Catena Caliber SA100

Manufacturer	Catena S.A.
Caliber Number	SA-100, SA100
Movement Type	Automatic, self-winding mechanical
Lignes	12.5”’
Diameter	27.6mm
Height	5.15mm
Jewel Count	29 jewels
Beat Rate / Frequency	28,800 bph / 4 Hz
Lift Angle	52 degrees
Accuracy Rating	+/- 15 seconds/day (see below)
Acceptable Amplitude	230~325 degrees
Power Reserve	36~38 hours
Rotor Type	Ball-bearing
Rotor Winding Direction	Bi-directional
Hand-Windable?	Yes
Anti-Shock Device	Novodiac
Balance Wheel	Nickel
Barrel/Mainspring	General Ressorts
Hand Count	3
Functions	Central hours; central minutes; central sweeping seconds; date at 3:00 or 6:00
Hacking Seconds?	Yes
Country of Manufacture	Swiss made in the Jura Mountain region of Bern, Switzerland
Known Models	Ferragamo 1927, Catena Swiss Space, Mathey-Tissot Zeus Automatic (Ref: H118ATAN) (Add your watch to the comments below…)

The Catena caliber SA100 (SA-100) is a Swiss made 3-hander automatic watch movement with a date. This movement has been in production since at least November of 2012.

Catena’s official documentation has a chart comparing the calibre SA-100 to the ETA 2824-2 and Sellita SW200-1. While there are some similarities to the ETA 2824-2, the SA-100 is not an ETA clone like the SW200-1. In fact, it is not even a drop-in replacement due to the fact that the mainplate has a larger diameter of 27.6mm vs 25.6mm on the 2824-2.

There are four available calendar configurations from the manufacturer. Date at 3:00 or 6:00; black text on white background or white text on a black background.

Accuracy:

The SA-100 is listed as having a maximum deviating tolerance of +30 to -5 seconds per day. However, it appears that they are regulated to +/- 15 seconds/day.

The factory tests the movements in 3 positions: 12:00 (dial up in horizontal position), 6:00 (crown up in vertical position), and 9:00 (crown down in vertical position).

Isochronism is +/-20 seconds/day with a max amplitude of 230 to 325 degrees.

Editor’s Note: Despite being little-known and not much used, technical documentation for the SA-100 is among the most thorough that Caliber Corner has seen. The amount of information provided by Catena for the SA-100 is truly impressive and appreciated.

Caliber Number:

In typical watch movement manufacturer fashion, Catena creates unnecessary caliber confusion with inconsistent caliber number formatting. Examples of watches with this movement show the caliber number engraved as “SA-100”. However, official technical documentation for this movement write it as “SA100”. On their official website, they list it as “SA 100”.

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this post, cal. SA-100 replacement prices were found listed at CHF 119.00 (roughly $150 USD). SA-100 movements were also found being sold on AliExpress for $167.76.

Dial Side:

Additional Resources:

• Catena’s official site