Precious, Not Pretentious: Introducing the Niton Prima

The great thing about watches is that, although they all essentially do the same thing, plus or minus some bells and whistles, there are an infinite number of ways to achieve it. Whether through form, function, or fashion, cleverness finds a way. I’ve been looking at watches for almost my entire life, but professionally for 15 years, and I can still be surprised and excited by a new release. It’s part of what makes this industry so great to be a part of. But, this isn’t about me; rather, it’s about a watch that both surprised and excited: the Niton Prima.

Niton (pronounced nee-tone) is an old and obscure brand name revived by two veterans of the watch industry, Leopoldo Celi and Yvan Ketterer, who combined have several decades of experience in design, production, and marketing. Originally founded in 1919, Niton was known for its movement manufacturing and for supplying to brands such as Patek, Cartier, and Chopard. It was also one of the largest producers of movements with Geneva Seal certification. A certification dating to 1886, among its many requirements, which cover everything from reliability to finishing standards, are that movements are assembled, adjusted, and cased in Geneva.

credit: Bonhams

In 1928, Niton registered a jump-hour design with a distinct display, placing the hour window above separate minute and seconds sub-dials, much like a regulator. Featured in wrist watches and pocketwatches, it’s this complication, identified by Leopoldo and Yvan as the brand’s signature, that served as the initial inspiration for the new Niton’s first watch, the Prima. While paying respect to this heritage, Niton’s approach to design is contemporary and distinct, creating a haute indie that stands out in the market.

Measuring 27mm x 35.5mm with a 42mm lug-to-lug, and 7.9mm thick, the rectangular case of the Prima reflects the designs from the 1920s, while taking on new, sculptural elements. The case appears as a solid block of metal, carved into a shape with large, elegant curves, leaving the top surface flat. Wide, radiused, polished concave curves at the top and bottom flow into lug forms, while the case sides are rounded for a smooth profile. These curves contrast the dramatically flat top surface, which is also vertically brushed. It’s minimal, almost playful, and given the dimensions, likely wears very well (to be confirmed at a later date).

The most striking feature, of course, is the keyhole aperture that allows a view of the dial. Arranged in what Niton calls a totem structure, the hour window, minutes dial, and sub-seconds dial follow a vertical line down the watch’s center. A “constructed” dial vs a printed one, the surface is matched to the case material, giving the impression of a single piece of material. The hour disk is also matched, with blue applied numerals. Applied numerals are uncommon on jump hours because they increase the weight and height of the disk, but they greatly enhance the machined aesthetic in this design.

The minute hand is a metal disk with radial graining and an applied blue hand. As the applied hand doesn’t connect to the center, it gives the impression of floating. The minute index consists of blue pill-shaped markers, echoing the rounded end of the minute hand. The sub seconds consists of applied round dots at intervals of five, blue at the quarter marks, and color-matched to the dial at the others. A little detail I particularly like is that the marker at 30 minutes and 0/60 seconds is shared between the two indexes.

As with the case, the dial is restrained yet playful. The rounded marker shapes are contemporary in style and downplay the watch’s overall haute nature. This contrast is particularly clear when seeing the highly polished internal bevel of the keyhole aperture compared to the simple batons. It’s surprisingly whimsical, bringing to mind the work of Alain Silberstein, ochs und junior, and somewhat the Vianney Halter for Goldpfeil jump hour.

The unconventional design language continues in the movement, visible through the caseback. An entirely bespoke, shaped caliber designed to perfectly fit the Prima, it has a striking design that appears simple at a glance, evoking Bauhaus and mid-century motifs, but doesn’t shy away from finishing, such as black polishing on the balance cock, and some clever tricks. For example, the plates lack visible screws; instead of being from the top, they are from the side.

The cleverness isn’t just aesthetic, as the NHS01, in addition to the jump hour, features an hour-strike mechanism, which was described less as a “ding” like with the Bel Canto, and more of a mechanical “tack,” emphasizing the hour jump. Further, the watch features a stop-to-zero mechanism, meaning that when the crown is pulled, the seconds hand jumps to zero, allowing for precise setting. This is a rare, very cool “invisible complication” that I’d love to see used more often. Lastly, the NHS01 has a 72-hour power reserve, impressive for its size, and a frequency of 28,800 bph.

To stay true to Niton’s heritage as a high-end movement maker, the NHS01 meets the standards required to receive the Geneva Seal, visible just below the balance, and is chronometer-certified per ISO 3159. This is an impressive feat that shouldn’t be underplayed, both in terms of the quality of what they are trying to make, but also as a statement about the brand in general. It’s one thing to create a new movement (not to make it sound easy), and another to build it to these certifiable-standards, especially for their inaugural watch, which, according to their press release, is a first at launch for an independent.

The Niton Prima will be available in platinum and rose gold in an edition of 19 pieces per metal to celebrate Niton’s founding year. Priced at 47,750 CHF for the platinum and 44,750 CHF for the rose gold, these are firmly in the über high-end. While only an admirer of such pieces, the Prima feels like a breath of fresh air from current trends both in the indie and luxury brand space. The focus on branding alone is unique, and the playful approach to design is even more so. And for potential customers, another positive aspect is that the watches are slated to ship in the fall of this year, not in a decade, as with many others.

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