Niton announces the official relaunch of one of Geneva’s most distinguished watchmaking names from the 1920s, marking the rebirth of Manufacture des Montres Niton S.A. with the introduction of its first contemporary timepiece.

More than a century after the brand’s founding, the revival is led by seasoned professionals Leopoldo Celi and Yvan Ketterer, united by a shared ambition to carry Niton’s singular legacy forward.

The new creation builds upon Niton’s iconic digital jump-hour display registered in 1928, now reinterpreted with a new in-house Geneva Seal grade caliber, crafted in a strictly limited edition of two series of 19 pieces.

More than a century after its founding, Niton reawakens its heritage with an ambitious relaunch. Under the stewardship of co-owners Yvan Ketterer and Leopoldo Celi, the brand honors its roots while charting a bold future in fine watchmaking, one that celebrates meaningful objects, emotional resonance, and artistic ingenuity.

The rediscovery of Niton was both recent and serendipitous. While conducting genealogical research, Yvan Ketterer came across George Ketterer, a distant relative who had served as President of Vacheron & Constantin and was once involved in Niton. Recognizing its historical and creative potential, he took the decision to register the brand, which was no longer protected.

Yvan Ketterer soon shared this discovery with Leopoldo Celi, with whom he shares a deep curiosity and an ongoing dialogue around watchmaking. Both immediately recognized Niton as a rare gem, a brand endowed with everything required for a meaningful revival in today’s context: a rich history, a strong identity, and genuine creative potential. For over a year, the two founders engaged in open, unconstrained discussions, exploring narratives, possibilities, and creative directions before committing to the relaunch of the brand.

During this formative period, a defining moment sealed their decision: together, they acquired a rare Niton jump-hour from the 1920s. More than a collector’s acquisition, this watch became a shared commitment, a tangible link to Niton’s origins and a decisive turning point that confirmed their intent to move forward with the project. Today, this historic piece stands as the very first watch in Niton’s museum, embodying both the brand’s legacy and the beginning of its modern renaissance.

Yvan and Leopoldo agreed to approach this revival collaboratively and with a singular vision: not to break away from Niton’s heritage, nor to replicate it through re-editions, but rather to capture the spirit of the brand’s original creators, and to reinterpret their philosophy for the present day.

Each watch is conceived to surprise, move, and offer a fresh perspective on watchmaking. Guided by conviction rather than trends, the creation follows a design language guided by purity in which every detail has a purpose and where simplicity becomes a signature. Craftsmanship is never ostentatious; it serves emotion and meaning. Niton aims to builds a coherent, enduring brand, one capable of creating lasting value. This vision is realized within a close circle of trusted partners and collaborators who share the same standards and the same passion for excellence.

Marking the first chapter of the new Niton era, PRIMA is a strictly limited collection of 38 timepieces, 19 in platinum and 19 in rose gold, a symbolic reference to the year of the Maison’s founding. Each watch features a refined jump-hour complication, a historical hallmark of Niton and a defining expression of its creative and technical identity.

Registered in 1928, Niton’s signature jump-hour display offers a distinctive decomposition of time, blending digital and analog indications in a composition that is both artistic and precision-driven, evoking the clarity of regulator displays. The architecture is organized around a central totem structure: a digital hour aperture positioned at twelve o’clock, a rotating central disc for the minutes, and a sweeping seconds hand at six o’clock, a layout designed to maximize legibility while emphasizing mechanical rhythm.

The design of the timepiece is governed by a precise and coherent visual language encapsulated in the brand’s signature “ART+PRECISION”. Mechanical rigor defines the watch’s proportions, constraints, and chronometric performances, while artistic sensibility creates volumes and emotion.

By embracing constraints as creative drivers, the design distills multiple influences into a clear, purposeful form. While references to Bauhaus and Art Deco are perceptible in the balance of geometry, function, and proportion, the inspiration behind the new Niton extends well beyond traditional horology. The watch draws from graphic design, industrial design, and mechanical structures across eras, where machines themselves become instruments of expression.

Extending the dialogue between mechanical rigor and aesthetic expression, the movement embodies a clear “form follows function” philosophy. In line with Niton’s legacy of form calibers, the movement was developed specifically for this timepiece, adopting a rounded rectangular architecture that responds precisely to the design and proportions of the case. The result is a movement of strong visual identity, characterized by innovative bridge geometries, a clean construction free of visible bridge screws, and traditional Geneva details including a black polished blade ratchet click.

The in-house caliber NHS01 is crafted to meet the exacting standards of both the Geneva Seal and Chronometer certification ISO 3159. With this achievement, Niton becomes the first independent brand to bear both distinctions at launch, setting an exceptionally high benchmark in terms of provenance, quality, and chronometry. The manually wound caliber offers a guaranteed 72-hour power reserve and operates on a reliable Swiss lever escapement, variable-inertia balance, and Breguet overcoil hairspring.

The Geneva Seal is a state-controlled certification established in 1886 to safeguard the authenticity of local watchmaking, with exceptionally strict regulations, requiring that all components be designed, manufactured, assembled, adjusted, and registered in the Canton of Geneva, while strictly prohibiting any raw or unfinished machined parts. Every element must be fully finished according to defined criteria.

Enhancing the user experience are two discreet yet meaningful complications: a hour-striking mechanism that produces a subtle mechanical sound at each hour change, achieved by a hammer striking a hand-soldered copper gong integrated into the inner flank of the case, and a stop-to-zero mechanism that halts the seconds hand at the end of its revolution during time-setting for precise synchronization.

Originally established in Geneva in 1919 by watchmaker Auguste Jeannet and former Vacheron & Constantin employees Alfred Bourquin and Edouard Morel, Niton quickly became renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship and innovative movements. The company built a reputation for artistic mechanical excellence, specializing in ultra-thin calibers, form movements, and elegantly finished watches that embodied art and precision.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Niton served as a trusted movement supplier to some of the most respected names in watchmaking, including Patek Philippe, Cartier, Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels, Gübelin and others alongside producing complete bespoke timepieces for prestigious jewelers throughout Europe and the United States, a testament to its technical pedigree and aesthetic vision.

Over the years, Niton stood among the manufactures submitting the highest number of movements to the Geneva Seal certification, proof of its commitment to precision and quality. The brand consistently ranked among the top three performers in chronometry competitions, affirming its technical excellence. In parallel, Niton began signing its own Montres de Genève, notably distinguished by a registered jump-hour display introduced in 1928, a complication that combined mechanical ingenuity with avant-garde design and would become a defining hallmark of the brand.

The Niton name itself is deeply rooted in Swiss heritage, deriving from the Pierres du Niton, iconic rocks in Geneva’s harbor that serve as a national geodetic reference point, symbolizing stability, precision, and Swiss identity.

Like many Swiss manufactures of the era, Niton faced economic headwinds during the global crises of the late 1930s and mid-century industrial shifts. In 1938, production rights were sold to Ébauches S.A., formerly known today as ETA, part of the Swatch Group. In 1957 the brand was acquired by Carlo Sarzano, founder of Sarcar S.A., who continued production of quality gold-cased watches. In 1971, Niton merged with Sarcar, leading to the brand’s quiet disappearance from the global market, yet its legacy endured among collectors and historians.

As the brand gradually receded from the market, Niton entered a long period of dormancy, its name no longer present in contemporary production yet far from forgotten. Over the decades, original Niton timepieces became increasingly rare, their presence limited to a handful of auction appearances and the private collections of the most discerning connoisseurs. Today, Niton watches are regarded as true collector’s grails, celebrated for their mechanical originality, historical significance, and aesthetic purity, preserving a sense of uniqueness and prestige that has only intensified with time.

Curiosity, creativity and authenticity have shaped Yvan Ketterer’s path in the world of fine watchmaking. Today, as co-owner of Niton alongside Leopoldo Celi, he places three decades of experience at the service of his brand.

Born in the canton of Neuchâtel, Yvan Ketterer grew up in an environment where watchmaking was a common thread. His family history is closely tied to the discipline, so much so that the invention of the cuckoo clock is attributed to a Ketterer. On his father’s side, both a great-grandfather and a grandfather, themselves watchmakers, introduced him early to the pleasures of precision mechanics. His father, passionate about electronics and working on atomic clocks, opened his eyes to a more contemporary, technical understanding of precision, leading Yvan in 1985 to study electronic device design at technical school. On his mother’s side, a great-grandfather who was an alpinist and a grandfather who was both a physician and historian shaped his imagination, reinforcing his attraction to a profession where applied effort could never be separated from meaning and substance. This orientation became a commitment following a serious car accident, an event that proved decisive and prompted him to join the world of watchmaking, guided by a deeply held conviction: “if life is so short, it might as well be spent living one’s passions.”

“Not a designer, but a creator,” a master builder rather than a product manager, Yvan Ketterer conceives, orchestrates and delegates the execution of the objects he imagines. For the past fifteen years, he has explored a wide range of projects as an independent, developing watches for other brands. This freedom followed a twenty-year career that included ten years at Girard-Perregaux as Director of Creation and Product, and similar roles at Tissot, Jean Richard and Valgine, following his early beginnings as a watchmaker at Zenith. At Valgine, he notably collaborated with Richard Mille during his tenure at Mauboussin. A graduate of WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program), he studied alongside figures such as Kari Voutilainen, the Grönefeld brothers and Stepan Sarpaneva. Over the course of these experiences, he refined his signature: functional restraint, a taste for purity, and volumes capable of evoking emotion “because it is through restraint that truly lasting creations are born. An insatiably curious mind, he later complemented his technical background with a degree in marketing. Passionate about the Roaring Twenties, Bauhaus ideals, vintage automobiles and architecture, he continually balances his high-end philosophy with the constraints inherent to creation. From concept and development to manufacturing, subcontracting and assembly, the entire watchmaking process holds no secrets for him.

Sometimes encouraged to launch a watch brand bearing his own name, Yvan Ketterer consistently declined, remaining faithful to his principles of “discretion, humility and reserve.” Yet the ambition to create a brand of his own had always been there. It took an unexpected encounter, described as a “true love at first sight”, for the project to become self-evident. In 2024, he registered Niton, one of the great names of Geneva watchmaking in the 1920s, reviving the brand alongside his associate and friend Leopoldo Celi. Together, they now place their complementary skills and expertise at the service of this venture, guided by a shared conviction: “I have always approached my projects with the long term in mind, Niton and its iconic timepieces will be no exception.”

Entrepreneurial spirit, refined taste and instinctive flair have earned Leopoldo Celi a respected place in the world of watchmaking. Today, as co-owner of Niton alongside Yvan Ketterer, he brings to the brand a clearly defined vision and a positioning.

Leopoldo Celi is shaped by contrasts. Italian by origin, raised in France and now based in Switzerland, he was seemingly destined for a career within major luxury groups — before choosing instead to step away and build a watch brand of his own. A marketing and communication specialist driven by genuine passion, he went so far as to return to school to train as a watchmaker, convinced that “only by truly understanding a product can one tell its story without betraying it.” This balance between seemingly opposite forces is deeply rooted in his upbringing as well, shaped by the dual influence of a father who was an engineer and a mother who taught art history.

His professional journey began at LVMH in 2011, where he worked alongside iconic Maisons such as Moët & Chandon, Hennessy and Veuve Clicquot. There, he developed a taste for challenge and a love of meaningful narratives “stories with heritage and substance can never ring hollow.” A lover of beautiful objects and already a watch collector, he built his expertise across communication, public relations and events. Yet the corporate world could not contain his growing passion for watchmaking.

His first entrepreneurial venture came in 2017 with the launch of Fugue, an ambitious and bold project that plunged him headfirst into the professional watch industry, an unfamiliar terrain at the time. The experience ultimately led him to Switzerland, where he continued to refine his expertise through key roles at Bucherer in 2020, Audemars Piguet in 2021, Girard-Perregaux in 2022, and since 2024 alongside independent watchmaker Dominique Renaud. From retail to brand activations, communication and marketing leadership, he steadily sharpened his perspective, led complex launches, built strategic partnerships and refined his intuition among the very best.

Often challenging the traditional codes of the watch industry, Leopoldo Celi has now returned, armed with maturity and experience, to his entrepreneurial roots, determined to make Niton a meaningful presence in fine watchmaking. Together with co-founder and creative force Yvan Ketterer, he brings fresh momentum to a name steeped in mystery, excellence and historical depth. “Niton is not simply a relaunch,” he explains. “It is a mission, a responsibility to preserve a century-old name whose heritage belongs to watchmaking history.” A challenge of considerable scale, one perfectly matched to his experience, determination and vision. Longtime friends, Celi and Ketterer form a partnership defined by balance, between eras, cultures and sensibilities.

Limited edition	:	19 pieces Individually numbered (xx/19) on the movement
Case	:	Platinum
Finish	:	Satin and polish
Dimensions	:	27 x 35.50 mm
Lug-to-lug	:	42 mm
Lug width	:	19 mm
Thickness	:	7.9 mm
Glasses	:	Anti-reflective sapphire crysta
Water resistance	:	3 ATM
Dial	:	Rhodium-plated opaline dial base, with applied blue metallic hour markers Rhodium-plated opaline hour disc, with applied blue metallic hour numerals Azuré minute disc with a blue metallic applied hand Blue metallic seconds hand
Movement	:	In-house manual wound caliber NHS01 Striking jump hour mechanism Hour, minute and second indication Stop-to-zero time setting function
Power reserve	:	72 hours minimum
Balance	:	Variable inertia 8gr/cm²
Frequency	:	4Hz - 28,800 bph
Hairspring	:	Breguet overcoil
Conception	:	Geneva Seal and ISO 3159 Chronometer standard
Bracelet	:	Grained calf leather
Width	:	19 mm to 18 mm
Clasp	:	Pin buckle Platinum Width: 18 mm
Price	:	47,750 CHF excl. VAT

Limited edition	:	19 pieces Individually numbered (xx/19) on the movement
Case	:	Platinum or rose gold
Finish	:	Satin and polish
Dimensions	:	27 x 35.50 mm
Lug-to-lug	:	42 mm
Lug width	:	19 mm
Thickness	:	7.9 mm
Glasses	:	Anti-reflective sapphire crysta
Water resistance	:	3 ATM
Dial	:	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
Movement	:	In-house manual wound caliber NHS01 Striking jump hour mechanism Hour, minute and second indication Stop-to-zero time setting function
Power reserve	:	72 hours minimum
Balance	:	Variable inertia 8gr/cm²
Frequency	:	4Hz - 28,800 bph
Hairspring	:	Breguet overcoil
Conception	:	Geneva Seal and ISO 3159 Chronometer standard
Bracelet	:	Grained calf leather
Width	:	19 mm to 18 mm
Clasp	:	Pin buckle Rose gold of platinum Width: 18 mm
Price	:	44,750 CHF excl. VAT