SCHWARZ ETIENNE
In 1902, Paul Arthur Schwarz and his wife Olga Etienne founded Schwarz Etienne, a company whose name derives from their surnames. This family business, founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel, was conceived as a manufacturer of mechanical movements with production centred on several different marques under its umbrella, notably Venus, Alpha, Sultana Le Phare and Astin.
The reputation of Schwarz Etienne developed through partnerships, the company devoting its expertise to several major names such as Chanel, Dunhill, Mauboussin and Caran d'Ache. Schwarz Etienne not only earned respect for the quality and reliability of its production but as a benchmark in the creation of mechanical movements.
Always a dynamic, innovative company, Schwarz Etienne was taken over by the sons of its founders in 1940, gradually expanding its activities into Europe, as well as in Asia and the Middle East. In the mid-1960s, the company enjoyed a golden period of success. Prominent clients included the Vatican and Leonid Brezhnev (then President of the Soviet Union).
Diversifying its production during the 1970s and ‘1980s, partly as a response to the general crisis engulfing the watch industry, the company made the decision to return to its ethos and core savoir-faire in 1985: primarily the creation of movements and timepieces. During this period, Schwarz Etienne developed its own marque and distinct collections, gradually becoming recognised as a fully-fledged manufacturer, and one with distinct qualities: creativity, innovation and expertise.
The next major change arrived in 2007, when a passionate local entrepreneur, Raffaello Radicchi, took over Schwarz Etienne heralding a concentration on the ambitions of the group towards manufacturing collections of exceptional watches. Through its close collaboration with the Radicchi Horlogerie group, Schwarz Etienne has committed to producing the unique and authentic products that gave the brand its long-established reputation.
Through its release of exclusive models, embodied in prestigious collections and the creation of new timepieces, Schwarz Etienne offers a perfect synthesis between tradition and modernity. In respecting of this vision, Schwarz Etienne ensures complete control of component assembly, a flawless technical process and unique know-how..
