Hi everyone,
Let’s get a few things straight. I have been following the “debate” on movements between Chuck and George and, I have to admit, I have enjoyed it a lot. Nonetheless, I felt that the criticism on ETA 2824 -and those like Breitling who are using it- was a bit exaggerated.
I will briefly mention two points, paraphrasing the classic by A. Watchmaker “ETA 2824-another little engine that could” and reporting my private observations on my own collection.
Both 2892 and 2824 are Eterna-derived calibers –the brand before ETA- that started their career as 18,000 BPH movements- and have been modified multiple times eversince. They have the same diameter, but the latter is about 30% thicker than the former. They also differ slightly in the size of the balance wheel and the diameter of the ball bearing race support-which may mean something for long term wear and resistance to shock. From the published literature, the user’s comments and the information provided in ETA’s site I cannot see substantial differences in the design and overall performance of these movements that would make one of the two a champion and the other one a poor second.However, despite the obvious similarities, no one would disagree that 2892 has a slight edge over 2824. The question is why.
In my non-expert opinion, this has a lot to do with the context in which these movements are used. Context can be critical, because every brand makes their own little compromises and calculations when modifying or applying the movement to a new caliber. To cite an example, the performance of my Aqua Terra co-axial is unbelievably good –less than 2s/week-but I understand that this may be primary a function of the free sprung balance and to a lesser extent of the new, Daniel’s escapement. My other 2892-or rather 2893-based movement that is installed in a Fortis Cosmonauts model is almost as good, but not quite-about 7s/week with the trick during sleep.
My experience with 2824 has also been “model-dependent”. My Breitling SuperOcean-that I also hesitated before buying- does an excellent job with a drift of about 0.6s/day, or 4-5s/week. However, my other 2824-equipped watches err from 4-10s/day [Zeno pilot XL chronometer -4s/day, Muele Glasshuette M12 2s/day, Oris T1 diver 10s/day, Sigma SP200 -4s/day]. By comparison, my Speedy Reduced [2890 movement] deviates about -4s/day, or 28s/week.
Visiting ETA’s site and reading on 2824 variations – see WIS encyclopedia in watchuseek-is pretty illuminating. One quickly realizes that there are refined and non-refined 2824s, expensive and cheap ones. In the end, you get what you are paying for. So, we should not be quick in underrating Breitlings.
Of course, the cost in absolute terms is another issue. I believe all major brands are making a fortune by selling low-cost machines at outrageous prices.While we, collectors, stand for innovation, artistic value and history they work exclusively for profit.
Do you see my point?
