Brand | Junghans |
Caliber Number | J800.1 |
Base Caliber | ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200-1 |
Movement Type | Automatic, self-winding mechanical |
Lignes | 11.5”’ |
Diameter | 25.6mm |
Thickness | 4.6mm |
Jewels | 25 or 26 |
Vibrations Per Hour | 28,800 bph, 4Hz |
Lift Angle | 50 degrees |
Power Reserve | ~38 hours |
Shock Protection | Incabloc |
Regulator | Etachron |
Rotor Type | Ball bearing |
Balance | Glucydur with Nivarox II |
Rotor Winding Direction | Bi-directional |
Hand-Windable? | Yes |
Hand Winding Direction | Clockwise |
Functions | Central hours; central minutes; central sweeping seconds; date at 3:00 (some models are no-date) |
Hacking Seconds? | Yes |
Country of Manufacture | Switzerland, Swiss made |
Known Models | Junghans Max Bill Automatic Date, Junghans Max Bill Automatic No-Date, Junghans Meister, Junghans Max Bill Kleine (Add your watch in the comments below…) |
The Junghans caliber J800.1 is basically an ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200-1 with a Junghans logo engraved on the rotor – also known as a Forrest Gump Movement.
Some of the topics covered in this caliber listing:
Is it an ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200-1?
You’ll likely have to open your watch to find out, since most of the models have a solid caseback. It doesn’t help that the Junghans site is not transparent about the difference in movements. It appears that brands like this seem to act as if the ETA 2824-2 and Sellita SW200-1 are one and the same, but they are not. Similar, yes. Exactly the same? Not.
One way to tell the difference between the 2824-2 and SW200-1 is the jewel count: 25 for the ETA and 26 for the Sellita. Once again, though, Junghans site is not transparent about jewel count on their individual watch pages. In their official user manual available on their site at the time of publishing this post (linked in the Additional Resources section below), page 17 still lists only 25 jewels in the Technical Information. For that reason, it is unconfirmed whether the Sellita SW200-1 based J800.1 movements have the stock 26 jewels, or if Junghans removes a jewel to match the description in their user manual.
Hey here’s another way to know if your Junhans Max Bill has an ETA or Sellita movement inside: ASK JUNGHANS! And while you’re at it, ask them why they didn’t just call the Sellita based version something else, such as J800.2.
Editor’s side note: thank you to the team at Sellita that made the decision to add the extra jewel – it is very helpful for distinguishing between the two movements (perhaps that was the main purpose behind the extra jewel).
Junghans J800.1 VS J800.2?
There appears to be a similar caliber J800.2, but Caliber Corner is trying to figure out the difference. At first, it seemed like a reasonable name for the Sellita SW200-1 powered models, but that is inconsistent with so many other watch publications listing the Junghans FORM A as having an ETA 2824-2 base (it wouldn’t be the first time the other watch publications contributed to caliber confusion in the community).
To make things even more confusing, here is a user manual that combines calibers J800.2 and J800.3, but only displays technical information for a triple date automatic (which apparently is the J800.3).
What Grade is the J800.1?
As for the ETA based versions of the Junghans J800.1, with some of the specs of the components (Nivarox II spring and Incabloc anti-shock), it appears that the J800.1 leans more towards being a “Top” grade 2824-2. For reference, Top grade versions are adjusted in 5 positions to achieve an average accuracy rating between +/-4 seconds per day to +/- 15 seconds per day.
It should also be noted that a few other sites mention the J800.1 as being equipped with a Glucydur balance spring, but the official manual states that it is gold-plated nickel. It doesn’t help that the manufacturer doesn’t seem to provide images of the movement.
READ: ETA Movement Grades
Bear in mind that those are ETA specifications, and just because the J800.1 is equipped with Top level parts does not mean Junghans ordered Top grade movements directly from ETA. Without insider confirmation, there is no guarantee – in other words, we must always remember that nothing is set in stone just because of some standard specs sheets and crowd sourced information, unless the community is able to get their hands on an order invoice for the movements.
For example, it’s always possible that movements are special ordered to brand specific requirements (a common one would be the rotor engraving). Also, brands may make their own modifications and adjustments upon assembly.
Component specs for the Sellita based versions are unconfirmed.
No-Date J800.1:
Junghans offers no-date watches with the cal. J800.1, however, they are not true no-date configurations. This means that the datewheel mechanism and parts are left in place with a non-date window dial placed on top. For that reason, the no-date J800.1 watches will have a phantom datewheel position.
Quick FAQs:
Is the Junghans J800.1 an in-house movement?
No. This movement is not designed and manufactured in-house by Junghans. It is a rebranded ETA 2824-2 (or more recent models will be Sellita SW200-1).
Is the J800.1 an ETA clone movement?
No. The J800.1 is an actual ETA movement (or Sellita) originally manufactured by ETA (or Sellita), it is not a clone.
Is this movement still being used?
Yes, at least as of this post (3/24), Junghans still lists watch models with the J800.1.
Additional Resources:
- Junghans J800.1 official manual (pdf)
- Shop for Junghans J800.1 watches (your purchase supports this site)
- List of ETA 2824-2 clones
Note: Pictures are still needed to complete this caliber listing. If you have access to a J800.1 powered watch and can take high quality pics (pics that were taken by you, not pics that were borrowed aka stolen from “the internet”), then please contribute them here.
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