The History Of ETA

Hello and welcome back to the Time Sticking YouTube channel. Now today's video isn't about an estimated time of arrival, however I am going to discuss the arrival and career of the watch movement that sits inside most of the watches you see today. So stick with me through this intro and I'll talk about what the ETA actually is. The Swiss ETA watch movement continues to be heavily influential on the watchmaking industry. Swiss ETA movements are a ubiquitous force in today's watch world. So many luxury and mid-range Swiss brands rely on these movements to run their timepieces, even if they end up modifying them later in-house. A veritable workhorse in timekeeping, the Swiss ETA has been around for over 150 years. Though aspects of its origins trace back to 1793, it didn't get a true release until 1856. It was from that point onward that it began taking root, to grow into the powerhouse it is today. ETA's mechanical watch movements spent about two decades without the word Eternas behind them. It was in 1876 that Dr. Joseph Girard and Urs Schild, the founders of the original manufacturer, named themselves Eternas. Another two decades later, the branch of Eternas that built Yves Boucher was named ETA SA. By 1926, ETA SA merged with FHF, and please excuse my pronunciation here, Fabrique des Horlogerie de Fontaine Million, founded in 1793, to become Yves Boucher LTD. This was one of many mergers that would happen throughout the 20th century for ETA. It was in the 1970s and 1980s that the Swiss government stepped in to help mechanical manufacturers stay afloat, due to the court's revolution or crisis. Groups like the SSIH and ASUAG that had kept a variety of watch brands under their manufacturing umbrella all began to merge within the same melting pot as ETA. By 1998, the SMH, not Shake My Head, but the Société de Microelectronique et de Horlogerie, which blended the SSIH and ASUAG, was renamed Swatch. ETA has, since then, remained as a subsidiary of the Swatch Group. Because of Swatch's far-reaching power, making billions every year, most brands under their umbrella employ ETA movements. In recent history, ETA had to begin selling outside of Switzerland, amid fears of them eventually monopolizing the market. This has led to ETA Ebuchet components being sold and utilized all over the globe. While some industry purists believe that in-house mechanical movements are a better option for quality, there are those that agree that ETA movements get enough quality control to be just as dependable. Popular calibers from ETA, like the 2824, 2892, and 7750, can be found in Tudor, IWC, and Omega watches, among others, to this day. While some companies under Swatch use the pre-manufactured movements, some still opt to make in-house variations off of base ETA parts. What's more, the phrase Swiss-made on a watch manufactured outside of Switzerland very likely contains ETA components, due to the watch's industry's push against a monopoly. So, with the power of modern manufacturing, it's easier to go Swiss now more than ever. But if one is a purist, it's important to research which pieces contain in-house movements. Either way, ETA is here to stay, and the world of watchmaking continues to be influenced by their historical movements. I hope you enjoyed the video today. If you did, make sure to give it a like, and if you'd like to see more content from us, you can subscribe right here. And as always, if you need any help repairing your watch, the link to our website is right here. Thanks again for watching, and I'll see you next time.