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With the new « AUTOQUARTZ » movement (caliber ETA 205.911, 11 ½''', diam. 25,60 mm, hight 3,95 mm), ETA SA Fabriques d'Ebauches, Grenchen (Switzerland),the first european producer of watch movements and components, worked out a product combining electronic precision and mechanical dependability, wich constitutes a major technological advance doing away with both the battery and all maintenance operations. It represents a significant step towards the third millenium and the challenges it brings.

Many brands have already fitted their watches with this new product which will doubtless give quite a turn to the traditional mechanical and quartz watch industry.
Why ?
How does this movement works ?

• An oscillating weight (selfwinding mechanism in a traditional watch) transmits the mechanical energy to the micro-generator through the microbarrel.
  
  
• The generator converts this mechanical energy into electrical energy and stores it in an accumulator.
  
  
• The accumulator supplies the integrated circuit with energy. Regulated by the quartz, the integrated circuit generates the control signals of the motor which transmits these impulses to the gear train whose wheels and the connected hands are displaying hours, minutes, seconds and the date.
  
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The ETA « AUTOQUARTZ » movement includes thanks to its advanced concept all the advantages of the mechnical and quartz watches excluding their weaknesses :

• it has the precision of the quartz wach, - the movement is wound like an automatic watch by the movement of the wrist or by means of the crown,
• the mechanical regulator stores all the motions (quick, slow, strong) and produces maximum generator efficiency,
• the movement provides excellent shock protection,
• the mechanical regulator (accumulator) with a capacity of 3 mAh has an operating life of more than 10 years and a theoratical power of 160 years with more than 1.5 Ah,
• the integrated circuit is monitoring the accumulator's charging and discharging, protecting the accumulator against overcharge, controlling the accumulator's restart after a complete discharge and finally controlling the power of the motor,
• the movement power reserve covers 100 days (min.)
• it is fitted out with EOE device (energy need indication) with the second hand advancing every 4 seconds,
• in order to profit from the great power reserve advantages the movement offers, it can be stopped with the stem drawn out to position 3,
• finally, the « AUTOQUARTZ » caliber does'nt need a battery, which meets requirements of ecology.
  
  
  
  

The technology developed to work out this movement has already been extended to another product : a chronograph version with a selfwinding mechanism has been developed (caliber 13 ½''' ETA 206.111) and others corresponding to the market needs will follow.
A significant stage in the very long story of the watch industry and its numerous discoveries has turned, proving the innovation spirit of the worldwide oldest movement producer of the world with its origin going back to the year 1793 !