A FAMILIAR TOUCH
For more than 35 years, Peter Speake has been infusing watches with his one-of-a-kind style. This year, the Swiss brand takes advantage of his stylistic expertise.
In 2020, Schwarz Etienne launched a highly-original range, Synergy, designed to share know-how and to revamp the personality of a reference driven by the in-house caliber of an ever-expanding collection. A first creation was cosigned with Kari Voutilainen. A challenging reinterpretation that masterfully merged the brand’s world with the Finnish watchmaker’s. The second chapter, this year, invited Peter Speake to transform the 1902 Réserve de Marche.
Although the dial still boasts the time-data scenography intrinsic to the initial model, it has changed somewhat as it embraces shapes and colors dear to the British creator. Elements, such as the minute tracker, hands, numerals, and markers, adorned with Prussian blue, stand out against the lacquered white backdrop and offer easy reading. Four hints of orange on the cardinal points jazz up the whole composition. The power-reserve indicator’s also conspicuous with its serpentine hand omnipresent in Peter Speake’s previous creations. The use of ultra-fine sapphire crystal was an opportunity to play with layers. Some components appear to be hovering.
The 1902 Synergy by Peter Speake reigns in a 38 mm-diameter, 10.90 mm-high grade 5 titanium case which hosts Caliber MSE 311.00. This manual-wind movement, equipped with a twin barrel, delivers generous 120-hour autonomy to the watch. In short, the master watchmaker’s call breathes life into wonderfully-layered scenography that’s precise yet fanciful.
