Geneva  - A subsidiary of the world's largest watch maker Swatch, ETA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse SA, is being investigated by Switzerland's Competition Commission, according to a statement released Tuesday.

The commission said it was investigating if the unit abused a dominant market position in mechanical parts and violated anti-cartel laws.

Complaints had been coming in since last fall, when the unit changes its pricing and terms of payment, the commission said.

The investigation would see if the unit gave preferential treatment to sections of Swatch group, based in Biel, Switzerland.

The group was unavailable for comment. (dpa)