Since August last year, Schwarz Etienne has had a new CEO. His name is Florian Brossard. I don’t know if this name means anything to you, but it means a lot to me. I have been following his way through the watch industry for a while. The first time I met Florian Brossard was at the Montblanc booth at the SIHH (Salon International de Haute Horlogerie, now Watches and Wonders) in 2013. With Demetrio Cabbidu, who led Minerva at that time, he presented quite impressive watches from the TimeWriter project to a collectors’ group that I belonged to. That was the first time I saw the Metamorphosis live.
Florian Brossard
Everyone at Montblanc knew Florian. This included salespeople as well as those manufacturing the writing instruments in Hamburg. It was his mission to preserve the heritage of Minerva within Montblanc. Today, the Minerva heritage dominates Montblanc’s watch collection. I met Florian at every SIHH and every Baselworld. I had noticed that the constraints of Montblanc became too tight for him. When I met him at SIHH 2017, he surprised me with the news that he had left Minerva/Montblanc and was working with Greubel Forsey. There, he started as a project manager and later became responsible for innovation. He was deeply involved in the development of some of Greubel Forsey’s recent masterpieces. Then, Florian was offered the position of managing director at Schwarz Etienne.
Villa Sonnenheim in La Chaux-de-Fonds, residence of Schwarz Etienne since 2024
Schwarz Etienne — a true manufacture
I knew a few things about Schwarz Etienne, like that the brand produces movements in-house and has some watch collections with fancy names. Investigating a little further revealed some facts that impressed me. Sharing the Villa Sonnenheim in La Chaux-de-Fonds with Schwarz Etienne is La Division du Temps, which realizes watch projects for other brands, such as Ming. Florian is also leading this company.
These two companies belong to a group that also includes some other capable suppliers of watch parts. RSM SA, for instance, produces cases and bracelets. Other specialized entities within the group cover movement parts and other key components. This organization assures a significant level of independence, as almost every part of a timepiece can be manufactured in-house. What Schwarz Etienne needs to source from outside the group, it procures from well-respected partners.
The 1902 collection
With this background, you should understand that I was super curious to find out what the new watches from Schwarz Etienne would be like. The collection introduced this year is called 1902, which is also the founding year of Schwarz Etienne. The 1902 line takes inspiration from Schwarz Etienne’s Roma collection but significantly enhances it. The 1902 Petite Seconde (French for “small second”) is the base model. Other models build upon it by adding complications and extending the fundamental design. The second 1902 model is the Réserve de Marche (French for “power reserve”). So far, all variants share the same case, which the brand produces in Grade 5 titanium. The movements are extensions of the base caliber, and the next member of this collection is already scheduled.
The choice of titanium as the case material lends these watches a modern touch while preserving the traditional look of the dials. The case shape is uncommon. When viewed from the top, it creates a strong impression, mainly due to the substantial lugs. From the side, it surprises with a round structure protruding through a flat surface. The inclined bezel is polished, the lugs are brushed on top, and the case flanks are polished again. A signed crown of a comfortable size makes it easy to wind and set the movements.
A slightly domed sapphire crystal provides a distortion-free view of the dial. You hardly notice there is a crystal. Six screws secure the see-through case back.
1902 Petite Seconde
The 1902 Petite Seconde is available with a silver, gray, or rose gold dial. I chose the one with a gray dial. And I have to admit straight away that I absolutely love this watch! It boasts a sector dial with the eponymous small seconds register, four levels, and an equal number of surface finishes. The highest level is the chapter ring on the dial’s perimeter, which features an opaline finish with a printed railway minute track. Following that is the ring containing the hour indexes and bearing a satin-finished surface. The inner part of the dial has a grained surface structure. The sub-dial for small seconds forms the lowest level of the dial, and its center bears concentric engraving surrounded by an opaline chapter ring like the one encircling the main dial.
The lancet hour and minute hands provide a strong impression. One half of each hand is polished, while the other half is sandblasted. A much simpler baton hand indicates the seconds on the sub-dial. There are four types of hour indexes. Two triangular parts form the index at 12 o’clock, and the indexes at 3 and 9 are pointed. Most of the remaining ones are rectangular, but the ones at 5 and 7 are cropped diagonally to leave room for the sub-dial. All applied indexes have a round, polished shape to reflect light from any angle. The polished and applied brand logo provides a strong contrast to the grained dial beneath it.
Altogether, there is much to discover upon closer inspection. The care taken with all these details reveals the effort that went into this watch’s design. For me, the most sparkling details of the slate-gray Petite Seconde’s design are the bright chapter rings. While not dominant, they create a sophisticated, modern touch within the traditional dial layout.
1902 Réserve de Marche
The Réserve de Marche is the second member of the 1902 family. It extends the Petite Seconde with a prominent power reserve indicator on top of the dial at 2 o’clock. This indicator replicates the design of the small seconds register. To re-establish the dial’s balance, the brand logo sits just a little way away from the dial’s center. That’s all it takes, and it works impressively well.
This model is available with a silver or rose gold dial. I prefer the silver one. It took me a bit to warm up to its design. That may be due to the idiosyncratic mix of indexes. The designer replaced some of the applied ones with thin, printed Art Deco numerals. The dial could look less balanced without these special hour markers. For sure, it would look less interesting.
The ASE 300.00 movement
The ASE 300.00 is a modern micro-rotor caliber that provides a traditional touch through the arrangement of bridges and classical decoration. In this way, the movement perfectly suits the 1902 Petite Seconde. While the finishing is mostly industrial, it is on a high level. We find a broad, circular wave pattern (Côtes de Genève), a sandblasted mainplate, chamfered and polished edges, concave polished screw sinks, and beveled and polished screws. The oscillating weight of the micro-rotor is decorated with a chevron pattern, and the teeth of the ratchet wheel are polished by hand.
This 29-jewel caliber runs at a 3Hz frequency and offers a comfortable 86-hour power reserve. Winding the ASE 300.00 via the crown and setting the time yields a significant, confident feeling of a reliable and high-grade movement.
The MSE 311.00 movement
The MSE 311.00 inside the 1902 Réserve de Marche has the same architecture as the ASE 300.00, but a second barrel that operates parallel to the first replaces the micro-rotor. This second barrel extends the power reserve to an impressive 120 hours (five days). It makes absolute sense to me that a watch with a prominent power reserve indicator has a hand-wound movement. As with the 1902 Petite Seconde and its movement, the MSE 311.00 perfectly completes the 1902 Réserve de Marche.
The finishing is almost equal to that of the ASE 300.00, and it is equally pleasing to observe it through the case back’s sapphire display.
Wearing the Schwarz Etienne 1902 Petite Seconde and Réserve de Marche
I have rarely had such a strong impression that a watch looks clearly the best when worn on the wrist. This is true for both 1902 models, and it strongly underlines the effectiveness of their design. The 39mm by 10.9mm case sits comfortably on my 19cm wrist. These are not strict dress watches. Rather, they are elegant watches with traditional and modern cues for everyday wear. These two models don’t scream for attention when you wear them. However, everyone who takes a look at them will immediately notice a high degree of refinement. The titanium cases support this lightweight attitude. The watches are noticeable but neither visually nor physically hefty.
While the 1902 Rèserve de Marche is delivered on a classical-looking black alligator strap, the gray 1902 Petite Seconde comes on a very straightforward black calfskin strap that perfectly matches the watch’s style. Both straps have a rubber lining and close with a highly refined, branded titanium pin buckle.
If you are looking for a high-class everyday watch, you should most definitely consider the Schwarz Etienne 1902 family. The prices (excluding VAT) are CHF 18,500 for the Petite Seconde and CHF 19,500 for the Réserve de Marche.
Conclusion
I have come to know Florian Brossard as a person who likes to extend boundaries but who also has a huge respect for tradition and the achievements of others. He respects people. For these reasons, the 1902 family is no radical break from what Schwarz Etienne did before. Instead, it is a noticeable yet respectful evolution of the brand’s offerings created in an integrational team effort. I like the result and appreciate how these watches carry tradition over to a more modern appearance.
And don’t forget that the Petite Seconde and the Réserve de Marche are just the beginning. More models extending the 1902 family with further complications based on the movements we have become acquainted with will follow. The brand has already scheduled the next model. Florian didn’t reveal any details about it to me. I am curious!
Take a look at Schwarz Etienne’s website to learn about the brand’s history and current portfolio. You are welcome to share your thoughts on the two new 1902 models or your general opinion about Schwarz Etienne in the comments section.