Schwarz Etienne, the brand has been flying a bit under the radar for the past few years, however there are some very legitimate reasons why the brand deserves a closer look. Take for instance their own in-house developed and manufactured movement, and the fact that they are one of the few Swiss manufacturers who actually make their own balance springs! We go hands-on with the Schwarz Etienne Roma Power Reserve.
Schwarz Etienne started with a vertical integration strategy a few years ago, going as far as producing hairsprings in-house, with their sister company E2O innovations (read our recent introduction article about the brand here). This involved deep products’ evolution and a strategy based on a modular approach to movement development; a family of mechanical movements was created and evolved into different versions. Today, we take a look at the interesting La Chaux-de-Fonds Tourbillon Petite Seconde Retrograde, which was presented during Baselworld 2017.
Schwarz Etienne, a brand that flies under the radar for many but if you take the time to look a little closer, you will soon discover that it has a lot to offer. Its product offering is structured around three main collections (plus a few exclusive pieces). Recently we had the opportunity to visit to the manufacture, which was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. The brand has incredible potential and already boasts a surprisingly high level of vertical integration – in particular the in-house production of hairsprings with E2O innovations, their sister company located in the same facilities in La Chaux-de-fonds. That’s rare enough and it really needs an in-depth explanation.