and self-winding mechanical movements as well as ébauches. Ébauche, in horology, refers to unassembled or partially assembled parts of a movement. What is ETA SA?ĮTA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse - simply known to many as ETA - provides and supplies movements to various watch brands. Brands such as Tudor, TAG Heuer, Omega, and Frédérique Constant mainly uses an ETA movement or ETA-based movements. No, it’s not an acronym for “Estimated Time of Arrival”. To put it simply, ETA is Switzerland’s biggest and leading movement maker. This company creates the nervous system of your watch, most especially your Swiss luxury watch. Swiss luxury watches have either one of two movements: in-house or ETA. Most people who are new to watch collecting might have heard of an ETA movement but have little to no idea what it really is. Meanwhile, those who have been in the business for quite a while know exactly what we’re talking about. ![]()
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