Hi All

I am newbie in this movement thing

Usually I just like the watch from the way it looks and brand (no fashion watch though). Now, I want to know a little bit about the inside of the watch.

I know ETA 83**, 82**, 89**, and VA 7***. There are quite some information on this on the net.

However, after lurking on this website, i read about unitas. From net website, I know that it is owned by ETA now. But, what is the difference between unitas with other ETA movement (such as the ETA I mentioned on the previous paragraph)? Why Panerai used this movement? Is it considered to be higher class, hence more expensive than other ETA movement?

Beside this unitas and ETA 83**, 82**, 89**, and VA 7***, is there any other movement owned by ETA?

Thanks for enlightment

Unitas is as you noted a brand now owned at ETA/Swatch. So it is simply another group of movements within the very large stable of ETA movements. For a list of movements produced by ETA over the years visit Roland Ranfft: http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&0&2uswk

Panerai and other watch companies use the 6497/6498 watch movement simply because it is well made, large enough to fill a large case, large enough to allow very fancy decorations, and is large enough to allow the sub-seconds hand to placed at the outside of the dial.

 

The old Unitas 6498 (and 6497) is now marked ETA 6498 (or 6497), just as the old Valjoux 7750 is now marked ETA 7750.

People just still refer to them by their old manufacturer to avoid confusion.

 

Here is what I've pieced together concerning the Unitas/ETA 649X movements. And notations by Lysanderxiii.

So let me get this straight. There are 8 versions (with the base ETA & Unitas versions being identical)?

Unitas 6497 (small pallet bridge)
Unitas 6498 (small pallet bridge)

ETA 6497 (small pallet bridge)
ETA 6498 (small pallet bridge)

ETA 6497-1 (larger 2 screw pallet bridge)
ETA 6498-1 (larger 2 screw pallet bridge)

ETA 6497-2 (larger 2 screw pallet bridge, higher bph)
ETA 6498-2 (larger 2 screw pallet bridge, higher bph)

Cheers,
gigfy

Not quite.

1) Unitas parts are interchangeable with ETA parts, the only thing ETA did was stamp their own logo on the mainplate. However, there seems to have been a change somewhere along the production and some parts aren't quite the same. In order to cross check what the changes were, you should compile a list if Best-Fit part numbers for both versions (6497 and 6498) and see what numbers are not common. (Jules Borel lists Best-Fit PN in their on-line catalog), personally, I am not that interested.

2) The 6497-1 and 6498-1 (same for the -2) do not share commonality in the following parts: (all others common)
- Mainplate
- Barrel Bridge
- 3rd Wheel
- 4th Wheel
- 4th Wheel (no second pinion)
- Stem
- Set Lever
- Setting Lever Jumper
- Yoke (-2 variants only)

3) The -2s (operating at 21,600 bph) have the following interchangeable with the slower -1s:
- Pallet Bridge
- Stem
- Sliding Pinion
- Winding Pinion
- Crown Wheel Ring
- Click Spring
- Yoke Spring
- Setting Wheel
- Intermediate Setting Wheel
- Case screw

4) The differences between the base and -1s are more than just the pallet bridge. The reason for the larger pallet bridge was to incorporate the banking pins into the bridge. The base model has mainplate mounted banking pins.

The hairspring stud, and regulator were also upgraded to the adjustable one found on all current ETAs. There were other minor changes to simplify production.

And you may want to check this website out to see current ETA movements.
https://secure.eta.ch/CSP/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=3&tabid=28

Cheers,
gigfy