Launched in 2023 as the C1 Bel Canto, the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto Classic is a new iteration of this chiming watch
There are quite a lot of Sellita SW200 calibers, here we try to explain what can be inside your watch.
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First generation of the Sellita SW200
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The SW200 is the first generation of this Sellita movement. It is a legal clone of the ETA caliber 2824 (from 1971 and onwards) from which the patents ended in 2002.
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Already around 2003, Sellita releases the SW200, mainly because ETA came under the ownership of the Swatch Group. And they are not keen on supplying movements to brands that do not belong to their group.
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Sellita caliber SW200 (base ETA caliber 2824) | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 4.6 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 26 | Stop-second device, quick date setting for the date version | Hours, minutes, seconds, with and without date | Power reserve: 38 hours
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There are more variants of the SW200.
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Second generation, the Sellita SW200-1
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The second generation of the Sellita SW200, named the SW200-1, was launched around 2008. With this, the Sellita SW200 becomes a whole series from which the SW200-1 is a part. There is also the SW220 in many variants, just like the SW240, SW260, SW270, SW280 and SW290. The differences are mainly the complications.
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The SW200 is a three-hander, with or without a date, the others offer complications. Like day/date, a date by hand, power reserve indicator, moon phase, regulator, small seconds, day/night indicator, and combinations of them.
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Differences between the Sellita SW200 and SW200-1
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If you compare the Sellita SW200 with the SW200-1 the main differences are in durability and reliability. Specifically, the geartrain was upgraded. The reduction wheel spindle, the ratchet drive wheel spindle, and the wheel, and ratchet wheel are changed with another shape of the teeth. All while maintaining the same basic architecture and performance features.
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Another important upgrade is the date wheel design which is more robust and has a modified date jumper spring. This is to prevent occasional breakages or misalignments during quickset date adjustments. Most parts between the two movements are interchangeable. However, certain components, like the date mechanism and some of the geartrain parts, are not fully compatible between the two models.
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Still, the teeth of the ratchet wheel are a little vulnerable. Teeth can brake or stumpy. Especially when you use the manual winding option of the automatic movement often and at max. If the power reserve becomes lower and hand-winding feels different, the rachet wheel probably needs replacement.
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Variants of the Sellita SW200-1
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The basic 2nd generation is the SW200-1 which comes in many variants. The most used is the SW200-1 in either version a (with date) or version b (without date). There might also be watches with the SW200-1 a without a date on the dial due to stocks of this movement with a watchmaker.
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Sellita caliber SW200-1 a | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 4.6 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 26 | Stop-second device, quick date setting | Hours, minutes, seconds, date | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW200-1 b | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 4.6 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 26 | Stop-second device | Hours, minutes, seconds | Power reserve: 41 hours
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More popular variants of the SW200-1
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Sellita caliber SW220-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 5.05 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 26 | Stop-second device, quick day and date setting | Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW221-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 5.05 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 26 | Stop-second device, quick date setting | Hours, minutes, seconds, date (by hand) | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW240-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 29 mm (13 lignes) | Thickness: 5.05 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 26 | Stop-second device, quick day and date setting | Hours, minutes, seconds, day (Arabic display), date | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW260-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 5.6 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 31 | Stop-second device, quick date setting | Hours, minutes, small seconds at 6, date (pivot point distance: 6.4 mm) | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW261-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 5.6 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 31 | Stop-second device, quick date setting | Hours, minutes, small seconds at 6, date (pivot point distance: 7.6 mm) | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW266-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 5.6 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 31 | Stop-second device, quick date setting | Regulator with hours, minutes, seconds, date | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW270-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 5.6 mm | Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 26 | Stop-second device, quick date setting | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve indicator | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Sellita caliber SW290-1 | Automatic | Diameter: 25.6 mm (11½ lignes) | Thickness: 5.6 mm | Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz) | Jewels: 31 | Stop-second device, quick date setting | Hours, minutes, small seconds at 9, date (pivot point distance: 6.4 mm) | Power reserve: 41 hours
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Other SW200-1 series can have a power reserve indicator, and moon phases in different shapes. Also partly open-worked dial versions and skeletons.
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The SW210 does not belong to the SW200 series (kind of)
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The SW210 series, to make it easy, is placed apart, as these are the hand-wound versions of the SW200 series. So, for instance, there is a SW210-1 a and SW210-1 b, a hand-wound three-hander with and without a date.
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Almost all automatic SW200s are also available as a hand-winder, featuring the letter “M” after the caliber name. Well, except for the aforementioned SW210 that is. And the SW216-1 (hand-winder with small seconds at 6) and SW219-1 (hand-winder with small seconds at 9). Here is more about the Sellita caliber SW210 and SW210-1.
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The SW300 series can be seen as the slim version (1 millimeter thinner) of the SW200 and also offers different GMT options (which makes them thicker). The SW400 is the larger version of the SW200, with an increased diameter (from 25.6 to 31 millimeters).
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Different grades of the SW200
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The SW200-1 comes in five different finishes, mostly not indicated by the brand that uses them. Without decoration (D1), with simple decoration (D2), with refined decoration (D3) and luxurious decoration (D4). Lastly, there is the tailor-made decoration (TAI), when a watch brand wants to adjust more than the D1 to D4 grades offer.
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Grade D4 offers a main plate with circular graining, bridges with circular graining, and snailed undercuts. Furthermore a snailed barrel, nickel-plated parts, and an oscillating weight with Geneva stripes and snailed bevels. And then things like engravings, blued screws, rhodium plated, gold plated or anthracite ruthenium plated are optional within this grade.
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Other known versions of the SW200 series are the SW200-1 AJ for a partly open-worked and the Skeleton series. Which comes in the SW200-1 S a (a rhodium version in D1, D1+, D2 or TAI grade), the SW200-1 S b (an anthracite ruthenium version in D1, D1+, D2 or TAI grade) and the SW200-1 S c (an anthracite ruthenium version also in D1, D1+, D2 or TAI grade). The differences between the last two are unclear, and all these skeletons have no date.
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Accuracy of the Sellita SW200 / SW200-1
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The accuracy of the standard Sellita SW200 / SW200-1 can vary between +/-12 seconds per day up to +/- 30 seconds a day. However, the brand also has some differences in quality grades. So, there is a standard SW200, a Special (Elabore) one, a Premium one, and even a COSC certified model.
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The Special (Elabore) version has an accuracy of +/-7 up to +/- 20 seconds per day. The Premium +/-4 up to +/- 15 seconds per day, and the Chronometer version complies with the COSC certification criteria. Which is -4 or +6 seconds per day.
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Price of the Sellita caliber SW200
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In general, the basic execution of the Sellita SW200-1 a, so the version with date, costs around 250 dollars/euros / Swiss francs and nearly 200 GB pounds. Better grades, more complications, and so on make the price higher obviously.
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A comparable Chinese caliber with comparable specs costs about 100 less, and a comparable ETA caliber (the 2824-2) costs about 100 more.
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The slim version of the SW200-1 is the Sellita caliber SW300-1. One millimeter less thick, so often used for high-end dress watches.
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Watches with the Sellita caliber SW200 series
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