The world of watch movements (they are also called calibers) is very vast and diverse. We have had occasion to compare mechanical and quartz calibers more than once, but there is also a huge variety within mechanics. With all the richness of the choice of one or another functionality, from the simplest to the incredibly complex, one of the main features by which mechanical watch "engines" differ from each other is the origin of the mechanism.
Simply put, does the watch manufacturer use a ready-made caliber from a third-party supplier or develop and manufacture it in-house? The definition of "manufactory mechanism" refers to the latter case. And the factory (studio, workshop) of such a manufacturer is called a manufactory.
If we evaluate the term from the point of view of strict philology, then, to put it mildly, it is not entirely accurate. The word "manufacture" - the Latin manufactura - is composed of the Latin manu (hand) and factura (made). That is - "made by hand", "handmade". Today, and for a long time already, when creating watch mechanisms, and watches in general, all kinds of machine tools, machines, devices, up to the most modern ones, are widely used.
Manual labor is used mainly in the finishing of parts, and it is practiced for watches of the highest price segment. Nevertheless, the tradition is firmly rooted: watch production, where the company independently creates mechanisms for itself, is commonly called manufactories.
So what are the advantages of manufactory watch movements? And are there any downsides?
Pluses can be divided, again, into two categories: for the manufacturer and for the consumer. For the manufacturer, the advantages are obvious, this is a higher status, which also leads to competitive advantages - greater independence, as well as the ability to increase the final price of their products.
As for independence: as you know, the leading specialized designer and manufacturer of watch movements is the Swiss company ETA. Its calibers are good for literally everyone, many watch brands buy and use ETA movements directly or partially modifying (authorizing) them. However, ETA is part of the most powerful Swatch group.
It is clear that it is the firms that are also members of this group that have potential preferences. If desired, the leadership of the Swatch Group can "put a block" on strangers, and the consequences will be extremely serious ... In reality, this has not happened yet, and there are, besides ETA, other suppliers - for example, the Swiss Sellita.
But a full-fledged watch manufactory is not threatened by anything like that. A good example is Ball. Born in Cleveland (USA) and then moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland), this brand has been using ETA calibers for decades. But not the original ones, but deeply modified ones: with their own anti-shock and anti-magnetic protection, etc. Essentially, they were (and are) manufactured goods, but a formality is a formality.
In addition, BALL is an independent company, and purchasing basic movements on the side means, perhaps, risking this independence. In 2016, the Ball's hour of complete manufactory struck: the 1101% "home-made" caliber RRM48 with a 7309-hour power reserve appeared. And the next was the RRM80-C with a power reserve of XNUMX hours. It runs, in particular, the excellent Engineer M Marvelight model.
Another example is Seiko, and here we will illustrate the advantages (for the manufacturer) directly on price. The Japanese giant, by definition, is independent, all Seiko watches are equipped only with their own movements. In addition, many watch manufacturers of a lesser level are willing to buy and install Seiko mechanisms in their watches.
Examples - a lot. Here, for example, is the "native" caliber Seiko 4R35. There are many models in which it works; for example, the beautiful, accurate and reliable "diver" Seiko Prospex King Samurai. But they install 4R35 exclusively in Seiko watches. And here is also Seiko, but with the designation TMI NH35A, “unbranded”. This version (no different from the "branded") works, for example, in the Invicta Pro Diver model. Almost everything is the same in the caliber and in the watch as a whole.
Well, Seiko watches are certainly in-house, Invicta watches are not. Comparison of prices clearly shows how much more profitable it is to be a manufacturer. No wonder, because with all due respect, Invicta is far from Seiko... However, being a manufactory is not only more profitable, but also more responsible, let's not forget about it! Of course, building your own production of such complex and delicate structures as clockwork requires considerable costs. But with sensible business, these costs are likely to pay off in the long run.
And what are the advantages of the manufactory for the consumer? Perhaps the most obvious is the same as for the manufacturer, only, unlike him, intangible (or even material with the opposite sign). This is prestige if it matters to you and you are willing to pay extra for it.
But there are also purely material advantages. They are embodied, as a rule, in low-circulation models of small independent watch brands, working at the forefront of scientific and technological progress and doing what no one else or almost no one else does. A striking example is the independent watch brand Armin Strom. His "calling card" is the concept of Mirrored Force Resonance, a mechanism that works on the basis of resonance. Once (a long time ago) it was noticed that if you leave several working mechanisms next to each other on the same surface, they begin to “tick” synchronously, as if infected from each other by a single rhythm.
Today, models with resonant mechanisms are made by a few brands, and - it so happened - it is independent ones, and among them is Armin Strom. The advantage here is not only in the prestige and original collection of watches, but also in the highest accuracy of movement even under adverse conditions - for example, when struck: the regulating organs of the mechanism, thanks to the resonance effect, almost instantly restore the normal rhythm of work.
Expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? You decide.
