The difference between general-purpose movements and in-house developed movements

[Universal movement]

A universal movement is one that can be used in any watch manufacturer's watch.

They are sold as semi-finished products called "ébauches," and each manufacturer customizes them in their own way. Therefore, even if the same general-purpose movement is used, the finish will vary depending on the manufacturer.

Since generic movements are used by many manufacturers, it is unlikely that the supply of parts will be interrupted. Each manufacturer has a system in place to handle repairs, so you can enjoy using your watch for a long time.

In addition, since general-purpose movements are sold in a semi-finished state, they have the advantage of lower manufacturing costs compared to movements developed in-house.

General-purpose movements are also used by famous brand manufacturers, and some of them are of sufficiently high quality.

 

[In-house developed movement]

An in-house developed movement is, as the name suggests, a movement developed in-house. Although they may use parts from external suppliers, they are generally designed and manufactured in-house.

By developing a watch in-house, we can manufacture original movements that incorporate our own unique preferences for factors such as the horsepower required to wind the mainspring, the precision of time adjustment, the thickness of the movement, durability, and ease of maintenance.

 

[Features of movement manufacturers]

ETA

ETA is a Swiss movement manufacturer and is known as the largest in the industry.

ETA (Eta S.A. Manufacture Horlogère Suisse) was founded in 1856. At the time it was a subsidiary of Eterna, but became independent in 1932 .

ETA manufactures both mechanical and quartz movements.

In the 1990s , ETA movements were so popular they accounted for 90 % of the industry.

 

ETA 's representative movement

Automatic movement [E TA2824 ]

The ETA2824 is ETA 's standard grade automatic movement. It is equipped with functions such as date display and automatic winding. It has excellent horsepower for winding the mainspring and time adjustment accuracy.

 

Automatic 3 -hand movement [ ETA2892 ]

The ETA2892 is ETA 's top-grade movement.

Not only does it have excellent horsepower for winding the mainspring and precision in time adjustment, but it also has the characteristic of having a thin movement, which makes it easy to use in a variety of watches and has earned it the support of major manufacturers.

 

〇Automatic chronograph [ ETA7750 ]

The ETA7750 is a movement equipped with a chronograph. It is a single-winding type, which allows for efficient winding of the mainspring.

The chronograph function allows you to use it as a stopwatch in addition to the normal watch function.

This movement is suitable for people who wear it often. Because the movement is thick, it may not be possible to install it in some watches depending on the design.

 

ETA 2010 issue

ETA movements are stable, easy to maintain, and cost-effective, and in the 1990s , ETA movements accounted for 90 % of the industry, with almost all watch manufacturers using ETA movements. Parts were relatively easy to obtain, repairs and overhauls were easy, and maintenance was kept low-cost.

However, in 2002 , the Swatch Group, ETA 's parent company, announced "Restrictions on the supply of ETA ébauches to outside the group." If supplies to companies other than the Swatch Group were to be halted, some brands would stop manufacturing watches altogether. ETA 's influence was so great that the suspension of supplies led to protests from various brands, and the situation escalated to the point where the Swiss Federal Commission for Auction Policy ( COMCO ) had to intervene.

 

COMCO then proposed and agreed with the Swatch Group to gradually reduce supply by 2010 , instead of stopping supply in 2006 , as a preparation period until each company could prepare a replacement for ETA . This led to it being called the " ETA 2010 problem," but in reality the period was later extended to 2020 .

 

Sellita

Sellita is a Swiss movement manufacturer that manufactures "generic movements" that are compatible with ETA movements. In the watch industry, many brands began to manufacture their own movements after the ETA 2010 problem. However, it was difficult to incorporate in-house movements into all watches. That's where the backplates came in. Sellita was a subcontractor for ETA , but after the 2010 problem, they announced their own movements. Even watches that had previously used ETA ebauches can be used as a replacement without any special processing. Therefore, brands that were having trouble finding a supply of generic movements gradually began to adopt Sellita's movements. They have gained enough trust that they are now used by many brands.

 

Representative movements of Sellita

〇 Automatic winding 3 -hand movement [ SW200 ]

SW200 is the movement for low-priced models that Sellita produces the most. It has the same performance as the ETA2824 ETA movement. It is an essential movement for manufacturers that focus on low-priced models. Its performance has improved dramatically since its initial development, and it is gaining recognition from major brands.

 

〇Automatic winding 3 -hand movement [ SW300 ]

The SW300 is a high-end three- hand movement manufactured by Sellita. It was developed as a replacement for the ETA2892A2 ETA movement. Stability has been improved by adding four more rubies than the ETA2892A2A . One unfortunate thing is that the movement decoration is simple, so it is not suitable for enjoying the movement through a see-through back.

 

Automatic chronograph movement [ SW500 ]

The SW500 is a movement equipped with a chronograph. It was developed as a replacement for the ETA7750 , and is highly regarded by various brands for its excellent accuracy and durability. It is exactly the same size as the ETA7750 , but boasts impeccable specifications in terms of functionality, such as a power reserve that is about 4 hours longer.

 

MIYOTA

MIYOTA is a watch movement manufactured by Citizen Miyota Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Japanese Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. MIYOTA is characterized by high precision, durability, and good cost performance. Other famous Japanese movements include Seiko and Casio, but MIYOTA is especially known for achieving "high quality at an affordable price." It is used by casual brands and mid-priced watch brands.

 

La Jou x -Perret

La Jou x -Perret is a subsidiary of the Citizen Group. Its movements are used in a variety of models, from elite to high-end. In addition to Citizen's own brand, it also supplies movements to customers outside the group.

It is also used in Eyren's automatic watches and Lavoie's hand-wound watches, both of which are sold by Comptoine. The Lavoie hand-wound watches have a skeletonized back, allowing you to enjoy the La Joux-Perret movement.

 

Valjoux ​

Valjoux is often found in antique chronographs, and remains a popular movement among collectors today. It has since been absorbed by ETA , but its technology is used by many watch brands. The most famous Valjoux movement is the "Valjoux 7750 ," an automatic chronograph created after the quartz shock, which uses an efficient unidirectional winding system. It is a standard chronograph movement with three vertical counters, and is characterized by its ease of maintenance. It is a cost-effective movement, adopting a cam system instead of a column wheel system.

 

Kenissi

Kenissi is a movement manufacturer founded by Tudor and based in Geneva, Switzerland. The MT5612 , which Tudor announced in 2015 as its own three- hand movement, was jointly developed with Kenissi. Since 2017 , the company has also collaborated with Breitling, supplying them with three- hand movements. In 2019 , Chanel also adopted Kenissi movements. Kenissi movements feature a twin bridge with two fixed points, which is resistant to external shocks and has a long power reserve of 70 hours, which is about 1.8 times longer than usual. It uses a silicon hairspring, which is almost unaffected by magnetic fields and is durable.

Leave your watch repair needs to Comptoine!

In addition to selling official brand watches, Comptoine Watches and Jewelry Boutique also accepts watch repairs! We have solved a variety of requests, including battery replacement and overhauls for broken watches, and adjusting the links of watch straps! If you have any trouble with your watch, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to seeing you.