SteveSMP 0 Posted November 18, 2014 Hi, Was at my local friendly watchsmith today for a visit. We discuss both gens and reps from time to time. He is amazed by the rep quality today and have no trouble with making a rep service if he has the time and its an ETA. However today he told me that after new year he will have trouble to source Swiss ETA spare parts. He told me that every brand/maker who uses ETA will be responsible to send the watch for repair or service. In short, he as a local watchsmith will not be able to do the work anymore if parts are needed. Have no idea if its really true, thats just what he told me. Any more info on this from the more "enlightened" on this fora? Regards Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SSTEEL 0 Posted November 18, 2014 Yes, The Swatch Group are putting a stop in supplying small independent watchmakers, thats why I recently stocked up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteveSMP 0 Posted November 18, 2014 Yes, The Swatch Group are putting a stop in supplying small independent watchmakers, thats why I recently stocked up. Thats great SSTEEL! Then I have my rescue in a fellow Scandinavian if trouble occurs! Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDK 0 Posted November 19, 2014 Yes, The Swatch Group are putting a stop in supplying small independent watchmakers, thats why I recently stocked up. Does this mean Cousins UK will stop selling onto the Public surely they wont be pulled form the Swatch supply ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SSTEEL 0 Posted November 19, 2014 Yes. Cousins are trying to work with The Swatch group to continue supply, if they succeed though is anyones guess. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GenTLe 1,510 Posted November 19, 2014 Yes. Cousins are trying to work with The Swatch group to continue supply, if they succeed though is anyones guess. Surely if they will be able the prices will grow up :( Damn swiss brands! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDK 0 Posted November 19, 2014 Yes. Cousins are trying to work with The Swatch group to continue supply, if they succeed though is anyones guess. Surely if they will be able the prices will grow up :( Damn swiss brands! Cousins is a big concern , I would be very surprised if they got supply cut. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDK 0 Posted November 19, 2014 Yes. Cousins are trying to work with The Swatch group to continue supply, if they succeed though is anyones guess. Surely if they will be able the prices will grow up :( Damn swiss brands! Cousins is a big concern , I would be very surprised if they got supply cut. Interesting reading on the Cousins News Page, looks like they're getting cut too and this isn't only Swatch. I guess the Chinese market will flourish even more, they will be given a opening to flood the market with their Clones and maybe even spares. A appeal to CEAHR against the initial European Commissions ruling has been submitted, they tried to stop this once and failed, it may take two years if they even decide to rule against Swatch and the likes of. Statement from ETA to Cousins on the 30/09/14 ETA Customer Support supplies movement spare parts to enable watchmaking brands to repair defective ETA movements via their own customer services. In order to further improve this service, in the future we will be focusing on watch brands which produce their watches using ETA movements. We will therefore not be supplying you with any further spare parts from 1st January 2016. We are informing you now to enable you to adapt to the new situation. To allow all open orders to be processed, we will accept spare part orders from you up until 31st October 2015. Our service level will be maintained until this date. This means that we will continue to supply you with your previous standard quantities of spare parts for 2014 and 2015. Best regards ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse Pierre-Andre Buhler - President Jean-Claude Eggen - Vice President Interesting Supply Chain info from Cousins Below shows a small selection of brands and the history of gradual restriction of parts that AF Switzerland and thus Cousins and all other wholesalers in the world have been subjected to. Sample examples: Brand – Date the Brand Restricted Parts – Date the Brand started Supplying Parts • Rolex (stopped supplying September 27th 1984) - Supplied since original agreement September 1st. 1960 • Jaeger-LeCoultre (stopped supplying March 14th 1996) - Supplied since early 1970s • Omega (Restriction Announced for Dec. 2015) - Supplied since original agreement January 20th 1960 • Tissot (Restriction Announced for Dec. 2015) - Supplied since original agreement June 1st 1961 • Certina (Restriction Announced for Dec. 2015) - Supplied since original agreement October 1960 • Longines (Restriction Announced for Dec. 2015) - Supplied since original agreement November 1960 • Blancpain (No date announced Suspect Dec. 2015) – Supplied since April 1st 1975 • Calvin Klein - (Restriction Announced for Dec. 2015) –Supplied more than 3 years • Frederic Piguet (Termination announced for 2015) – Supplied since more than 20 years . • ETA, formerly Ebauches SA – (Circuits completely about 3 years ago, restricted supply of other parts since approx. 2 years) – Supplied more than 60 years • Vacheron Constantin (Stopped Supplying 2004 Approx.) – Supplied more than 30 years • Girard-Perregaux (Stopped supplying 2006 approx.) – Supplied more than 20 years • IWC (Stopped supplying 2011 approx.) – Supplied more than 30 years • Lemania (Stopped supplying except for two calibres) – Supplied more than 40 years • Zenith (Parts still supplied – no termination date “Yet” announced) – Supplied since original agreement January 1960 From 1945 to 1976 and in parallel to the supply with the Swiss independent distributors the company Herni Picard & Frere Ltd (Est. 1857) which was based in London, Switzerland & France (my father worked in the London warehouse in 1950’s – 1960’s) supplied watch & clock spare parts to the independent trade in Europe and the commonwealth - Anthony Cousins Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
