ETA SA
ETA SA Manufacture Horlogčre Suisse is one belonging to the Swatch Group Swiss manufacturer of watch movements and watches. The company is headquartered in Grenchen employs approximately 8,000 employees in eleven production sites, mostly in Switzerland.
Business
The ETA SA was created as a merger of several manufacturers. The company provides individual movement components, kits or complete movements and in this market a dominant position.
Some manufacturers kits are further processed (eg, nautical instruments Mühle Glashütte / SA, DEPA Movements ), refined and partially equipped with additional functions. Only a few watch manufacturers such as Rolex, Omega (mainly Co -Axial escapement ), Girard- Perregaux, Zenith, Jaeger- LeCoultre, Nomos Glashütte and A. Lange & Söhne, could get along in their production as a manufactory and Rohwerkelieferant without parts of ETA, but going back to this, because, for example, the manufacture of spiral springs can cost-effectively accomplished only after a certain number of pieces.
In July 2002, ETA stated that they only reduced from January 2003 to produce movement blanks and wanted to discontinue the supply from 2006. Instead, only fully assembled watch movements should be delivered.
Since the ETA according to the Swiss Competition Commission ( Comco ) has in the produced in Switzerland mechanical movement blanks (so-called Ébauches ) up to a price of 300 CHF per piece in a dominant position, it was in the year ended November 19, 2004 examination obliged to continue to supply its customers until the end of 2010 with rough movements for mechanical watches, but this only to a reduced extent (up to 2008: 85%; 2009: 50% 2010: 25%).
From June 2011, then was reexamined. As a result, it was agreed in October 2013 between the Competition Commission and the ETA that the reduced supply ( 2014/2015: 75%; 2016/2017: 65%; 2018/2019: 55%) continued to be made to the customer the ETA. Decisive here are the average sales volumes of the years 2009 to 2011.
History
The company's roots go back to 1793, when four master watchmaker in Fontainemelon opened the first factory and the first shop for Rohwerke today ETA group.
1856 founded Josef Girard and Urs sign as the first permanent viable industry operating in the farming village of Grenchen Rohwerke Factory " Dr. Girard & Shield ". First, the simple transmission machines were powered by the water power of the village stream until a steam engine was installed in 1870. From 1876, the company produced together with Rohwerken also finished watches, Director Urs shield had decided to make the company more resilient through diversification. Yet all watches produced were pocket watches.
1900 Urs upgraded shield descendants to operate on electric drive power by 1906 he was in " Eterna- works, shield Gebr & Co. " ( a limited partnership ) renamed. 1932, the company was split into two separate public companies under the then managing director Theodor sign: ETA AG for the ebauches fabrication ( for own use, but also for third parties) and Eterna AG for finished watches manufacture.
The Swiss watchmaking crisis of the 1970s, triggered cyclical as well as by the Japanese quartz - export offensive, calling for innovation. It was finally Ernst Thomke, the. Using the Swatch idea of ETA, which provided the plastic watch in almost fully automatic mode of production, as well as the watchmaking town of Grenchen helped generally to new impulses The ETA is today one of the largest manufacturers world - movement.
On 29 December 2013, the electroplating department of ETA was Plant 1 in Grenchen completely destroyed by fire. However, according to Hayek, CEO of Swatch Group, an electroplating departments of other works, including that of the new dial factory in Grenchen, be avoided until the electroplating department of Plant 1 can be put into operation again.
Common calibers ( movements ) of ETA
Swell
- F. Kauffungen: Watchmaking in the Canton of Solothurn, 1987
- Eterna: 135 years precision watchmaking, 1991