====== Swissonic ======

{{wst>author|[[Foskett, Stephen|Stephen Foskett]] ([[https://grail-watch.com/|Grail Watch]])}}

**Swissonic** was the marketing name used by [[ESA]] for their early [[electric]], [[tuning fork]], and [[quartz]] watch movements between [[1968]] and [[1977]].

===== Overview =====
[[Ebauches SA]] embarked on a number of different programs in the 1960s to develop alternative watch movements. These were advertised as "Swissonic" starting in [[1968]] and given various "levels" based on their technology 

  * Swissonic 10 [[Electric]] movements (e.g. [[ESA 9190|"Dynotron" 9190]])
  * Swissonic 100 [[Tuning fork]] movements (e.g. [[ESA 9160|"Mosaba" 9160]])
  * Swissonic 1000 First-generation [[quartz]] movements (e.g. [[ESA 9220]] and [[Beta 21]])
  * Swissonic 2000 Second-generation [[quartz]] movements (e.g. [[ESA 9260]])

Later, ESA simply used the term "Swissonic" to refer to any of their quartz movements, dropping the numbers. Many Swissonic movements were manufactured by ETA subsidiary [[Derby]], which also marketed complete watches and clocks using the [[Derby Swissonic]] name.

This naming proved confusing, since it combined various technologies under one umbrella term. The "sonic" name also caused confusion, since it was often assumed to refer to [[tuning fork]] technology specifically. The company abandoned the term in [[1977]] as quartz movements became mainstream and well after production of electric and tuning fork movements ceased. ESA and [[ETA]] later turned to terms describing the dimensions of the movement, such as [[Flatline]] and [[Gabarit]]. In the 1980s, ETA coined a similar term to differentiate its mechanical movements, [[Mecaline]].

===== History =====
The most basic was the [[electric]] range, which used a battery and motor instead of a [[mainspring]] to power a conventional balance wheel movement. The production models were the compact [[ESA 9190]] and [[ESA 9200]] and larger [[ESA 9154|ESA 9154 and 9158]]. These would become known as "Dynotron" or **Swissonic 10**.

ESA licensed the [[Bulova Accutron]] technology in [[1968]], producing their own "[[Mosaba]]" [[tuning fork]] movement that same year. It operated at 300 Hz, slightly slower than the Accutron, but was otherwise similar. These movements were branded **Swissonic 100** and included the [[ESA 9160|ESA 9160, 9162, and 9164]] as well as the [[chronograph]] [[ESA 9210]].

The most advanced range of Swissonic movements were the [[quartz]] models, available in analog, [[LED]], and [[LCD]] versions. Analog movements include the compact [[ESA 9220|ESA 9220 and 9240]], rectangular [[ESA 9170]] ([[Beta 21]]), and round [[ESA 9180]], all of which were marketed as **Swissonic 1000**. ESA later developed the 11.5 ligne [[ESA 9362]] and [[ETA]] created the 12.5 ligne [[ETA 940.111]]. ESA's LCD movements began with the [[ESA 9260]] developed with Texas Instruments (marketed as **Swissonic 2000**) and later included the compact LED [[ESA 9376]] and 11.5 ligne LED [[ESA 9380]]. ESA also produced the LCD [[ESA 9315]].

A new generation of quartz movements appeared in [[1976]]. These were simply called "Swissonic", even though they did not share much with the previous movements. All used a 32 KHz quartz oscillator imported from Japan, a Swiss-made Lavet stepping motor originally patented by [[Léon Hatot]] of Paris, and an integrated circuit from [[Faselec]] in Zurich. [[ESA 9362|Cal. 9362]] was based on the mechanical [[ETA 2870|Cal. 2870]], while [[ETA 940.111|Cal. 940.111]] was based on the then-new [[ETA 2892|Cal. 2892]]. The latter was commercialized by [[ETA]] and would be the basis for their [[ETA Flatline]] quartz family. The next year, ETA stopped using the Swissonic name.

===== Swissonic Movements =====
^Line ^Technology ^Hz ^Size and Shape ^Movement ^Complications ^
|Swissonic 10 |[[electric|Electric]] [[dynotron|Dynotron]] |3 |13 ligne round |[[esa_9150|ESA 9150]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|? |:::|[[esa_9154|ESA 9154]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|4 |:::|[[esa_9157|ESA 9157]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9158|ESA 9158]] |3 hands, day/date |
|:::|:::|? |small round |[[esa_9190|ESA 9190]] |2 hands |
|:::|:::|4 |6.75x8 ligne tonneau |[[esa_9200|ESA 9200]] [[fontronic|Fontronic]] |3 hands |
|Swissonic 100 |[[tuning_fork|Tuning fork]] [[mosaba|Mosaba]] |300 |13 ligne round |[[esa_9160|ESA 9160]] |3 hands |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9162|ESA 9162]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9164|ESA 9164]] |3 hands, day/date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9210|ESA 9210]] |3 hands, day/date, chronograph |
|Swissonic 1000 |[[quartz|Quartz]] |8192 |rectangular |[[esa_9170|ESA 9170]] [[beta_21|Beta 21]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|32768 |13 ligne round |[[esa_9180|ESA 9180]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9181|ESA 9181]] |3 hands, day/date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9182|ESA 9182]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9183|ESA 9183]] |3 hands, day/date |
|:::|:::|32768 |6.75x8 ligne shaped |[[esa_9220|ESA 9220]] |3 hands |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9240|ESA 9240]] |3 hands, day/date |
|Swissonic 2000 |[[quartz|Quartz]] [[lcd|LCD]] |32768 |large round |[[esa_9260|ESA 9260]] TI |time, date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|Faselec |time, date |
|:::|[[quartz|Quartz]] Electrochromic |:::|:::|CEH |time only |
|Swissonic |[[quartz|Quartz]] Analog |32768 |11.5 ligne |[[esa_9361|ESA 9361]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9362|ESA 9362]] |3 hands, day/date |
|:::|:::|:::|12.5 ligne |[[eta_940.111|ETA 940.111]] |3 hands, date |
|:::|[[quartz|Quartz]] [[led|LED]] |:::|6.75x8 ligne shaped |[[esa_9370|ESA 9370]] |2 digits, time-only |
|:::|:::|:::|:::|[[esa_9376|ESA 9376]] |3.5 digits, 5 functions |
|:::|:::|:::|11.5 ligne round |[[esa_9380|ESA 9380]] |3.5 digits, 5 functions |
|:::|[[quartz|Quartz]] [[lcd|LCD]] |:::|13 ligne round |[[esa_9315|ESA 9315]] |3.5 digits, 7 functions |


===== See Also =====
  * [[Mosaba]]
  * [[Megasonic]]


{{tag>ETA_calibres ESA_Swissonic_calibres Tuning_fork_movements}}