ETA Calibre

[haakon59]

ETA was part of Eterna, but I was wrong about them selling the division off in the 1960's, it was earlier, 1932. This is a bit off from the time line as I previously understood it. I will have to find my original source and reread it. Still, to support my point that ETA was at one time part of Eterna, I quote below:


From an article by Walt Odets Fri, 12 Dec 1997

"An historical note: ETA was the movement manufacturing division of Eterna until 1932 when it split off and joined Ebauches S.A. (which included other big manufacturers like A. Schild). Eterna continued independent development of movements (which is how it came up with the 1466U/2892), although Eterna and ETA also worked jointly on some designs. Almost all (all?) ETA and Eterna automatics share the Eterna-designed automatic winding system: a ball bearing mounted rotor winding in two directions via springless twin click wheels and two reduction wheels on the locking wheel"

I don't know how "authoritative" a source Mr. Odetts is, as I don't think he is a professional historian in this field. Another complication is that in horology, as in many other fields as well, different manufacturers will claim various inventions and developments for themselves of course, but they also work together much more than the public might realize and sometimes they will form temporary or longer lasting partnerships and each put in capital towards working towards their goals, so I have no doubt that ETA might have had more than one partnership, but this is the one I have known about. There are also some other histories which I have read on this issue which differ a bit in the details.