ETA Surface Treatment Technician
- Location
- Boncourt Jura Switzerland
- Employment
- Internship
- Seniority
- Intern
- Industry
- Fine Watches & Horology
- Posted
- Aug 18, 2026
About ETA
ETA is a benchmark of Swiss horological expertise, renowned for designing and producing precision movements that power many of the world’s most respected watches. As part of the Swatch Group, the manufacture combines industrial excellence, technical innovation, and a deep respect for traditional watchmaking savoir-faire. As an employer, ETA offers a highly specialized environment where engineers, micromechanics, technicians, and operational talents contribute to products defined by reliability, accuracy, and refinement. The company values discipline, craftsmanship, continuous improvement, and collaborative expertise, providing careers at the heart of Switzerland’s watchmaking ecosystem and the future of mechanical and quartz movement technology.
ETA SA, a high-tech Swiss watchmaking manufacturer within the Swatch Group, seeks an apprentice surface treatment technician to complete a three-year vocational apprenticeship programme. The role involves treating watch component surfaces using electroplating and galvanic techniques, managing client specifications, and performing surface preparation, plating operations (galvanizing, chromium, silver, and gold plating), and quality control of chemical bath parameters.
Role & Responsibilities
- Examine client components and assess material composition and surface condition
- Perform surface preparation via sandblasting, grinding, or mirror polishing according to specifications
- Prepare and configure electroplating treatments, determining pretreatment protocols, current intensity, and processing duration
- Immerse components in multi-component chemical solutions and execute electroplating, chromium, silver, or gold plating operations
- Monitor and maintain temperature, pH, and bath density using specialized measurement instruments
- Organize and plan treatment sequences according to client requirements
- Identify and remediate technical defects with precision
Qualifications
- Completion of lower secondary education or mid-level secondary education
- Dynamic personality with demonstrated commitment to continuous personal improvement
- Practical and technical aptitude
- Ability to identify and correct technical defects immediately
- Willingness to assume responsibility
- Adaptability to flexible work schedules
- Above-average learning capacity and comfort working in rapidly evolving technological environments
Skills
Experience
No prior professional experience required; this is an apprenticeship position.
Education
Completion of compulsory secondary education (lower or mid-level secondary); successful completion of apprenticeship entrance requirements.
Workplace
The successful candidate will be located in Boncourt, Jura, Switzerland, with easy access to Basel.
Benefits
Professional apprenticeship training with dedicated instructors; structured three-year vocational programme leading to CFC (Federal Competency Certificate).
Culture
ETA offers a workplace culture rooted in Swiss precision, technical mastery, and continuous innovation within the watchmaking industry. As an employer, it fosters collaboration between engineers, artisans, and production specialists, valuing reliability, quality, and the transmission of specialized expertise across generations.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like ETA, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Electroplating Technician», «Galvanizing Specialist», «Industrial Surface Finisher», «Plating Operator», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.