In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas discuss internal movements. What are in-house movements? Which brands make/use them? How important are they to these people when it comes to buying a copy watch? If you want to know the answers to these questions, listen to the episode below. This is a hot topic that is much discussed among our listeners.
Before the discussion, it’s time for a wrist check. We start with Thomas, who is wearing a 3D-printed model/prototype of his VPC Model 37HW. You can read about the first steps of this newly established brand and its first projects in the series “Building a Watch Brand” Nacho is test-driving the Sinn T50, a great titanium dive watch, which he will review soon. Stay tuned for this article, which will be released next weekend. Finally, RJ just got back from Paris and the launch of the new Breguet 20, and he’s wearing his Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 16600.
As you know, we are in a three-way tie regarding in-house movements, and RJ’s Rolex is the only watch with an in-house movement. But what do these guys have to say about in-house movements? 
We start with RJ, who provides some insight into the recent push for in-house movements. The root of this matter lies with the Swatch Group and its movement maker ETA. In the early 21st century, Nicolas Hayek Sr. decided that ETA should no longer supply movements to brands that were not part of the Swatch Group. This led brands to turn to other manufacturers and to develop more in-house movements. At first, only a few brands did so. Now, however, even smaller brands like Yema are making an effort to make movements in-house.
After this initial discussion, we did a walk-through, and Thomas and Nacho joined us with their thoughts on in-house movements. For Nacho, it was a matter of defining terms and using them in the right context. Then we got to the question of when does homemade make sense. For most of us, it comes down to price and reputation. Finally, we discussed micro brands and their movements in their replica watches. Thomas told us about his choices as a brand owner when choosing a movement for a watch, he is currently making.
Getting to know the brand watches’ In-House Movements
