is the unitas 6497 movement found in a moderately priced watch the
same as in a very expensive watch

Basically all mechanical watch movements have now converged in design.
Where the difference lies is in the accuracy of construction,
materials and temperature compensation -- with special emphasis on the
escapement. The Incabloc shock absorber on the balance wheel was
pretty cool when invented but any decent watch now incorporates
equivalent or similar.

http://www.unitas.netfirms.com/

For the basic layout :-

http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/watch.htm

If you google ?horology? you should find all you?d ever want to know
on this fascinating subject. The inventiveness of designers over the
last few hundred years is amazing, but only in nooks and crannies of
the real enthusiast do fusee chain and other historical things still
survive.

Unfortunately, as you may know, watches now perform a different
function because even a cheapy ?quartz? watch will surpass almost all
mechanical watches in accuracy.

Best

hi, I'm a watchmaker of thirty years and i find that unitas was a
average watch, but now they are using them in big name watches that
cost lots of money
look at www.antiquewatchcouk.com  they do the old and new watches with
unitas movements

lpink-ga,

Unfortunately, most of the remaining swiss watch manufacturers (with a
few exceptions) now buy their movements from ETA.  The ETA movements
are shipped to the watch manufacturer in raw form as an "ebauche". 
The ebauche is then finished/modified/decorated to the manufacturer's
specifications.

Here's the part that I think you were asking about... the way in which
the raw ebauche is finished by each manufacturer can change the
movement quite a bit.  It may receive an improved (more accurate)
balance assembly, more jewels in the train, an improved rotor, etc. 
The finished movements from various watch houses can differ
significantly from one another even though they are based on the same
ETA ebauche.  As an example, the base 17-jewel ETA caliber 7750
chronograph movement has 25 jewels by the time TAG-Heuer installs it
in one of their watches.

Hope this helps!

Greg