Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New Schwarz Etienne 1902 GMT
The latest watch in the 1902 Series follows the same design codes, and adds practicality.
Schwarz Etienne is one of the rare independent manufactures that does everything under one roof: design, movement development, finishing and assembly in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Since Florian Brossard took the helm in 2024, the brand has sharpened a clear, contemporary identity built on technical depth. That work was visible earlier this year with the launch of the 1902 (the year the company was founded) collection’s first releases, the 1902 Petite Seconde and the 1902 Réserve de Marche, both 39 mm titanium pieces that reintroduced classic sector-style dials and the brand’s in-house micro-rotor platform. The new 1902 GMT extends the line with a traveller’s complication while retaining the collection’s compact proportions and technical finish.
The 1902 GMT retains the collection’s geometry: a 39 mm grade 5 titanium case, satin-brushed on the lugs and flanks, with a polished bezel and chamfered edges. The case sits low on the wrist thanks to restrained proportions and a slim case profile consistent with the rest of the 1902 family (less than 11mm thick). The crown is well-shaped and easy to manipulate; it combines polished and satin surfaces and carries the brand motif on the top. Sapphire crystals are used on both sides, the latter offering an unobstructed view of the micro-rotor movement. Water-resistance is 50 m.
Schwarz Etienne offers the 1902 GMT in two straightforward, yet very nice finishes: a grained silver and a deep sunray blue. Both dials are multi-level: a textured central field contrasts with an opaline or circular-satin GMT hour ring and a recessed small seconds at 6 o’clock. Legibility is prioritised, lancine-style hour and minute hands with sandblasted and polished facets indicate local time while a prominent GMT hand (blue PVD on the silver dial, white-lacquered on the blue dial) points to the 24-hour ring. A narrow chemin de fer with red accents (double-digits to indicate 5-minute intervals) frames the dial and aids reading. The overall layout is restrained and engineered for clarity rather than ornament, which does not make the overall appearance any less interesting.
The new model is powered by Schwarz Etienne’s ASE 320.00 automatic, a micro-rotor calibre developed and assembled in-house. The bidirectional GMT hand is independently adjustable. The movement is compact, measuring 5.35 mm in height thanks to the micro-rotor, which sits flush with the adjacent bridges, and incorporates a newly developed in-house ball bearing to optimise winding efficiency. Finishing is purposeful: six bridges with polished inner angles and concave bevels, a sandblasted rhodium-plated mainplate, Côtes de Genève on selected bridges, and a chevron-patterned micro-rotor.
Each 1902 GMT variant is worn on an alligator strap lined with rubber for wearability and closed with a grade 5 titanium pin buckle; colour options match the dial choices. Availability is through Schwarz Etienne boutiques and selected retailers; the price is CHF 19,850, taxes excluded.
More information at schwarz-etienne.ch.
