ETA Cal. 2826-2 is an automatic movement with big date at 3:00. It is a new entry in the long-running ETA 2800 family, introduced in 2004 but phased out after 2021 with only proprietary versions for Swatch Group companies remaining. The predecessor Cal. 2826 was produced in extremely limited numbers between 1971 and 1977.
The date wheel is the defining feature of Cal. 2826-2. It uses two overlapping discs, with the lower disc numbered 1-16 and the upper disc 17-31 with an aperture between 31 and 17. This allows a larger than usual date to be shown at 3:00 on the dial. The overlapping disc arrangement differs from the traditional dual-disc big date complication at 6 or 12 in many other watches.
ETA 2826-2 Applications
- 2009 Hamilton Khaki BelowZero
Current ETA 2800 Family
The ETA 2800 family currently consists of six movements in production since 1982. They are compact but not particularly slim automatic movements operating at 28,800 A/h. The basic Cal. 2824-2 and 2836-2 are among the most widely-used movements in modern Swiss watches. Although over 5 dozen different movements in this series have been produced, just six are available today. Due to restrictions from Swiss COMCO regulations, ETA is unable to sell movements outside the Swatch Group since 2020. This has forced many watch makers to turn to the similar Sellita SW200 series of movements.
Calibres 2801-2, 2824-2, and 2826-2 are officially listed as “phased out” by ETA after 2021, leaving just Calibres 2804-2, 2834-2, and 2836-2 available for sale. This is in keeping with ETA’s focus on proprietary movements for Swatch group companies rather than outside customers.
| Calibre | Year | Diameter (mm) | Height (mm) | Jewels | Winding | Sellita Calibre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETA 2801-2 | 1983 | 25.60 | 3.35 | 17 | Manual | SW210-1 | |
| ETA 2804-2 | 1982 | 25.60 | 3.35 | 17 | Manual | SW215-1 | Date |
| ETA 2824-2 | 1982 | 25.60 | 4.60 | 25 | Automatic | SW200-1 | Date |
| ETA 2826-2 | 2004 | 25.60 | 6.20 | 25 | Automatic | N/A | Big Date |
| ETA 2836-2 | 1982 | 25.60 | 5.05 | 25 | Automatic | SW220-1 | Day-Date |
| ETA 2834-2 | 1982 | 29.00 | 5.05 | 25 | Automatic | SW240-1 | Outer Day-Date |