Does anyone have experience with the Master of Time caliber DB9 (6497-2)

[MaximillianGT]

Hi gents,

I’m currently in the market for an ETA/Unitas 6497-2 and came across this listing on eBay:



Listing link: https://www.ebay.de/itm/144660103713

The seller, Master of Time (also known as Swiss-Made-Time on eBay), claims this is a Swiss-made clone of the Unitas 6497. I did some reading on Caliber Corner, which mentions that “The DB9 is considered to be a clone of the legendary ETA caliber 6497-2.” According to Master of Time, about 15 components are ETA parts compatible, and the manufacturer states that the DB9 is 95% Swiss-made, though they aren’t entirely transparent about the origin of the remaining 5%.

This has left me a bit confused — can this movement be considered a true 1:1 clone of the genuine 6497? And more importantly, is it fully compatible with gen parts?

Has anyone here purchased or used this movement, or has experience with the seller? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MaximillianGT]

Bump

 

[MaximillianGT]

Bump, anyone have any idea?

 

[McBuell]

HI,
I read in an English forum (unfortunately I don't remember the title at the moment) that it is made in Switzerland, with almost all Swiss components, except 5%, which appears to be Chinese.
I also read that the property is Chinese and they set up the factory in Switzerland to be able to stamp MADE IN SWISS. I have a friend who assembled a homage with DB9 BL (the black one, very nice) a few months ago and he claims that it arrived already serviced and perfectly adjusted. After a short time it still works perfectly,.. but it's a short time...

 

[MaximillianGT]

HI,
I read in an English forum (unfortunately I don't remember the title at the moment) that it is made in Switzerland, with almost all Swiss components, except 5%, which appears to be Chinese.
I also read that the property is Chinese and they set up the factory in Switzerland to be able to stamp MADE IN SWISS. I have a friend who assembled a homage with DB9 BL (the black one, very nice) a few months ago and he claims that it arrived already serviced and perfectly adjusted. After a short time it still works perfectly,.. but it's a short time...

Thank you for the information! I believe it originally comes from Caliber Corner: https://calibercorner.com/master-of-time-caliber-db9/.

That being said, simply setting up in Switzerland and stamping "Swiss Made" doesn’t quite align with the country’s strict regulations. The Swiss law regarding Swiss-made watches is far more complex, and such "sticker brand" operations wouldn't legally qualify. To meet the criteria, at least 50% of the components and 60% of the value (excluding watchmaking labour costs) must originate from Switzerland, which makes this approach unlikely to be valid.

Nonetheless, interesting info — appreciate the share!