
Alternatively, modifying an ETA movement or ébauches is a sensible alternative for many companies. To design, develop, and manufacture a watch caliber completely in-house is expensive and time-consuming. However, many place their names on modified ETA movements. Some watch brands do in fact produce their own movements entirely in-house. This unique set of circumstances has paved the way for these movements to be the most prolific watch calibers today. However, because of ETA’s structure and position in the market, the Swiss government requires them to supply movements to brands outside of Swatch Group. Through a complex series of mergers and buyouts over the years, ETA has since become a subsidiary of Swatch Group. It was then that ETA was officially born. The other was an ébauche making facility called ETA SA. The first was a watchmaking facility called Eterna SA. By 1932, Eterna had divided into two entities. Two decades later in 1876, they named the company Eterna.

Joseph Girard and Urs Schild founded a movement manufacturer. Today, a majority of watch brands source these movements to power their watches.ĮTA’s history dates back over a century to 1856. That includes quartz calibers, mechanical calibers, and ébauches, or partially assembled movements. Here, we’ll shed some more light on ETA and the movements they produce.ĮTA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse specializes in watch movements. It’s safe to say that without ETA, the Swiss watchmaking industry in particular wouldn’t be what it is today. ETA is an indispensable part of the industry, and their movements play a significant role in luxury watches. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In turn, some people have developed certain connotations with ETA and written them off as being lesser than. In recent years, watchmakers have started to place greater emphasis on creating their own in-house movements.

However, many believe there’s a stigma around ETA. ETA is Switzerland’s largest movement maker, and they’ve played a large part in defining the industry as it is today. If a movement is the heart of a watch, then ETA movements arguably beat at the very core of the Swiss luxury watch industry.
