06.09.2024
Sellita SW200-1
A top-class Swiss movement
Just like the Japanese Miyota 9015, the Swiss Sellita SW200-1 is also a popular alternative to the now very rare ETA 2824-2 movement. In 2003, ETA, a subsidiary of the Swatch Group, announced in consultation with the Swiss Competition Commission (WeKo) that in future only its own Swatch Group brands and smaller manufacturers would be supplied with movements. Following this announcement, the watch industry began to move and many manufacturers who used ETA movements in their watches had to look for alternatives.
Companies such as Sellita and STP took advantage of this opportunity (and the expired patent protection of the ETA 2824-2 and other ETA calibers) to launch movements of the same design on the market and thus expand their own business.
Companies such as Sellita and STP took advantage of this opportunity (and the expired patent protection of the ETA 2824-2 and other ETA calibers) to launch movements of the same design on the market and thus expand their own business.
From a remontage company
to the second largest manufacturer of mechanical movements in Europe
Sellita was founded in 1950 by Pierre Grandjean in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The high demand for Swiss watches in the years of the economic miracle also boosted the business of the former remontage company, which manufactured standard calibers in series according to individual customer requirements. Sellita did not yet have its own production facilities at this time.
Pierre Grandjean was already specializing in movements with a design similar to ETA, among other things, and continued to optimize the assembly of the movements over the next few years. Inventions such as the laser welding process for attaching the hairspring to the balance, for example, originated at Sellita.
When the patent for the ETA caliber 2824-2 expired in 2003 and ETA also announced that it would be cutting back on deliveries to third-party customers, Pierre Grandjean decided that Sellita needed to take a new direction: Instead of just assembling the individual movement components as before, the most important parts of the movements should also be manufactured in-house. Grandjean entrusted his then plant manager Miguel Garcia with the implementation of this project. He then initiated the construction of a production facility for replicas of all components of ETA automatic calibres, such as the 2824-2, which was launched on the market shortly afterwards as the Sellita SW 200-1.
The plan worked and the replicas of the ETA movements were so popular that Sellita quickly reached the limits of its capacity. Over the next few years, additional production facilities were built to meet the growing demand for the popular, high-quality Sellita movements. The Sellita subsidiary Technicor, for example, specializes in the decoration and mechanical finishing of movement components and has the largest fully automated electroplating facility in Switzerland.
Today, Sellita is the second largest manufacturer of mechanical movements in Europe. The replicas are in no way inferior in quality to the ETA originals and are available for both large and small manufacturers. Sellita attaches great importance to being independent and not just specializing in supplying certain brands. As Sellita therefore also supplies competing brands, discretion is important to the company in order to protect the interests of its customers.
The Sellita SW200-1 is a round caliber with a mechanical lever movement and automatic winding. Thanks to the 28,800 vibrations per hour, the second hand runs very smoothly. The movement has an hour, minute and large second hand as well as a date display. The winding stem has three different positions: the first is for manual winding, the second is for quick correction of the date and the third is for setting the hands. Thanks to the stop-seconds function, the time can be set precisely.
As Sellita has adopted the quality levels of ETA, the Sellita SW200-1, like the ETA 2824-2, is available in four different quality levels: Standard, Spécial or Elaboré, Prémium or Top and Chronomètre. Elaboré, Prémium or Top and Chronomètre. The differences mainly concern the balance, the shock protection and, of course, the accuracy.
Strictly speaking, there are only three different movements, because the only difference between Top and Chronomètre is the certification issued by an organization such as the COSC (Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètre).This is carried out by an organization such as the COSC (Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètres) and, if it passes the test, it is entitled to bear the designation Chronomètre. In other words: Chronomètre is a premium or top movement with certification.
The plan worked and the replicas of the ETA movements were so popular that Sellita quickly reached the limits of its capacity. Over the next few years, additional production facilities were built to meet the growing demand for the popular, high-quality Sellita movements. The Sellita subsidiary Technicor, for example, specializes in the decoration and mechanical finishing of movement components and has the largest fully automated electroplating facility in Switzerland.
Today, Sellita is the second largest manufacturer of mechanical movements in Europe. The replicas are in no way inferior in quality to the ETA originals and are available for both large and small manufacturers. Sellita attaches great importance to being independent and not just specializing in supplying certain brands. As Sellita therefore also supplies competing brands, discretion is important to the company in order to protect the interests of its customers.
Technical specifications
of the Sellita SW200-1
The Sellita SW200-1 is a round caliber with a mechanical lever movement and automatic winding. Thanks to the 28,800 vibrations per hour, the second hand runs very smoothly. The movement has an hour, minute and large second hand as well as a date display. The winding stem has three different positions: the first is for manual winding, the second is for quick correction of the date and the third is for setting the hands. Thanks to the stop-seconds function, the time can be set precisely.
The Sellita SW200-1 also has a ball-bearing rotor with high winding efficiency.
The specification of the Sellita SW200-1 movement at a glance:
- Diameter: 26.00 mm
- Height: 4.6 mm
- Accuracy: depending on quality level, see table
- Power reserve: 38 hours
- Frequency: 28800 A/h
- Jewels: 26 jewels
Quality levels
of the Sellita SW200-1
As Sellita has adopted the quality levels of ETA, the Sellita SW200-1, like the ETA 2824-2, is available in four different quality levels: Standard, Spécial or Elaboré, Prémium or Top and Chronomètre. Elaboré, Prémium or Top and Chronomètre. The differences mainly concern the balance, the shock protection and, of course, the accuracy.
| Standard | Spécial (Elaboré) | Prémium (Top) | Chronomètre | |
| Average accuracy | 12 ±12 s/d | 7 ±7 s/d | 4 ±4 s/d | COSC-Criteria |
| Shock protection | Novodiac | Incabloc | Incabloc | Incabloc |
| Balance | Nickel gold-plated | Nickel gold-plated | Nickel gold-plated | Nickel gold-plated |
Strictly speaking, there are only three different movements, because the only difference between Top and Chronomètre is the certification issued by an organization such as the COSC (Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètre).This is carried out by an organization such as the COSC (Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètres) and, if it passes the test, it is entitled to bear the designation Chronomètre. In other words: Chronomètre is a premium or top movement with certification.
Circula watches
with Sellita SW200-1 movement
Sellita SW200-1 movements in the Elaboré version are installed in the Circula Super-Compressor watch SuperSport, in the diver's watch AquaSport and in the Field Watch ProTrail.