Problems with ETA2824 movement

[Ray Singh]

Hi All.

I have been offered a watch at a very good price (about 1/4 of its original market value), but it has a problem.....

The watch has a ETA2824 movement and the manual winding function gets very stiff after a few turns. The rest of the automatic movement works fine and the watch can be worn as a daily and does not miss a beat. However, its the hand winding part that concerns me as clearly something is not quite right.

Looking at ebay (tut, tut and probably not the place to buy) a movement is around £30.

I am considering buying the watch and having it serviced and fixed as soon as it is in my hands. I was wondering how much a ETA movement like this might be if worst came to the worst. Perhaps this movement has a known fault that you might be able to advise me on?

Any help appreciated.

[bazza.]

£30 for a ETA 2824 that is very very cheap I believe they normally cost around £250/300 ish

[Ninjin]

You won't get a genuine Swiss 2824 for £30, I doubt even a chinese one.

A Swiss Selitta SW200 (direct replacement) is around £160 from cousins.

[clockworks]

A genuine ETA 2824 used to cost around £30 - 10+ years ago. I bought a couple when I decided to have a go at putting a watch together from parts.
Shortly after that, Swatch group decided to start limiting ETA supplies to other manufacturers. Prices went up dramatically.

At that point, it was more cost-effective to buy complete watches and break them for the movements. I picked up a couple of Sewills watches for about £30 each. Although they used proper 2824 movements, the cases were very cheaply made, chrome-plated brass. The cases just wore out after a couple of years. By this time, Sewills, once a proper ship's chronometer maker, had become a "Sunday Supplement" brand. Good ETA movements with very cheap cases and dials.

Cousins are still selling the basic-grade 2824 for £146 +VAT - https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/eta-mechanical-m...

[Dynam0humm]

The auto winding reverser wheels on these are fragile and will wear out if you're hand winding it all the time. It's usually just one of them that needs replaced and they were around £20 last time I checked. If they are worn you'll feel the rotor spinning as you wind the crown and the watch is facing dial up or dial down, or see it spinning if it has a display back.

[glazbagun]

If you like the watch I'd buy it. Even a worn 2824 shouldn't cost the earth for a watchmaker to service. Just insist on replacing the reversers and rotor bearing and you should be good for years.

[RiggaTheMighty]

2824 are the most commonly used automatic movement in all swiss watches.
Whatever is wrong with it will be able to be rectified during a basic stripdown service which will not cost a lot. (£100-150)

If you really like the watch, just buy it and send it to one of us watchmakers on here. Whoever is your closest.
There are a good few on here, so I’m sure one of us would be able to sort it out for you.

Good luck.