Training Movement: ETA 2892

As our skills improve, our training watches are getting more delicate and complicated.

The ETA 2892A2 is a common high-end ETA movement. It's similar to the 2824, but thinner, more expensive, (generally) better finished and slightly more difficult to service. 

ETA time-and-date movements are regarded as well-made workhorses, and the 2892 is no exception. It will run forever and keep excellent time while doing so—and can be found in watches from the thousand-dollar range to the many-thousand-dollar echelon.

The biggest difference between the 2824 and the 2892 is the automatic module, which in this iteration is a bit more three-dimensional. In the 2824, the automatic system sits completely atop the base movement, while on the 2892, the module extends down into the base movement's guts. This cuts down on overall movement height, but it also causes a particular problem.

Most modern watch movements include a "hack lever" or a "balance stop spring" which halts the balance during time-setting, allowing the seconds to be precisely synched with a master time signal. The hacking mechanism is usually one of the first components to be installed (so as not to forget it), but in the 2892, it's held in place by the automatic module, and thus it's almost dead last in the order of operations.

The lever, northeast of the balance wheel, is held in place by a hope and a prayer until the automatic module is installed to provide an axial bearing surface.

It's not a big deal, but it's slightly disorienting when compared to other movements. Otherwise, the 2892 is an absolute peach to work on. The nicer a movement starts life, the nicer it is to fix down the line!