What is a Swiss movement watch? By Extropian
What exactly is a Swiss movement watch?
If you’re interested in watches, and if you’re reading this we guess you probably are, you will undoubtedly be familiar with the term ‘Swiss movement.’ But what exactly does that mean? If something has that little ‘Swiss made’ tag attached to it we tend to think of quality - and expense! But does a Swiss movement watch always have to be super expensive? Read on and we will give you all the info you need!
❤️ We love the exhibition caseback which allows you to admire the full beauty of the STP1-11 automatic movement!
Why are Swiss movements so highly regarded?
Swiss watchmaking has a long and illustrious history dating way back to the 17th century. From the 18th century brands such as Audemars Piguet, Vacherin Constantin and Patek Philippe began aiming for artisanal perfection in their watches. They achieved their goal via skilled craftsmanship and continuous refinement of the mechanics. Over time these watch makers would bring innovations such as self-winding movements and date complications to the industry. Obviously that level of skill and attention to detail is going to result in some of the best quality movements out there!
In house
In high horology the movements will be made in house. But this is an exceptional case. We’re talking about the kind of watches you’d have to remortgage your house to buy!
❤️Stylish on the outside, super functional on the inside! What’s not to love about the Baltic - Aquascaphe GMT - Soprod C125?
Specialist manufacturers
Most Swiss movements used by the mid-market segment will be made by companies such as ETA, Sellita, STP, La Joux-Perret, Soprod and Swisstech who will then provide them to different watch brands. ETA has a distinguished history going back to the late 18th century but most of the other manufacturers came into existence during the second half of the 20th century, proving that the Swiss watchmaking industry is full of new blood! STP is the baby of the bunch. They only started marketing movements in 2008!
Zelos - Spearfish 40mm Diver - La Joux Perret G100 ❤️ With a dial this beautiful and an exhibition caseback it’s hard to know which side to admire most!
What sort of watches have Swiss movements?
You might think that Swiss movements only appear in Swiss made watches, and super expensive ones at that, but the reality is somewhat different. And trust us, this is a very good thing!
Creux Automatiq - Ghost V3-Explorer CA-09-4 – ETA 2824-2
❤️ We love the way the super contemporary take on the skeleton dial shows off the movement to perfection!
Luxury brands
The luxury brands that don’t make their own movements - and as we know only very few do - will obtain their movements from a third party manufacturer. However, most luxury brands will then modify these movements to their own specification.
Direnzo - Mondial V2 2023 - Sellita SW200-1
❤️ Gorgeous to look at and a 38 hour power reserve. Just awesome.
Swiss movements and mid-market brands
The great news for those of you who are part of the Extropian gang is that these super high quality Swiss movements can also be found in a multitude of awesome indy and micro-brand watches! Yup, you read that right. Not only do your favorite watch brands have incredible design features on the outside, they also have the best quality movements on the inside! ETA’s movements are used by the likes of Anordain, Benarus and Doxa while Sellita makes movements for brands including Direnzo and Zelos.
Anordain - Model 1 - ETA 2824-2
❤️ With a choice of self wind or automatic movement in the medium and large models, the Anordian Model 1 is perfect for all tastes!
Conclusion
Sure, Swiss movement watches can be very expensive, but they don’t have to be! Mid-market brands are using Swiss movements manufactured by exactly the same companies that sometimes provide them to luxury brands. So you’re going to get a great quality watch with an awesome movement for a really reasonable price? What more could you want?!
Benarus - Moray Titanium GMT - ETA 2893-2
❤️ Attention to design on the outside, attention to function on the inside. Our kind of watch!
Points to remember
- Swiss movements are definitely some of the best out there!
- The Swiss companies that sometimes manufacture movements for luxury brands also provide them to the mid-market sector.
- You can find indy and micro-brands with Swiss movements at really great prices!
Zelos - Comet - Sellita SW 215-1
❤️ The super slim Sellita SW215 handwound movement used in the Zelos Comet makes for one elegant watch!
Doxa - Sub 200 T.Graph - Rubber Professional - ETA Valjoux 7734
❤️ Modern style on the outside, classic craftsmanship on the inside!
Created the 2023-03-21
Modified the 2024-01-04