The Etien T-02 is all about the dial. Okay, maybe not just the dial. After all, the case is nicely done, it has a very fine Swiss movement, and the strap is quite lovely, but that shimmering blue guillioché steals the show.
Etien achieves this using Flinqué Enamel over a German Silver base. Despite the name, German Silver is not silver but an alloy of copper, nickel, and brass that has a warm silver color that yellows over time. This surface is machined with a mesmerizing, radiating pattern and then treated with translucent, colored enamel that is hand applied and fired in multiple layers until the desired effect is obtained. Flawed enamel cannot be saved, so any error starts the process again. It is the same enameling technique Peter Carl Fabergré used on his eggs, and as you can see, the result is stunning.
On the first Etiens, the designers went all in on the dial. There was no branding, and the markers were banished to the rehaut. The T-02 changes things by adding a brushed German Silver ring engraved to carry the numbers, markers, and brand name. It vastly improves readability over the earlier model and shifts the overall appearance from dressy to sporty, although, you may want to go light on the sports. The sapphire crystals will hold up, but there is no lume, and water resistance is just 50m, fine for daily wear but not for submersion.
While I prefer the new look to the previous, number-free approach, I do have reservations about the branding. It is positioned at 6 o’clock, and the typeface matches the style and size of the numbers, and yet, it leaves me cold. The utilitarian typeface seems a bit prosaic next to that lush and fanciful blue surface. I wish the logo had some flourish, perhaps serifs or some variance in line weight.
The watch has a round, stainless steel case with a curved bezel. All of it is polished, presenting a sharp contrast to the brushed layer atop the dial. It measures 39mm wide, 45.5mm long, and a scant 8mm thick. The crown is unadorned and generously sized, which is a good thing because the hand-winding movement ensures that you will use it often.
Flip the case over for a look at the ETA 7001 inside (21.6k BPH). It’s not fancy, but it is nice to see it in motion, particularly since the T-02 has only two polished leaf hands and no second hand. It is all business back here, with exposed screw heads, and that tidy little gem of a movement humming away. There is no text or serial number, just clean circular brushing. Getting back to my critique of the dial, I’d suggest that there is plenty of room back here to place the Etien brand name, and doing so would have made for a more harmonious face.
On my 6.75″ wrist, I found the Etien T-02 wore quite well. It is a modest size that still packs a punch, thanks to that mesmerizing dial. Its vanishingly low profile makes it a natural choice for buttoned cuffs. Note, however, the prominent crown. I would have preferred a lower profile or a rounded shape to better match the soft lines of the case. As it is, the cylindrical shape underscores the industrial appearance of the brushed ring, creating an interesting tension between the T-02’s dress and sport elements.
The review sample arrived on a 20mm strap of blue Crazy Horse leather. It features a calfskin lining and quick-release pins. I thought the strap’s deeper shade of blue complemented the brighter blue dial, and I loved its aged appearance.
Etien works in small batches with the final assembly performed in Singapore. There will be only a limited number of T-02s made in each of three colors: Ice Blue (10 pieces), Olive Green (10), and the Blue featured here (50). Lots of watchmakers toss around the term “limited edition” when the limit is only as many as they can afford to shovel out the door, but when a brand makes only 50 units and that’s for their high volume model, you know they are serious.
You can purchase an Etien T-02 directly from the brand for $1,450 US. That is not cheap, but the watch is gorgeous and when you consider the painstaking process to create that dial, its price is not at all unreasonable. For more information, visit etien.watch.
