Q: What is an ebauche used in mechanical watches?
A: Nowadays, general-purpose movements are made by specialized movement manufacturers.
The word ébauche is French for "draft," "rough sketch," or "sketch," and in the world of watches, it is used to refer to semi-finished movements.
Nowadays, the term refers to general-purpose movements made by specialized movement manufacturers. Manufacturers that currently make ébauches include ETA, Sellita, Soprod, Concept, Seagull, Miyota, and Seiko Instruments. Many of the ébauches they produce are used in mass-produced models by various watch manufacturers.
However, there are some manufacturers that exclusively produce ébauches for use in luxury watches. The most well-known of these is Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, which is used by brands such as Hermès and Richard Mille. The Richemont Group often makes improvements to the ébauches produced by its subsidiary Val Fleurier and calls them "in-house movements." Swatch Group watchmakers have also begun to use their own movements, improving on ébauches, with the cooperation of ébauche makers within the group. If the same movement is not offered by other manufacturers, it can be considered an "in-house movement."
