ETA · ETA 2836-2

Tissot Heritage Visodate, Ball Engineer II and Fortis B-42 power reserve: inside the ETA 2836-2

The Tissot Heritage Visodate, Ball Engineer II day-dates, the Fortis B-42 Flieger Day-Date and the Marathon JDD all run on the ETA 2836-2. From full it lasts about 38 hours, a little over a day and a half.

Updated September 2026 · Based on manufacturer specs, published reviews and watchmaker/owner reports

Watches that use the ETA 2836-2

The 2836-2 is the day-date version of the ETA 2824-2: same base, same beat, with a day wheel added. For years it was the standard choice for a Swiss automatic that shows both the day and the date, usually side by side at 3 o'clock. Swatch Group brands have since moved most of their day-dates to 80-hour Powermatic-based movements, and many outside brands now use Sellita's equivalent, the SW220-1, so the year of your watch matters.

Specs at a glance

History and where it came from

ETA built the 2836-2 by adding a day disc to the 2824-2, itself a descendant of the 1950s Eterna 1427. Keeping the 2824's 25.6 mm footprint meant a brand could offer date and day-date versions of the same watch with only a slightly thicker case, since the day module adds about half a millimetre.

Its fortunes followed the 2824's. When Swatch Group restricted ETA sales to outside brands in the 2000s, Sellita's SW220-1 filled the gap for independents. Inside Swatch Group, the day-date Powermatic 80 (ETA C07.621 family) replaced it: Tissot moved the Heritage Visodate over, and Mido's Caliber 80.611 in the Commander is the same idea under another name. That's why most new Swiss day-dates today run for 80 hours, while one from 2012 very likely has a 2836-2 and 38 hours.

Accuracy in the real world

Mechanically it's a 2824-2, so it behaves like one: a fast, stable 4 Hz beat that responds well to regulation. Brands that pay for a better grade get good results. Ball fits COSC-certified 2836-2s to its Red Label Engineer II, which are tested to -4/+6 s/day.

At the cheaper end there's more variation. The Heritage Visodate used a standard movement with only a Tissot rotor, and while many owners were happy with it, reader comments on Monochrome's review include one watch gaining about two minutes over a day or so and another that stopped far short of its rated reserve. Those sound like examples that needed regulation or service rather than typical behaviour, but they show that grade and quality control matter more than the calibre name.

Reliability and servicing

Like the 2824-2, it's one of the most familiar movements in watchmaking, so almost any independent can service it. The usual interval is about five years.

• Parts. The base parts are shared with the 2824-2, and the day parts are still available. The Sellita SW220-1 is close enough to serve as a replacement in most cases.
• Replacement movements. A Tissot or Hamilton at brand service may get a swapped movement rather than an overhaul, which is normal at this price.
• Hand-winding. As with the 2824, go gently. A few turns to start it, then let the rotor do the work.

Quirks worth knowing

• Setting the day. Pull the crown to the middle position; turning one way advances the date and the other way advances the day. Many day wheels are bilingual, so you may need two clicks to reach the next English day.
• Calendar danger zone. Don't use either quickset between about 9pm and 3am, when the day and date wheels are already engaged. Here's why.
• More to reset. When it stops, you're setting time, date and day. A two-day weekend in a drawer turns into a short chore every Monday.
• Reserve figures vary. Tissot quoted 40 hours for the Heritage Visodate, and some brands quote up to 42. We use the more conservative 38-hour figure, which is what Teddy Baldassarre quotes for the Visodate too.

How it compares

• ETA 2824-2: the same movement without the day. Slightly thinner, same reserve and accuracy.
• Powermatic 80 day-date: Tissot's replacement for the 2836 in its day-date watches, with 80 hours of reserve at 3 Hz.
• ETA 2893-2: the Swiss GMT of the same era, built on the thinner 2892 rather than the 2824, with 42 hours of reserve.
• Seiko NH36 (the day-date sibling of the NH35): the Japanese day-date alternative in the Seiko 5 and many microbrands. Slower 3 Hz beat, looser tolerances, 41 hours.
• Seiko 7S26: the older Seiko day-date, cheaper still, with no hacking or hand-winding.

Living with the 38-hour reserve

A day-date is the watch that punishes a short reserve most. Take your Heritage Visodate or Fortis B-42 off at 6pm on Friday and, even from a full wind, it stops around 8am on Sunday. On Monday you're setting the time, the date and the day, and if you do it after dinner on Sunday you're in the calendar danger zone.

The easy fix is to wear it on Saturday for a couple of hours, or give the crown twenty turns on Sunday night. If a Ball Engineer II shares a rotation with an 80-hour watch, wear the Ball first after a break. Watch Winder counts down the 38-hour reserve for each watch you own and reminds you before it stops. To check a particular weekend, try the "Will my watch stop?" calculator.

Verdict

The ETA 2836-2 is a 2824-2 with a day wheel, and it inherits all of that movement's strengths: a smooth 4 Hz sweep, easy servicing anywhere and good accuracy when properly graded, as Ball's chronometers show. It also inherits the short reserve, which hurts more on a day-date because there's more to reset. As a used buy it's a safe, fixable movement; just expect to set it after most weekends, and avoid the late-night calendar window when you do.

FAQ

How long does the Tissot Heritage Visodate run off the wrist?

The 2010s Heritage Visodate (T019.430) uses the ETA 2836-2 and runs for about 38 hours from a full wind, so it usually stops over a weekend. The 2026 Visodate uses the 80-hour Powermatic 80.

How do I set the day on a Tissot Visodate?

Pull the crown to the middle position and turn it one way for the date and the other way for the day. Avoid doing it between about 9pm and 3am.

How accurate is the Ball Engineer II Red Label?

It uses a COSC-certified ETA 2836-2, which is tested to between -4 and +6 seconds a day.

What movement is in the Fortis B-42 Flieger Day-Date?

The ETA 2836-2, a 25-jewel, 4 Hz automatic with hacking, hand-winding and about 38 hours of reserve.

Does the Marathon JDD hack?

Yes. The Marathon Jumbo Day/Date Automatic uses the ETA 2836-2, which stops the seconds hand when you pull the crown and can be wound by hand.

What is the difference between the ETA 2824-2 and 2836-2?

The 2836-2 is a 2824-2 with a day-of-week display added. It is about half a millimetre thicker and otherwise has the same beat, jewels and reserve.

What replaced the ETA 2836-2?

Inside Swatch Group, day-date versions of the 80-hour Powermatic 80 took over. Outside it, most brands switched to the Sellita SW220-1.

Sources

• Caliber Corner: ETA Caliber 2836-2
• Monochrome: Tissot Heritage Visodate Automatic review
• Teddy Baldassarre: Tissot Visodate review

Watches we've reviewed with the ETA 2836-2

• Tissot Visodate Powermatic 80 review (T157.407)

Keeping it running

• On an average day an automatic gains roughly 4 hours of reserve per hour on the wrist, so about 10 hours of wear fills the ETA 2836-2. Desk days charge more slowly.
• Most automatics can also be wound by the crown. If yours has stopped, a few dozen turns gets it going before you put it on.
• Off the wrist it stops about 38 hours after it was last full. Stopped sooner?
• On a watch winder, start at about 650 turns per day, both directions. Winder settings for every movement.
• If it does stop, don't set the date between 9pm and 3am. Check if it's safe.

All ETA movements

Never let it stop

Watch Winder counts down the reserve of every watch you own and reminds you before one stops. It already knows the ETA 2836-2: type your watch's name and the reserve fills itself in.

Manufacturer's published figure. Real reserve varies with the watch's age and service; check your manual.