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   Pilot     | Newport  | Coronado  | Oceanic  | Chronograph  | Parisian  |

Movement  |

 

The Movement Details


The highly-finished movement used in Thomas Gref watches.

Click on images
for a larger picture


For comparison,
a typical unfinished movement.

 

The ETA 2824-2

The reputation of ETA is known the world over.  They are the largest manufacturer of Swiss mechanical movements and supply many of the top manufacturers, including Omega, Breitling, Tag-Heuer, IWC, and many others.  In fact, both Omega and ETA are owned by the Swatch Group.  Since the movement is the 'heart' of the watch, I have  carefully chosen what I feel to be the best combination of reliability and value in the ETA 2824-2 movement. 

It is important to realize that there are about 4 different grades of the ETA 2824-2 movement available.  The differences include the finish (rhodium or nickel, rhodium is more expensive and more durable), the decoration (many different varieties), and the quality of the components.  The movements I use are the highest-grade version available, and cost more than twice what the lowest-grade version costs.  These movements are made to my exact specifications, and include many component upgrades such as high-grade balance wheels (Glucydur), balance springs, mainsprings, escapements, and balance jewels. 

Many people are not familiar with the precious metal rhodium, which is used on the finish my movements.  It is an expensive metal, and is used because it gives a brilliant finish and is very resistant to tarnishing.  A less expensive option is nickel, which isn't as durable.

When comparing the quality of watch brands, I feel it is very important to consider not just the movement used, but also the specific execution of that movement.  You will find that many of the watch brands that use the ETA 2824-2 movement use a lower grade execution to cut costs.  The version that I use gives the connoisseur the finish and quality that they appreciate, at a very attractive price.  

 

Because many people are interested in how watches are designed and produced, I wrote the following article which describes how I created the Oceanic dive watch.  Follow the link below to read this article.


Article:  How to Design and Build a Custom Watch

Thomas Gref   -   AWI Certified Master Watchmaker   -   BS Mechanical Engineering

PO Box 69151   -   Tucson, AZ  85737   -   USA   -   ph 520.818.3382