Sellita Caliber SW280-1 Watch Movement

Manufacturer	Sellita
Caliber Number	SW280-1
Base Caliber	SW200-1
Type	Automatic, self-winding mechanical
Lignes	11.5”’
Diameter	25.6mm
Height	5.4mm thick
Jewels	26
Power Reserve	41 hours
Beat Rate	28,800 bph, 4Hz
Lift Angle	50 degrees
Amplitude Range	200-315 degrees
Rotor Style	Ball-bearing
Hand-Windable?	Yes
Anti-Shock Device	Novodiac or Incabloc
Mainspring	Nivaflex
Functions	Central hours; central minutes; central sweeping seconds; moonphase indicator at 6:00; date at 3:00
Hacking Seconds?	Yes
Quickset Date?	Yes
Country of Manufacture	Swiss made in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Known Models	Mühle-Glashütte Teutonia IV Moonphase, Detroit Watch Company Pontchartrain Louis XIV, Steinhart Marine Moon Phase Silver, (Add your watch to the comments below…)

The Sellita caliber SW280-1 is essentially an SW200-1 with a moonphase complication. Learn more about the SW200-1 base movement here.

Some of the topics covered in this caliber listing:

Grades:

There are four grades of SW280-1:

Standard
Special aka Elabore
Premium aka Top
Chronometer Grade

Learn more in the Guide to Sellita Grades.

SW280-1 VS SW288-1:

Sellita has a similar calibre SW288-1, also with a moonphase indicator. The SW280-1 being discussed on this page has been in production since at least 2015. The SW288-1 was introduced sometime around 2020.

Both of these calibers are based on the SW200-1 (ETA 2824-2 clone movement), but with moonphase complications. The main difference is in how the moonphase is displayed.

SW280-1 has a smaller moonphase disc module that overlaps the datewheel at 6:00.
SW288-1 has a larger moonphase module that fills the entire inside of the datewheel.

The SW280-1 is more traditional, whereas SW288-1 powered watches can offer a larger panoramic style moonphase dial. See the image below…

Crown/Stem Removal:

Official Sellita documentation states that the crown should be in the time setting position (pulled out two clicks) before being extracted.

Be sure to use a 1mm screw-driver, avoid using tweezers or any other tool with a point because this could jam the setting lever and damage the setting lever spring.

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this article, prices for individual SW280-1 movements are unavailable. This could mean that Sellita is not selling movements to resellers, and only sell to watch brands at this time. Or, it can simply be that the caliber is still too new. There are not many watches with this movement on the market, so watch parts sellers most likely wouldn’t want to hold stock. If you have experience with ordering in bulk from Sellita, please share in the comments below…

Examples of watches with this movement:

Below is an example of the SW280-1 in a Detroit Watch Company Pontchartrain Louis XIV watch. They list the movement as having an Elabore finish with Novodiac anti-shock (likely an error since Incabloc is pictured), Glycidur balance wheel, decorated with blued screws, perlage, and Geneva stripes. (source).

Steinhart uses the SW280-1 in their Marine Moon Phase Silver watch. They are very transparent about it, stating the following on their product page: “The movement of the “STEINHART Moon Phase silver” is a SW280-1 automatic movement from SELLITA Swiss Made.” It appears to be a standard grade with Novodiac anti-shock and a custom rotor with a Steinhart logo cutout.

Brands Using SW280-1 as a Base Movement:

Some watch brands use the Sellita SW280-1 off the shelf without modifications or custom rotors, but others may use this movement and create their own caliber designation for it. This list may be short, as not many watches are powered by this caliber yet. If you know of more, please comment below.