Schwarz Etienne Watches

Schwarz Etienne: The Indie Watchmaker That Other Watchmakers Actually Watch

Schwarz Etienne is one of those brands that doesn’t shout. But if you’re in the game — and I mean really in the game — you know their name

shows up where it counts: in movements, in manufacturing, and in some of the most respected independent watchmaking circles out there.

Most people haven’t heard of them. But for collectors who care about in-house credibility, creative complications, and mechanical architecture that actually

looks new, Schwarz Etienne is a name to remember.

Brand History: Movement Builders First, Brand Second

Founded in 1902 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schwarz Etienne started as a movement manufacturer and private-label producer, making calibers for

other brands. For most of its history, they were the watchmaking world’s equivalent of a ghostwriter — producing behind-the-scenes magic for better-

known names.

In the early 2000s, under new ownership (Raffaello Radicchi Group), Schwarz Etienne began producing watches under its own name, but with the

same movement-making DNA. They created entire families of in-house calibers — modular, beautifully finished, and sometimes absolutely bonkers

— and wrapped them in highly original designs.

Today, Schwarz Etienne is a vertically integrated manufacture, producing mainplates, hairsprings, and even escapements in-house —

something almost no one outside of the top tier can claim.

Collector Highlights: Movements That Matter

  • Roswell – A UFO-inspired case housing the in-house Iride modular movement platform. Off-center time, flying tourbillon variants, and stunning dial symmetry.

  • Roma / Roma Synergy by Kari Voutilainen – Clean, dressy, time-only watches with serious movement architecture. The Voutilainen collab? Guilloché dials hand-finished by the man himself.

  • Fiji Floral Seconds – Yes, it’s technically a women’s watch — but let’s not pretend the mechanical details don’t hold up. Micro-rotor movement, flower-shaped seconds hand. It’s art.

  • La Chaux-de-Fonds Tourbillon Petite Seconde Rétrograde – Because sometimes a retrograde and a flying tourbillon in one movement is exactly what you want.

  • Roma GMT / Jumping Hour – More low-key than their halo pieces, but still powered by in-house microrotor calibers.

Movements to know:

  • MSE, ASE, ISE, TSE calibers — All in-house, modular platforms with micro-rotors, tourbillons, and various complications.

  • Oscillon-produced hairsprings and escapements — Yes, they make their own balance springs. That puts them in the same conversation as Patek, Rolex, and a handful of true independents.

Why Collectors Should Care

  • True manufacture — Schwarz Etienne makes components most brands outsource

  • Movements are gorgeous — Geneva stripes, circular graining, skeletonized bridges

  • Collaborations with Voutilainen — real respect in independent circles

  • Creative but not gimmicky — complications feel engineered, not decorative

  • Very limited production — exclusivity without hype

  • Massively underrated value — compared to the quality of what you’re getting

If you want a watch where the movement isn’t just “in-house,” but actually interesting to look at and built from raw materials inside the same

building — Schwarz Etienne punches way above its visibility.

What They’re Making Now: Micro-Rotor, Modular, Mechanically Rich

Schwarz Etienne currently offers a tight collection that focuses on:

  • Roswell series – Sculptural, slightly futuristic designs with high-complication movements

  • Roma series – Classic proportions with gorgeous in-house architecture

  • Tourbillon variants – In both contemporary and classical case formats

  • Fiji & women’s offerings – Feminine but still full-mechanical, with micro-rotors and artistic dials

  • Special editions – Including the Synergy by Voutilainen, which are some of the best hand-finished pieces under six figures

Their real edge? Movements that feel like independent sculpture, not mass production — and the know-how to build them from scratch.

Fed’s Take

Schwarz Etienne is what happens when a movement manufacturer gets tired of being the ghostwriter — and decides to publish under

their own name.

I’ve handled the Roswell and Roma Synergy models. They’re a watchmaker’s watch. There’s a reason Voutilainen lent his name to the brand — because

the base movements are that good.

No hype, no mass marketing. But when you turn the watch over? You know you’re holding something real.

If you care about what’s under the dial — not just what’s on it — Schwarz Etienne is a seriously smart addition to any collector’s rotation.

Underhyped. Overbuilt. Quietly Brilliant.

If you’re bored of the usual suspects and want a truly independent, beautifully made mechanical timepiece with in-house everything and zero

fluff, Schwarz Etienne deserves a spot in the box.

Delray Watch occasionally sources Schwarz Etienne watches — especially Roma Synergy, Roswell, and their tourbillon models.

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