All of us watch enthusiasts sooner or later find ourselves having to answer this dilemma. Our past experiences with mechanical watches have allowed us to “savor” the world of calibers with more gusto, and now they present us with a non-trivial choice.

We are beginning to see more and more particular watches in the list of our “desired” timepieces, with an ever more evident identity. So when it comes to choosing our next wrist companion, we find ourselves giving the “beating heart” of the watch a decisive role.

At this point of our journey, this questions become even more important… What to choose? A in-house movement or a outsourced movement? Let’s discover the strengths of these two worlds, trying to understand which of the two best meets our tastes and needs.

The romanticism of in-house movements

Before starting we try to give our definition and to do so we connect to what Thomas Gaumann (Head of R&D of IWC) states in one of the videos on their site. We can therefore define manufacturing, a movement that is conceived, tested and produced by the Maison which then uses it.

Prestigious, unique, but above all exclusive, these are the characteristics that most attract us to an in-house caliber. Having a rare jewel on your wrist, an authentic symbol of the maison that created it.

A manufacturing movement is not just the result of an important design work; it not only represents the bright past of that particular historical brand, but it is something more. An in-house caliber is a gamble. It is a risk that brings all the aesthetic taste, inventiveness and experience of the maison into play, in order to leave its signature on the wrists of fans.

The greatest complications in the field of watchmaking were born not only to respond to specific needs of the public. They were, and still are, a way to show the mechanical wonders that only the best fashion houses could conceive.

The Breguet tourbillon, Louis Moinet’s first chronograph, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first commercial power reserve indicator; these are just some of the many complications that have made the history of watchmaking.

They are not just innovative solutions for the time. They represent the prodigious ingenuity of characters who wanted to put their name on the wrists and hearts of thousands of people. We enthusiasts remember these illustrious pioneers as the minds who brought watchmaking to what it is today.

Raising mechanical movement to a higher level, even approaching the artistic field and sometimes entering it completely. Make your creation a timeless legacy, this is the philosophy behind the in-house caliber.

Outsourced movements? Less is More

On the other hand, we have the supply sizes. These, on the other hand, unlike the manufactured ones, are movements produced in a standardized way by third-party companies which are then supplied to the maison that uses them in watches designed in-house.

In this case, it is a question of real “safe havens” for all those who are looking for a movement with consolidated reliability and sturdiness.

Let’s be honest and admit that we have looked at the movements produced by third parties with an overly critical eye several times. Few decorations and a design that is not always captivating, as if to communicate disinterest in pure aesthetics.

Also, being able to find these calibers on many different watches certainly doesn’t help make them as desirable as an in-house movement.

But here is where the real strength of the supply sizes lies: their diffusion. The privilege of having really important field tests behind us, numerous successes constantly reconfirmed on the wrist of as many fans.

The certainty of having with you the fruit of years of favorable results. These are enviable characteristics, which not many in-house movements can exhibit.

The economic issue is certainly not negligible: a manufacturing movement is a significant investment, not only at the time of purchase but also in the long term. The overhaul costs are undoubtedly higher than for a supply movement.

The availability of spare parts is less, and the extraordinary complexity of some calibers is not always manageable by repairing watchmakers. On the other hand, a supply movement is long-lived, the efficiency and availability of spare parts make it practically an everlasting caliber.

The famous ETA 2824-2 is a prime example of this: its reliability and modifiability have made it the quintessential “entry-level” Swiss movement. A movement famous for its spectacular mechanical efficiency and unbeatable value for money.

First introduced in the 1970s, it has remained virtually unchanged ever since. A caliber that managed to emerge and become famous even in one of the darkest periods for mechanical watchmaking: the years of the spread of quartz movements.

So finally… in-house or outsourced?

On a technological level, a supply movement is the perfect solution. It is suitable for most daily needs, even for the slightly more extreme ones. It allows you to have non-trivial complications, such as chronographs, complete calendars, moon phases and many others. In addition, it makes us feel more comfortable in the moment of an overhaul or repair, saving not a little.

Nonetheless, all this technological brilliance doesn’t dissuade us from wanting an in-house movement. Having the most authentic and complete expression of a maison in your hands is something that has always fascinated us (that never gets old).

Being able to read the brand or signature on a watch is by no means trivial: it means that there is a group of people who are responsible for the quality and accuracy, who take responsibility for any defects. It seems a taken for granted concept, but one that is actually being put into practice less and less.

In addition, the presence of various manufacturing companies allows for that aura of healthy competition that led to the creation of the most extraordinary complications.

In fact, we are convinced that after all the great fashion houses are happy to have valid competitors, as well as their main drive to always do better and always create something new.

The race for the first automatic chronograph was quite a competition, I count on being able to take a complication of a hundred years earlier to a higher level.

High-sounding names were involved in this dispute, among which we remember: Zenith with his El Primero or Seiko with his 6139.

Moreover, Heuer together with Breitling and Hamilton-Buren, the first to mount Dubois Dépraz’s Caliber 11 / Chronomatic, the result of an extraordinary partnership, famous for having moved Heuer’s Monaco.

Supply movements also have the enormous advantage of being modifiable and implementable, leading to truly interesting evolutions. Like the Valjoux 7750 (now ETA): considered the most affordable automatic chronograph caliber on the market today. Movement of great importance for being the workbench for numerous improvements.

Among the most successful we remember the Longines L688.2, a movement that has been able to distinguish between the various products of the ETA group. It combines the robust nature typical of the 7750 with the original refinements and precautions typical of in-house movements.

Column-wheel chronograph sorting and a 3-6-9 sub-dial arrangement are unsurprising goodies for a supply movement. The result is something new, a hybrid movement, which manages to harmoniously incorporate and tune the best of both worlds.

It should be emphasized that throughout history the supply movements have been fundamental for many of the houses that today produce everything in house: an example is the Valjoux 72, a spectacular supply caliber that (appropriately modified) animated the first Rolex Cosmographs.

The Omega 321 itself along with its successor 861, are derived from movements provided by the glorious Lemania. Recall that these calibers have reached truly sensational levels of quality and robustness for the time, so much so that they are used in truly extreme situations such as outer space.

Therefore, it is not certain that the calibers supplied by third parties are not very attractive. Likewise, in-house calibers may not necessarily be more delicate

In fact, history has taught us that calibers such as the Longines 13ZN or the successor 30CH, or the IWC Caliber 89 were universally recognized in-house movements among the best in their field.

Their characteristics of robustness and high reliability have made them famous, and they still retain their title today.

Who wins?

So, have we found a winner? Absolutely not, and rightly so. The choice depends on what we enthusiasts want our watch to represent: quality and efficiency validated over the years, or a unique and distinctive artifact.

Both movements deserve to have a place in our watch collection; each of them, in fact, will respond best on different occasions, giving those who wear it always unique emotions.

So whether it is an in-house or supply caliber, take that watch you think will make you dream, and believe me when I tell you that both movements will quietly fulfill your wishes.