I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

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MichaelMD
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I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by MichaelMD »

Oh-For-Three in my last three watches with Sellita SW200 movements. Two have been returned, including the Aquitaine I just received yesterday. A third (Atoll) is still with me but eventually will be sent in for repair. All three had crown issues, specifically problems when attempting to screw down the crown. All were rough, notchy, and took a lot of effort to find the "sweet spot" where it would finally screw down. Now that I know about it I do a backwards slow wind until it seats, but I shouldn't have to. Even after seating it feels like it has to go through a rough spot before freeing up. If you've ever handled a Tudor with their in-house movement, the winding and screw down action is absolutely flawless and smooth as butter. All three SW200 watches I purchased right out of the box didn't feel smooth and the Atoll has gotten sligtly worse since I've owned it. At this point I'm just done with buying watches with this movement. Maybe I'm just unlucky, but I've heard of many other folks with crown issues on this movement. My microbrand watch with a Seiko movement winds beautifully. I guess I'm just venting, but this (along with the bezel misallignment on the Aquitaine) has shaken my confidence in CW watches if I'm being honest.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by rkovars »

Not to be argumentative but the crown screwing in has 0 to do with the movement. The threading etc is part of the case/crown. I would say you just don't like how CW is doing it. That is fine and you are entitled to your opinion. I don't have any of those issues on any of my CWs with the screw down crown.

As for winding etc, that is a different story.

EDIT to add: RE gritty feeling crown - one trick I have heard in the past that helps but - I fully admit I have not tried this - is to use some wax dental floss (be sure it is waxed) to run on the threads of the crown tube. Make sure to use different portions of the floss with each pass. The idea is to transfer some of the wax from the floss to the threads to act as a lubricant. I have heard this more than once and from different sources. YMMV.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by MichaelMD »

rkovars wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 7:50 pm Not to be argumentative but the crown screwing in has 0 to do with the movement. The threading etc is part of the case/crown. I would say you just don't like how CW is doing it. That is fine and you are entitled to your opinion. I don't have any of those issues on any of my CWs with the screw down crown.

As for winding etc, that is a different story.

EDIT to add: RE gritty feeling crown - one trick I have heard in the past that helps but - I fully admit I have not tried this - is to use some wax dental floss (be sure it is waxed) to run on the threads of the crown tube. Make sure to use different portions of the floss with each pass. The idea is to transfer some of the wax from the floss to the threads to act as a lubricant. I have heard this more than once and from different sources. YMMV.
Fair enough on the threading. My issue is with CW then. Strange that I had a similar issue with another brand also with this movement. That one took significant pressure to get the screw down crown started. I sent it back and they reported having the same problem when they tried. I have also experienced the grittiness of the winding. I can live with that but yeah it's not the most enjoyable experience. Maybe I'm spoiled coming from Tudor, Omega, etc. but other movements and watch brands I have used have had much better tactile feel and response when winding.

The misaligned bezel is another issue. Same issue was pointed out in a couple reviews I watched on YT. Not sure why they continue to ship out watches with misaligned bezels. A simple issue that should be caught in quality control.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by rkovars »

MichaelMD wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 8:14 pm
rkovars wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 7:50 pm Not to be argumentative but the crown screwing in has 0 to do with the movement. The threading etc is part of the case/crown. I would say you just don't like how CW is doing it. That is fine and you are entitled to your opinion. I don't have any of those issues on any of my CWs with the screw down crown.

As for winding etc, that is a different story.

EDIT to add: RE gritty feeling crown - one trick I have heard in the past that helps but - I fully admit I have not tried this - is to use some wax dental floss (be sure it is waxed) to run on the threads of the crown tube. Make sure to use different portions of the floss with each pass. The idea is to transfer some of the wax from the floss to the threads to act as a lubricant. I have heard this more than once and from different sources. YMMV.
Strange that I had a similar issue with another brand also with this movement. That one took significant pressure to get the screw down crown started. I sent it back and they reported having the same problem when they tried.
This one actually sounds like the gasket in the crown was mucked up somehow or the crown stem was cut too long. Both could cause that issue. Thinking it through it could also be an issue with the crown tube not being seated all of the way or being slightly too long as well. Again, nothing to do with the movement. Should have been caught by QC though.

I find that the Sellitas I have wind slightly rougher than the ETAs I own but they are close. Contrasted with the Miyota I have (bought late in 2022) it feels like you are winding nothing. No resistance at all. It was quite disconcerting at first.

CW is creeping into the price bracket where QC could be tighter. Although, to be fair, I have seen more than one Rolex with a misaligned bezel. They are rare but not unheard of.

A good step would also be making sure that the process in place ensures that the reason for a return follows the watch through the refurb process to make sure that issues are corrected (this isn't specific to you but people getting NN watches in the sale with issues). It seems like a fresh return inspection is letting some stuff through.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by sproughton »

Whilst I agree that a misaligned bezel is a) annoying and b) clearly something that QC should pick up, it's not isolated to CW. Seiko are famous for dreadful bezel alignment - I once tried some on at a local jewellery shop and all 4 on display were miles out.

I've never had any issues with the few SW200 movements or the crown threading/winding on my CWs; you could be unlucky or it could just be personal preference.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by thomcat00 »

I’m sorry you’ve had such failures with the watches. It’s frustrating to find problems straight away, or have them develop in such a short time. I feel fortunate to have had no significant issues in the 35+ years I’ve been acquiring watches. But I see the Sellita issues popping up and it makes me a little wary. I hope the problems you encountered get resolved to your satisfaction.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by OllyW »

The crown on my Atoll also feels slightly rough when trying to screw the crown back in, it sometimes takes a few goes to get the thread started but tightens up ok once it has properly engaged. On my two Sealander GMTs the crowns feel really smooth and screw back in without any hesitation. The Atoll also feels more agricultural when winding the watch and adjusting the hands compared to the Sealanders.

The action of the crown on my Tudor Ranger feels even better but I would expect that given the higher price point.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by MichaelMD »

OllyW wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 9:04 pm The crown on my Atoll also feels slightly rough when trying to screw the crown back in, it sometimes takes a few goes to get the thread started but tightens up ok once it has properly engaged. On my two Sealander GMTs the crowns feel really smooth and screw back in without any hesitation. The Atoll also feels more agricultural when winding the watch and adjusting the hands compared to the Sealanders.

The action of the crown on my Tudor Ranger feels even better but I would expect that given the higher price point.
That sounds similar to what I'm feeling with the Atoll. Like I said, I do back wind it to get it seated and avoid cross threading, but it's still sort of snags on a rough spot before releasing. Once past that initial hesitation it screws down perfectly fine and locks into position with no issue. I mean it sort of bugs me but not enough to send it in (yet) or sell it. I do enjoy that watch quite a bit. Tudor to me has the best winding feel of any watch I have every had. Part of that is how smooth the action is, and the other part is the oversized crown with no guards. It's truly a pleasure to wind, and I've had three of them over the years.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by Has »

If you've ever handled a Tudor with their in-house movement, the winding and screw down action is absolutely flawless and smooth as butter.
this is 100% true. The Tudor inhouse Movment is just a different ligue. especialy the crown and winding action is on a different planet then the sw200.
The bezel action though, is actually better on the C65 Aquitaine and even better on the Dartmouth 1 in my opinion.
Also the Case is on par with Tudor. Same for the Bracelet... The Braclet is actually in some points better then the Tudor, beside of the Pins...
The new screw Pins are actually rubbish if you ask me...
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by Bident »

MichaelMD wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 7:22 pm Oh-For-Three in my last three watches with Sellita SW200 movements. Two have been returned, including the Aquitaine I just received yesterday. A third (Atoll) is still with me but eventually will be sent in for repair. All three had crown issues, specifically problems when attempting to screw down the crown. All were rough, notchy, and took a lot of effort to find the "sweet spot" where it would finally screw down. Now that I know about it I do a backwards slow wind until it seats, but I shouldn't have to. Even after seating it feels like it has to go through a rough spot before freeing up. If you've ever handled a Tudor with their in-house movement, the winding and screw down action is absolutely flawless and smooth as butter. All three SW200 watches I purchased right out of the box didn't feel smooth and the Atoll has gotten sligtly worse since I've owned it. At this point I'm just done with buying watches with this movement. Maybe I'm just unlucky, but I've heard of many other folks with crown issues on this movement. My microbrand watch with a Seiko movement winds beautifully. I guess I'm just venting, but this (along with the bezel misallignment on the Aquitaine) has shaken my confidence in CW watches if I'm being honest.
I also have three watches with SW200 movements (C60 Mk3, Oris Aquis, and Farer Hecla) and have experienced some of the issues you mentioned although nothing so bad (yet) that I have needed to send a watch in for repair. I will say not all Sellita movements have a rougher feel when hand winding. The SW330 (GMT) used in my C63 GMT and my Glycine Airman feel buttery smooth, even more so than my Miyota 9015s movements. At first, I couldn't even tell if the handwinding was working. I also have two watches with the equivalent ETA 2893 movements (Steinhart Ocean 500 and Zelos Horizons) and the SW330s feel identical. I do not have an SW300 or ETA 2892, but given they are really the same movements without the GMT function as the SW330 and ETA 2893, respectively, I would expect they have similarly smooth as butter hand winding. So perhaps you may not want to write off all the Sellita movements as I think you would be pleased with the SW330s in CW's lineup.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by rkovars »

Bident wrote: Wed Jan 11, 2023 11:42 pm
MichaelMD wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 7:22 pm Oh-For-Three in my last three watches with Sellita SW200 movements. Two have been returned, including the Aquitaine I just received yesterday. A third (Atoll) is still with me but eventually will be sent in for repair. All three had crown issues, specifically problems when attempting to screw down the crown. All were rough, notchy, and took a lot of effort to find the "sweet spot" where it would finally screw down. Now that I know about it I do a backwards slow wind until it seats, but I shouldn't have to. Even after seating it feels like it has to go through a rough spot before freeing up. If you've ever handled a Tudor with their in-house movement, the winding and screw down action is absolutely flawless and smooth as butter. All three SW200 watches I purchased right out of the box didn't feel smooth and the Atoll has gotten sligtly worse since I've owned it. At this point I'm just done with buying watches with this movement. Maybe I'm just unlucky, but I've heard of many other folks with crown issues on this movement. My microbrand watch with a Seiko movement winds beautifully. I guess I'm just venting, but this (along with the bezel misallignment on the Aquitaine) has shaken my confidence in CW watches if I'm being honest.
I also have three watches with SW200 movements (C60 Mk3, Oris Aquis, and Farer Hecla) and have experienced some of the issues you mentioned although nothing so bad (yet) that I have needed to send a watch in for repair. I will say not all Sellita movements have a rougher feel when hand winding. The SW330 (GMT) used in my C63 GMT and my Glycine Airman feel buttery smooth, even more so than my Miyota 9015s movements. At first, I couldn't even tell if the handwinding was working. I also have two watches with the equivalent ETA 2893 movements (Steinhart Ocean 500 and Zelos Horizons) and the SW330s feel identical. I do not have an SW300 or ETA 2892, but given they are really the same movements without the GMT function as the SW330 and ETA 2893, respectively, I would expect they have similarly smooth as butter hand winding. So perhaps you may not want to write off all the Sellita movements as I think you would be pleased with the SW330s in CW's lineup.
I would add the COSC movements to that list as well. The two that I have (both SW200) are virtually indistinguishable from the equivalent ETAs that I own.
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by Has »

I would add the COSC movements to that list as well. The two that I have (both SW200) are virtually indistinguishable from the equivalent ETAs that I own.
The sw200 is „identical“ to the eta 2824, the sw300 is the equivalent of the eta 2892.
From either version there are different grades available. Elaboré, Top and Cosc.
The difference of the grades are in 3 parts. Mainspring, balance wheel and hairspring… that’s it!
The winding action in my cosc (sw200) and non cosc (sw200 elaboré) watches are literally the same. Maybe a tiny little different, maybe.
The winding of a sw300 (or eta 2892) is different though to a sw200 (or 2824).
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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by JGA1962 »

I would like to order a C60 Trident Pro 300, but the SW200-1 movement is a deal killer. A lame 38 hours of power reserve, +-20 seconds of accuracy, gritty winding, and broken gears from hand winding seem to be the main issues with this movement. The CW cases, dials, and bracelets appear to be very high quality for a $1000 watch, but this Sellita movement ruins the entire package. Not to mention that just about any service of this movement is going to cost more than a brand new one (especially if you have to pay for two-way shipping back to England). I would rather pay $1500 for a CW watch with a much better movement.

I’ve been collecting watches for 25 years. I have many Omega, JLC, Grand Seiko, etc. I’ve been hand winding my Omega watches for 20 years and none of them have broken winding gears or feel gritty. I recently purchased a Longines Zulu Time true-GMT watch that winds like butter, has 72 hours of power reserve, and +1 sec/day accuracy. I guess I’m expecting too much from a $1000 watch.

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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

@JGA1962 - Welcome to the Forum. :wave:

Let me make two simple comments;-

1. " . . two-way shipping back to England)" - is paid for by CW be it for a Warranty Repair or Service.

2. If you're not happy with the thought of buying a CW with an SW200-1 movement, they have plenty of other watches with alternative movements that should keep you happy.


Finally, CW is fast approaching being a Top 10 customer of Sellita (if they're not there already) and I'm sure Sellita would want to be sure that they are providing good components to them. If there have been deficiencies over the past year or two, I'm sure Sellita are working on getting them resolved.

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Re: I think I'm DONE with Sellita movements

Post by nbg »

@JGA1962 Welcome to the forum.

I have never had a CW that was out by more than +10s per day. The majority have been between -2s to +8s per day.

I.e. no different to my JLCs. If you want an accurate watch to wear for weeks on end without switching buy a Rolex and avoid any of the holy trinity.

I have had one Sellita automatic that suffered from spinning rotor syndrome. The many others were absolutely fine.

Yes I prefer a longer PR, as I like to keep 3 to 4 in rotation (without using winders) at any given time for a couple of weeks. I assume that you do likewise?

Although if you wear a 38 hr PR for a few days before switching the low PR makes no difference…

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