Uhrinstinkt Magazine
« Swiss quality work for the premium segment »
Anyone who buys a quartz watch expects above all reliability, precision and a long battery life. To guarantee top quality standards in the electronic segment, many watch brands have themselves supplied by Ronda. Our article explains who this manufacturer is, why a Ronda movement offers great advantages and which brands value the manufacturer’s expertise.
Who is Ronda?
Ronda AG is a Swiss movement manufacturer with a focus on high-quality quartz movements. From Bruno Söhnle to Tag Heuer, the family-owned company supplies renowned industry giants with precise calibers in various price ranges. While an upscale Ronda movement is in many cases “Swiss Made,” more affordable models in the range are assembled in Far Eastern countries such as Thailand. Founded in 1946, Ronda initially focused on mechanical movements before specializing in the then-new quartz technology in the early 1970s. The company develops into a pioneer of the battery-powered segment, discontinues its mechanical division at the end of the 1980s and establishes a first-class reputation. Today, one of the company’s movements stands for reliable longevity and ticks away in various premium watches, from the elegant Bruno Söhnle Lago to the sporty Tag Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph 43mm.
Why are Ronda quartz movements so popular?
In addition to their technical stability, Ronda calibers score with a variety of technical achievements that can be attributed to the company’s specialization. Watch brands have to invest vast sums to set up completely in-house quartz watches, which is possible with correspondingly high sales prices and thus only in the luxury segment (e.g. Breitling). In short, buying in a Ronda movement is the cheaper yet higher quality option for brands in the entry and mid-range segments. In addition, the increasing popularity of manufacture calibers almost exclusively concerns mechanical timepieces, which is why supplied quartz movements do not mean any significant loss of image. On the contrary: over ten years of battery life in the “normtech 700 & 6000” movement series, technical refinements ranging from a variety of complications to the perceptible chronograph pusher click, as well as simple handling, should convince even the last watch wearer of the Swiss movements.
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Overview: Important quartz calibers from Ronda
The individual lines of the Ronda product range pursue different focuses. At the upper end of the spectrum are the collections of the “Quartz Specials” series, whose startech and mastertech lines offer a special variety of functions. The chronograph movements in particular offer manufacturers a high degree of individuality: the number of totalizers (1 to 3) can be varied, as can their position, the calendar system (day, date, month, retrograde) and the size of the quartz calibers. The startech 4000 line stands out, with complications ranging from big date and alarm to second time zone and tides. More down-to-earth are the lines of the “Quartz Essentials” collection, whose varieties range from the popular xtratech and the flat slimtech to the enduring normtech and the particularly powerful powertech series.
To make the variety of the Ronda assortment more vivid, we demonstrate a number of particularly popular quartz watches that draw their power from the Swiss supplier’s drives:
1.) Bruno Söhnle Pesaro II: Ronda 7004.P BS
A particularly high-class caliber ticks in the Bruno Söhnle Pesaro II (Ref. PL113070) and realizes the typical Glashütte look with its panorama date at 1 o’clock, retrograde weekday display and small seconds. Designed for the generous 43 millimeter diameter of the elegant men’s model, the Ronda movement caliber 7004.P BS (“BS” stands for an individual Bruno Söhnle version) scores with 48 months of battery life and a quick change of the big date from day 31 to day 1. What Bruno Söhnle saves in the efficient purchase of the caliber, the manufacture invests in excellent quality standards: 100 meter water resistance, sapphire crystal and the valuable haptics are not a matter of course in this price range. The Bruno Söhnle Lago (Ref. PL114320) also uses a caliber from the mastertech 7000 line.
2.) Bruno Söhnle Allegro: Ronda 1062 BS
Small ladies’ watches like the Bruno Söhnle Allegro (Ref. PLX500095) benefit from a quartz movement from the extra-thin slimline 1000 series: the caliber 1062 BS, again in a special Bruno Söhnle modification, is a breathtaking 1.9 millimeters thin and guarantees a proud six years of battery life. The next trip to the watchmaker? A long way off. Good to know: As a two-hand movement (hour, minute), the Ronda 1062 BS has no EOL (“End of Life”) indicator and no power-saving mechanism; both features are reserved for movements with additional seconds.
3.) Maurice Lacroix Aikon #tide: Ronda 515
One of the coolest watches of the past year also relies on Ronda power: with its integrated strap, six-fold double-striker bezel and cheerful color collection, but also its sustainable construction from recycled ocean plastic, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon #tide is right on trend. Its power is generated by the Ronda 515 from the particularly powerful Powertech 500 caliber series. A very strong stepping motor, coupled with 45 months of standard battery life and an energy-saving function when the stem is pulled, make the caliber 515 a cream of the crop among modern quartz movements.
4.) Tag Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph 43mm: Ronda 5040.D
Black, powerful, masculine: Tag Heuer Formula 1 (Ref. ) works a quartz chronograph movement from the startech 5000 series. The Ronda 5040.D combines various time stop functions under the cloak of ease of use: small seconds, 30-minute counter and a lightning-fast tenths of a second counter are housed on three totalizers, paired with ADD and SPLIT functions and 54 months of battery life. Protecting the Ref. CAZ1010.FT8024 from outside influences is its 200 meter water resistance. Aesthetically exciting, the huge tachymeter scale on the bezel creates a progressive, racing look.
5.) U-Boat Darkmoon: Ronda 712.3
In the exotic U-Boat Darkmoon, the Swiss-Made 712.3 quartz movement has to master a special challenge: together with the other internal parts of the watch, the drive floats in a special oil that creates the illusion of missing glass on the dial and enables extreme black levels that maximize legibility. A whopping 60 months of battery life characterize the two-hand watch, as well as an energy-saving function and reparability of the metal movement. The latter feature is an important characteristic of all Ronda movements presented here and differentiates the high-quality drives from questionable cheap movements that are automatically ready for scrap in case of a malfunction.
Mechanics and smartwatches: diverse range
In addition to dozens of different quartz movements, Ronda now has a mechanical caliber in its lineup again: The R150 seriously competes with the established ETA 2824 with excellent rates, smooth running and a reduced overall height, but has not yet found comparable use in the industry. Also, the service-friendly construction, good workmanship and affordable price could make the R150 an exciting ETA alternative in the entry-level segment in the future. In addition, Ronda produces central components for hybrid smartwatches with its “gearboxes.
