If Eta Movements Truly Start Off Being Assembled In China....

[crystalcranium]

In a previous thread I learned that "Swiss Made" ETA movements are actually made in China and shipped to Switzerland where some quick manipulations allow the Swiss to dub them "Swiss Made". Almost everyone here talks about the quality of the swiss movements especially the swiss 7750. If these vererable timepieces start off being mass produced in China, where does the quality get manufactured in? Are they produced as high quality movements or are they modified into high quality movements by ETA? Do watch manufacturers like Omega and Breitling who use modified ETA movements really get them from ETA or do they source them directly from the Chinese and put their own modifications on them without the ETA modifications middleman? I have bought lots of heavy woodworking machinery (my other inexpensive hobby!) from Taiwan and China and it is my understanding these manufacturers believe quality control is the responsibility of the buyer. In other words, if you are satisfied with us making [censored], we'll make [censored] and nothing more. Does this apply to the high end as well? Could a company like ETA demand a very high level of manufacturing compliance and get it from the Chinese? Any way we could get it in our reps? No, just kidding. That if you'll buy [censored], we'll make [censored] thing applies to us rep buyers in spades!

[Lollipop]

Don't forget that within a few years there won't be any ETAs on the market as Swatch stop sales outside of their group.

As for quality, you can have any quality as long as you have adaquate QC and a skilled workforce.

[crystalcranium]

Don't forget that within a few years there won't be any ETAs on the market as Swatch stop sales outside of their group.

As for quality, you can have any quality as long as you have adaquate QC and a skilled workforce.

It's the adequete QC, on site, that I'm wondering about. I recall many stories from manufacturers of woodworking equipment like Delta and Powermatic and importers like Grizzly and Wilke Machinery say that unless they had quality control managers on site constantly pounding on floor managers and part buyers, they could not expect a consistant reliable product from the Chinese. I'm having trouble seeing how they could take this sort of approach and apply it to the kind of manufacturing involved in making these movements.