Are in-house movements worth their premium price?
There are various reasons why we fall head over heels for a timepiece. Some may be attracted to aesthetic elements like the case, dial, bracelet or name. Others decipher with a technical eye and pay attention to what’s under the hood- the movement, or heart of the timepiece.
Over the last few decades, there has been a big push for brands to go in-house with all parts of the production process, from aesthetics to movement manufacturing. In years prior, many brands were using ébauches, or base movements pre-assembly, manufactured by others.
For some, in-house-made timepieces have an added level of appeal that strengthens the brand’s creative vision and technical prowess. But these timepieces typically come with the difficult reality: higher prices.
However, alternative non-in-house manufacture movements are often more affordably priced.
Popular brands such as Omega, Breitling and even IWC offer pieces without in-house movements at more palatable price points. In some instances one may even see huge price differences with pieces from various brands using the same basic movement parts. With this, after many conversations over the years with a variety of collectors and enthusiasts, there seemed to be a growing sentiment among the hardcore purist crowd dismissing pieces with non-in-house movements.
However, I find it extremely difficult to dismiss the intrinsic worth of a piece solely based on not having a movement made by the brand. Especially when one considers that high-end brands like Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and even Patek Philippe have produced fantastic timepieces powered with ‘transplanted’ movements.
Omega and Hamilton
One popular transplanted movement is the ETA 2892. Also coined the “workhorse,” the ETA 2892 is probably Switzerland’s most commonly used ébauche and can be found in a vast selection of timepieces from brands like Hamilton, Breitling and even Omega. As we already know, an average Omega watch will cost significantly more than most Hamilton timepieces though they share a common bond through similar movement parts.
Specific examples of two extremes are the Hamilton Intra-Matic which houses the ETA Caliber 2892 and retails in today’s market for $700, and the Omega Seamaster Pro, which contains the same ébauche and retails for about $4,000.
To some this could be seen as an exploitation, while for others simply acquiring an Omega of any kind is counted as a blessing. Here, it is important to keep in mind that although some brands use similar ébauches, they also follow different guidelines in finishing and tuning the movement before allowing them to be cased and branded. In that sense, brands like Omega don’t simply take a pre-assembled movement and place in a watch.
Omega watches housing the Caliber 1150 are actually watches with a movement based on an ETA 2892. When one looks inside at the finished product behind the case plate however, it is easy to notice that the Omega modified version looks significantly different than the one found in the Hamilton Intra-Matic.
Most noticeable is the movement’s aesthetic quality. Here, Omega utilizes a cote d’Geneve wave finish. For chronometric performance, the Omega version of the base ETA 2892 undergoes intense modifications in tension and position, earning it a chronometer certification. On the other hand, the Hamilton version is not chronometer certified and its decoration has been kept to a minimum.
With its modifications, Omega’s version is nearly completely different.
Within the extremes, having outside movements powering a timepiece is common practice and is applied to both the accessible and the very high-end, a fact that shouldn’t de-value a timepiece’s worth. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned for the next segment of Heart Transplants in weeks to come, where we will dive into Renaud et Papi, Lemania, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Girard-Perreguax and more.
About Alex Lee
Watch enthusiast and friend of the retailer community, Lee was born and raised in New York City and has had an interest in timepieces since the age of 15. Over a decade later his interest has evolved into a true passion.