Have you ever stopped to think about why the ETA 2824 (among other movements) is so popular, and ever-present? I mean, it’s to the point that the movement itself is almost commonplace. And even if it’s not the 2824, if we hear Swiss movement, we very likely think it’s an ETA of some sort.
To put it in other terms, I’ll point you to this editorial over on Gear Patrol by Ed Estlow (source) that creates an excellent analogy. What if all the (non-exotic) car companies designed their own cars, but everyone shoved a Ford engine of some sort under the hood? That’s essentially what we have today with the ETA movements. While at one point this consolidation helped to rescue the industry from the “quartz crisis”, these days it’s can be an excuse to not look to innovate and create new movements.
To be sure, there are plenty of other movement makers out there – the Japanese companies have been making great movements for decades, and China is certainly catching up. But for those looking for that Swiss made label, choices are much more limited. With plans for ETA supply to slowly tighten, we may finally start to see some new makers coming out of Switzerland. To my eyes, that’s a good thing – the more variety we have in movements, the more competition and innovation we’re likely to see.
Those are just my thoughts though – you really should head on over to the article and read what Ed Estlow has to say – and then let us know what you think, is ETA helping or hurting?
