Niton is not a name that has echoed loudly in recent decades, yet among connoisseurs it has long carried a quiet weight. Founded in Geneva in 1919 by Auguste Jeannet together with former Vacheron Constantin men Alfred Bourquin and Edouard Morel, the manufacture built its reputation on ultra-thin calibres, shaped movements and refined finishing supplied to houses such as Patek Philippe, Cartier, Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels and others. The Pierres du Niton in Geneva’s harbour lent the brand its name, a nod to stability, precision and locality that feels very contemporary in an age searching for authenticity.
Under the stewardship of Yvan Ketterer and Leopoldo Celi, Niton now returns to the scene with a carefully considered relaunch. The PRIMA is the opening chapter: a form watch with a jump hour display that draws directly on a 1928 digital time indication patented by the original Niton. The revival is not a nostalgic re-edition, but a continuation of ideas that once made Niton a quiet insider’s choice. With only 38 pieces in total, 19 in platinum and 19 in rose gold, PRIMA sets out the new design code that the maison calls ARTPRECISION, fusing strict mechanical logic with a strong visual identity.
At the heart of the watch, visually and conceptually, sits the dial architecture. Niton returns to its historic decomposition of time with a digital hour at twelve o’clock, a central rotating disc for the minutes and a classical running seconds at six. The layout is stark and orderly, calling to mind the clarity of regulator clocks without copying any of them. Legibility is immediate: the jumping hour is framed within an aperture that feels integrated into the dial rather than added on, while the peripheral minute track and sector-style scale on the central disc make minute reading precise and satisfying.
Two dial executions are offered. The first combines a rhodium-plated opaline base with applied blue metallic hour markers, an hour disc in the same rhodium-plated opaline treatment and blue metallic numerals. The second translates the concept into warm rose gold plating for both base and hour disc, again with contrasting blue metallic appliqués.
The minute disc features an azur finish that catches the light in fine concentric textures and carries a blue metallic applied hand, while the central seconds hand continues the blue treatment. The interplay of surfaces opaline, azur and polished metal, together with a restrained colour palette, places PRIMA comfortably in a modernist lineage touched by Bauhaus and Art Deco influences.
Turn the watch over and the in-house calibre NHS01 immediately confirms that Niton intends to be taken seriously in high-end independent watchmaking. This is a manually wound, shaped movement developed specifically for this case, with a rounded rectangular footprint that closely follows the interior of the watch. The bridges feature distinctive geometries and a clean layout without visible bridge screws, which gives the movement an unusually serene presentation. Finishing is to Geneva Seal standard, including hand-chamfered edges, Geneva stripes, perlage and a black-polished blade ratchet click.
Technically, NHS01 combines traditional high-end solutions with contemporary priorities. It runs at 4 hertz, offers a minimum 72-hour power reserve and uses a Swiss lever escapement with a variable inertia balance and Breguet overcoil hairspring. In addition to the Geneva Seal, the movement is certified to ISO 3159 chronometer standard, making Niton the first independent to launch with both distinctions in place. Two features underline the brand’s focus on user interaction. The striking jump hour mechanism uses a hammer and a hand-soldered copper gong integrated into the inner flank of the case to produce a discreet sound at each hour change, connecting the visual jump with a mechanical note. A stop-to-zero system halts the seconds hand at the end of its revolution during time setting, allowing exact synchronisation down to the second.
The case of PRIMA respects the historic roots of shaped Geneva dress watches yet feels entirely current. Crafted either in platinum or in rose gold, it measures 27 by 35.5 millimetres, with a lug-to-lug length of 42 millimetres, a lug width of 19 millimetres and a thickness of 7.9 millimetres. Surfaces alternate between satin brushing and polished accents, which visually slim the profile and underline the strict geometry of the design. An anti-reflective sapphire crystal covers the dial, while the back gives a broad view of the NHS01. Water resistance is rated at 3 ATM, appropriate for a refined dress piece rather than a daily beater in harsh conditions. The watch is delivered on a grained calf leather strap tapering from 19 to 18 millimetres, closed by a pin buckle in the matching case metal.
As a debut for the reborn Manufacture des Montres Niton, PRIMA lands with an unusual degree of coherence. The historical reference is clear without feeling trapped by the past, the movement is genuinely in-house and architecturally engaging, and the overall execution is set at a level that belongs in the conversation with established Geneva maisons. Production is individually numbered out of 19 per metal on the movement, a reminder of the intentional scarcity of this first series. Pricing reflects the positioning: 44,750 CHF before tax for the pink gold version and 47,750 CHF before tax for the platinum. For collectors who follow independent watchmaking and appreciate shaped watches with a strong sense of place, PRIMA marks the return of a name that was never forgotten, only sleeping.
NITON PRIMA Technical Specifications
Individually numbered (xx/19) on the movement
Pink Gold 44,750 CHF excl. VAT, Platinum 47,750 CHF excl. VAT
Movement
- In-house manual wound caliber NHS01
- Striking jump hour mechanism
- Hour, minute and second indication
- Stop-to-zero time setting function
- Power reserve: Minimum 72 hours
- Variable inertia balance 8gf/cm2
- Frequency 4Hz-28’800 bph
- Breguet overcoil hairspring
- Geneva Seal and ISO 3159 Chronometer standard
 Case
- Platinum or rose gold
- Satin and polish finish
- Dimension: 27 x 35,50 mm
- Lug-to-lug: 42mm
- Lug width: 19mm
- Thickness: 7.9mm
- Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
- Water resistance: 3 ATM
Dial and disks
- Rhodium-plated opaline dial base or rose-gold plated, with applied blue metallic hour markers
- Rhodium-plated opaline hour disc or rose-gold plated, with applied blue metallic hour numerals
- Azuré minute disc with a blue metallic applied hand
- Blue metallic seconds hand
Strap
- Grained calf leather
- Width: 19mm to 18mm
- Pin buckle
- Rose gold of platinum
- Width 18mm
