Buffy Acacia
Buying a Swiss watch was not too long ago a guarantee of seeing the ETA movement. Today, the market is much more diverse, but the name Sellita is quickly recognised. In fact, it took over 20 years for Sellita to sell 800,000 most popular movements from parts suppliers in 2024 alone. It may suggest that Serrata came across several secret formulas for success, but the real key was taking the initiative when it mattered. If you’re wondering where it comes from and why its movements are everywhere, here’s everything you need to know about Serata.
Why have you never heard of it if you’re 75?
The history of Sellita before 2003 is frankly very calm. It was founded in 1950, after World War II, but before the rise of electronic and quartz watches, during the period of stability of the Swiss watch industry. It was a manufacturer before anything, producing evauches and components for various brands, and many people have been abolished after the so-called quartz crisis. With ETA in charge afterwards, Sellita was one of the partners who built the ETA move. In other words, it’s the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2. Millions of 2824-2 calibers must have passed through the Serrata doors. Then there was a big shakeup in 2002.
ETA owner Swatch Group has announced that it will halt its move to brands outside Swatch Group Umbrella. There were panic, corruption accusations and anti-monopoly investigations, just as the watchmaker realized that if the watchmaker was the only brand with a reliable athletic supplier, it was a stake in the hands of the watchmaker. It is still estimated that 80% of Swiss watches are equipped with ETA movements, so the 2002 concerns were undoubtedly justified. Once the investigation began, most companies kept their heads down and either stuck to the status quo or searched for alternative movement providers. Serrata found the opportunity and flew away.
The ETA 2824-2 patent was originally granted in 1984. This means that the patent was also valid for 2002. It could have been involved in the Swatch Group’s plan to make a high-end move and focus on disrupting supply to third parties of the 2824-2 because they knew the clones would come. Sellita has 2824-2 experience more than any other company, and was able to replicate the movement completely in a relatively short time. Other clones like STP took longer as they wanted to upgrade the original, but Sellita’s SW200-1 has only one additional jewel that serves the automatic winding. It was a clone with a close habit. It came to the market in 2003 and was ordered to gradually slow down the supply of movement instead of legally halting, so Sellita sales increased as ETA sales fell.
Where Celta stands today
Twenty-two years after the first Sellita SW200 was sold, the revised SW200-1, announced in 2008, has now become one of Watch World’s popular moves. The 2824-2 was already so loved for its reliability and performance, so it’s easy to see why. The SW200-1 offers exactly the same specifications. Brands using the ETA movement can move to Sellita without adjusting the case or dial. New microbrands looking for Swiss Calibre can’t find ETAs for sale. The company currently produces approximately 1,500,000 mechanical movements per year, of which 800,000 are the SW200-1S. Other models are also clones developed from expired ETA patents, making the Sellita an ideal alternative to ETA’s “workhose movement.” There may still be competition, but there is little doubt that Sellita will soon have the same impact as the go-to moves of affordable Swiss mechanical watches.
Celita finishing and adjustment results
Anyone familiar with ETA’s criteria for finishing and adjusting movements will make the Sellita setup familiar, as it is more or less a clone. Details such as accuracy may vary from model to model, but there are usually four grades available for each movement. The standard is the basic level, and using the SW200-1 specification as a reference point, the standard grade is adjusted in two positions for accuracy from ±12 seconds per day to ±30 seconds per day. After the standard, there is something special known under the ETA as Erabore. Adjusted in three positions to improve accuracy from ±7 to ±20.
The premium (or top) grade of the Celata movement is adjusted in five positions for more consistent accuracy, with its range of solids ±4 to ±15. Chronometer grade movements are certified by COSC with their own testing standards, but the general guidelines test accurately within -4/+6 seconds per day in five positions. Accuracy aside, each movement is ranked in four levels of finishing, ranked from D1 to D4. The standard finishes for D1 and D2 are very industrial with sandblasted surfaces and brushed rotors, but the refined D3 and D4 finishes include coat degeneves, brushed wheels and brain lobe base plates Masu. D4 is the only grade that includes blue screws. Finally, there is a tailor grade for brands that customize winding rotors such as skeletonization, PVD coating and other customised changes.
Starting with SW200-1, moves you should know
If you read the entire article, you know the context of SW200-1, but there is always something to learn. This is a drop-in replacement for the ETA 2824-2, a classic Swiss watchmaking staple since the mid-80s, and although not all components are completely replaceable, differences in performance and quality can be ignored . The standard model is a 3-hand movement that automatically rewinds using the date display, but you can also order it as a no-date version that removes the third position of the crown. Not only is it functionally identical to the 2824-2, it is as affordable as the ETAS, both new purchases and services by experienced watchmakers. Certainly there is no shortage of demand.
Over the course of more than 40 years since the launch of the original ETA version, the 38-41 hour power reserve was fully accepted with a beat rate of 28,800 oscillating per hour. Most people who wear automatic watches tend to wear them on a daily basis, so it’s enough to keep them indefinitely. However, growing enthusiasts of collections are beginning to prioritize higher power reserves for the convenience of placing multiple clocks in weekly rotations. These people will find the latest moves news as Sellita CEO Miguel Garcia announced last year that they can expect a SW200-2 with a 65-hour power reserve in 2025. , however, the biggest names of them include Tudor, Oris, Tag Heuer, Frederick Constant, Mule Grassutte, Maurice Lacroix, Baum & Mercier.
The total composition of 21 for the SW200-1 family comes directly from Sellita, all of which are made up of a variety of complications and decorative elements, such as open hearts and skeletalization. They range from simple things like 6 o’clock power reserves like the SW270-1, or niches like the SW285-1 B with date, moon face displays, day/night indicator wheels There is. Additionally, the SW210-1 family includes 16 versions based on the same architecture, but with manual winding, it makes the movement even slimmer. If the manufacturer feels that the SW200-1 wants to fit into a bigger, more intense watch, the SW400-1 family is in the same movement, but expands.
Sellita SW300-1
For a slightly more sophisticated ETA customer, the Sellita SW300-1 is a clone of the ETA 2892-A2. It is still an automatic movement with a smooth beat rate of 28,800 VPH, but its main claim to fame is just a total height of 3.6mm. This makes it perfectly suitable for watches that help you slim down, such as automatic dress watches and huge diving watches. Like the SW200-1, it’s three hand movements with date display or no date display options. One advantage that is more effective than the ETA 2892-A2 is that it has an advantage in Power Reserviady as it optimized the main spring barrel in 2020 to provide 56 hours of power and did not increase the thickness of the movement at all That’s what it is.
There are also several versions of the SW300-1 family, such as the SW330-1 with its fourth GMT hand, such as the SW360-1, which moves seconds to a small subdial at 6 o’clock. Most notably, the SW300-1 is the base movement of the tag Heuer caliber 7, which drives many of the Carrera models of that era, as the use of the 2892-A2 is phased out. It can also be found as the base of the IWC caliber 35111, which is used in many collections, and as the base of the Hublot Hub1110, which is used in some seriously luxury watches. One of the most interesting variations of the movement is the SW331-2. This includes the World Timer Disk in the center of the dial, used by Forer Foxe World Timer.
Sellita SW500
The ETA/Valjoux 7750 has a slightly more complicated history that can be traced back to the Venus 188 since 1948, but is known under the Sellita umbrella as the SW500. This design of the automatic chronograph was quite ubiquitous in the 70s and 80s, especially as cam switching operation became popular as a sports watch, making it more reliable and affordable. . It was also an integrated movement. That is, the chronograph was not added to another motion as a module, resulting in a reduction in overall thickness from previous attempts to automate the chronograph. As it is still quite tall at 7.9mm thick, sports watches with these movements tend to be at least 14mm thick as a rule of thumb.
The SW500 (and 7750) are instantly recognizable from the dial layout, with chronograph subdials located at 12, 6, and 9 with a 1 day/date display at 3am. There are 12 variations to play with these displays, as well as the SW510-1 collection that plays with the more traditional 3, 6, and 9 subdial layouts. Then there are manually wrapped versions of both movements, which significantly reduces the thickness. The SW530 and SW532 chronographs add GMT hands to the mix, and the latter will also allow for 30 minute increments when considering other time zones.
