Swiss or clone is the single most common question on rep forums. But is it realy that simple? The answer seems to be: No.
After a reading session it seems to me that ETA never really released complete movmts. to third parties. Instead they supplyed a "kit" known as Ébauche. From this kit, the producers could build there own movmts.
What is a Ébauche?
´French term for a movement blank, i.e. an incomplete watch movement which is sold as a set of loose parts, comprising the main plate, the bridges, the train, the winding and setting mechanism and the regulator.
The timing system, the escapement and the mainspring, however, are not parts of the "ébauche" ´
So, the movements we see in our reps might just be these ébauche movements with main parts from ETA, completed in whatever horology shop in China.
We all heard that the supply of ETA will seize in 2010, and that is actually not true. The supply of ébauches to third prtys will seize in 2010.
This makes the issue of rep or clone much more diffuse, as it´s actually not about 100% eta or 100% clone. Instead its an ébauche completed at a rep shop. Considering this, it also makes sense that a clone (non-ébauche based) movemt is equal or sometimes even better than a ébauche base movmt.
ETA 2365 Ébauche
After a reading session it seems to me that ETA never really released complete movmts. to third parties. Instead they supplyed a "kit" known as Ébauche. From this kit, the producers could build there own movmts.
What is a Ébauche?
´French term for a movement blank, i.e. an incomplete watch movement which is sold as a set of loose parts, comprising the main plate, the bridges, the train, the winding and setting mechanism and the regulator.
The timing system, the escapement and the mainspring, however, are not parts of the "ébauche" ´
So, the movements we see in our reps might just be these ébauche movements with main parts from ETA, completed in whatever horology shop in China.
We all heard that the supply of ETA will seize in 2010, and that is actually not true. The supply of ébauches to third prtys will seize in 2010.
This makes the issue of rep or clone much more diffuse, as it´s actually not about 100% eta or 100% clone. Instead its an ébauche completed at a rep shop. Considering this, it also makes sense that a clone (non-ébauche based) movemt is equal or sometimes even better than a ébauche base movmt.
ETA 2365 Ébauche
