ETA SA is a Swiss producer of mechanical and quartz watch movements. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swatch Group. The company specializes in the production of ebauche movements which are used in a number of mechanical watches. ETA has owned several important Swiss watch movement companies including Valjoux, Peseux and Lemania, for a number of years . In fact the company is the result of successive consolidation of the Swiss watch industry. ETA manufactures quartz movements, hand wound movements and mechanical movements powered by self-winding mechanisms. Because ETA maintains vertical control over the manufacturing of all of the components required to create a watch movement, ETA may be considered a true manufacturer.
Workhorse ETA mechanical movements
In recent years there has been an increase in interest in mechanical watches. ETA supplies the overwhelming majority of mechanical watch movements found in Swiss watches.
ETA 2824
One workhorse of the ETA mechanical line is the ETA 2824-2, The 2824 is an automatic winding, twenty-five (25) jewel movement, available in four executions or grades: Standard, Elaborated (improved), Top and Chronometer. The ETA 2824 movement is used in many famous watches, including Rolex, Omega, even some replica watches use this movement. For example, view our Audemars Piguet Swiss replica watches and Bell&Ross Swiss replica watches collection.
ETA 2892
The ETA 2892 is however, widely considered the more upscale of the basic ETA movements, and it certainly a newer design dating to the 1970s where as the 2824 traces its roots back to the 1950s.
The 2892 (2892-A2) seems to have been given priority by making it more efficient. Its oscillating weight is better engineered with a larger support for the ball bearing races, which gives it better shock protection. It is almost always finished nicely with perlage and Geneva stripes. This movement is used by many high-end brands. Often, high-end brands like IWC, Girard Perregaux and Frank Muller will assemble the movements in house and replace some of the critical parts from the escapement to the mainspring to gain tighter tolerances. ETA uses the 2892 as the tractor for other movements like the 2893 with a second time-zone hand and the 2894 chronograph.
Valjoux 7750
The Valjoux 7750 is a widely used chronograph (stop watch) movement operated by cams integrated into the movement. The movement is an automatic winding, twenty-five (25) jewel movement, which can be fitted with a variety of features including the triple date (day, date, month and moon phase) or a variety of two and three register models with totalizers or counters for minutes, seconds and hours. It is available in three executions or grades: Elaborated, Top and Chronometer.