Horology, clockmaking and watchmaking appropriated the term ébauche to refer to an incomplete or unassembled watch movement and its associated components.
Until about 1850, the watchmaker’s ébauche consisted of two plates with pillars and bars, the barrel, fusée, index, pawl and ratchet-wheel, along with a few assembling screws.
The assortiment (literally "assortment" in English) are the parts of a watch other than the ébauche, in particular the regulating organs and include the balance, hairspring or spiral, escape wheel, anchor lever and pallet stones or jewels.
The modern ébauche is a jewelled watch movement, without its regulating organs, mainspring, dial, or hands.
Most were unable to compete with the inexpensive quartz electronic movements produced by Asian manufacturers, which flooded the market during the 1980s.