Lots of watch makers today indicate theirs to be Swiss movements, which is an ambiguous designation and not quite acceptable by many among us. It can mean just anything! Much like Swiss-Made from lesser known or obscure brands.
Strictly speaking, the Swiss Made designation can be bestowed upon (legally) to any watch with a certain portion of it manufactured and assembled in Switzerland. Even if there is a certain percentage of components of a watch are made in Switzerland and not necessarily put together in Switzerland, still it will be wearing the Swiss-Made mark.
It’s the same with movements. Their components could be built elsewhere and assembled in Switzerland or might have some of its parts built in Switzerland and assembled with parts sourced from outside. Either way, you can’t be sure. Either you go for the very, very expensive Swiss variety or you rely on ETA and Sellita and their reworked versions. Regardless of the circumstance, whenever you see Swiss Movement mentioned, it means – essentially – one thing. The movement in the watch is going to be either an ETA or a Sellita! Both ETA and Sellita are Swiss movement manufacturers and Sellita, for most of its movements, copies ETA. They got the same kind of machinery to do the job. There’s no question of copyright infringement, since ETA designs are old enough to lose their Patent Rights. Just like pharmaceuticals making generic drugs after a certain period of time.
An ETA 2824-2 is considered the most ubiquitous of all ETA movements. Its specs are solid (which makes it serviceable) and you can find it in watches from large brands like Hamilton as much as in watches by micro-brands.
Now, ETA 2824 comes in four grades, which differ in accuracy. Standard grade movements vary between +12 seconds to -30 seconds a day, making it acceptable for inexpensive, daily-wear watches. The Elaborated grade is + 7 seconds a day while Top grade is +5 seconds a day. The Chronometer meets the strict standards of the COSC, which makes it ideal for watches built to address professional timing that relies heavily on accuracy.
The Sellita SW200, on the other hand, is identical in construction and function to the 2824. Differences are negligible – unless you are a watchmaker yourself – and it functions the same, with similar accuracy and the same kind of reliability.
ETA continues to sell movements but not to brands outside the SWATCH group anymore. With Sellita, that’s not a problem. So, you’ll find the Sellita SW200 movement in many watches (Raymond Weil is one of them; although the Caliber RW1212 is a modified version of the SW200); it is the same movement as an ETA 2824-2. Even parts from one movement fit the other!
An ETA 2824-2 is considered the most ubiquitous of all ETA movements. Its specs are solid (which makes it serviceable) and you can find it in watches from large brands like Hamilton as much as in watches by micro-brands.
Now, ETA 2824 comes in four grades, which differ in accuracy. Standard grade movements vary between +12 seconds to -30 seconds a day, making it acceptable for inexpensive, daily-wear watches. The Elaborated grade is + 7 seconds a day while Top grade is +5 seconds a day. The Chronometer meets the strict standards of the COSC, which makes it ideal for watches built to address professional timing that relies heavily on accuracy.
The Sellita SW200, on the other hand, is identical in construction and function to the 2824. Differences are negligible – unless you are a watchmaker yourself – and it functions the same, with similar accuracy and the same kind of reliability.
ETA continues to sell movements but not to brands outside the SWATCH group anymore. With Sellita, that’s not a problem. So, you’ll find the Sellita SW200 movement in many watches (Raymond Weil is one of them; although the Caliber RW1212 is a modified version of the SW200); it is the same movement as an ETA 2824-2. Even parts from one movement fit the other!
- How do you differentiate the two, then? It’s simple. The Sellita has a rotor that’s red towards the center.
