Schaefer & Companions - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

Schaefer & Companions is a Swiss watch house established in 2024 in Le Locle by Christophe Schaefer; it has carved out a niche in contemporary métiers d’art, where artisans—enamel, engraving, marquetry, micro-painting—create dials to order, while assembly and distribution are coordinated from Switzerland’s Jura (Alle) with a partner showroom in Geneva.

Faceted Solune case and the “Antarctica” story: a deliberate object language

The opening design chapter revolves around the faceted Solune case in 904L steel, a double-domed sapphire, and the treatment of the dial as a canvas, so the watch is worn as much as it is contemplated — the aim is a “wearable art piece” that still passes the test of daily use.

The “Antarctica” theme provides the narrative line: ice, frozen waves, horizon whites; it informs an “Infinity” dial geometry (tensed arcs) conceived to host either a full-enamel face or a 12 mm medallion at 6 o’clock, and this visual language standardises variation while preserving a clear brand signature.

Proportions (43 mm diameter, ~11.4 mm thick, ~49.3 mm lug-to-lug, 5 ATM) target balance between presence and wearability; 904L steel enables crisp polished/matte/bead-blasted contrasts, and multi-layer anti-reflective coating keeps legibility clean despite depth.

Grand feu enamel and the “medallion”: Fabienne Remonnay and light-matter

Two approaches coexist: a full-dial “Grand Art” enamel and a “Medallion Enamel” variant that concentrates the art into a 12 mm disc at 6; in both, master enameller Fabienne Remonnay laminates crumpled silver foil under enamel to evoke polar textures, and each piece is unique through the folds’ relief and translucence.

Grand feu requires repeated firings north of 800 °C with high risk of checks or bubbles; the artist tunes thickness, transparency and hue to reach the intended effect, which makes iteration part of the craft, and the finished dial couples colour permanence with optical depth.

The medallion version “widens access” by focusing enamel into a smaller field; the remainder of the dial bears an “Eclipse” engraving/guilloché that plays with light without cluttering the read-out, and the setup creates a stepped entry into métiers d’art according to the collector’s appetite.

Disciplined mechanics: ETA 2892-A2 Top grade, star rotor or hand-painted

Solune models use ETA’s 2892-A2 automatic in Top grade (4 Hz, 42 h, stated ~±7 s/day), selected for thinness and reliability; the brand offers either a star-shaped open-worked rotor or a hand-painted disc by a companion artist, and this lets the artistic narrative continue on the back.

Indications are hours and minutes (with a stylised seconds treatment depending on series), prioritising calm visuals; finishing includes perlage, blued screws and anti-fingerprint surfaces on the mid-case for tidy day-to-day handling, and technique supports the stage rather than stealing it.

Choosing the 2892-A2 is not a compromise: it ensures straightforward servicing and steady rate while freeing space for the “stage” up front, and this split of roles—art in front, reliability in back—defines the brand’s identity.

Personalisation, materials and wear: natural or dark-grey 904L, strap options

The 904L case comes in natural steel or a dark-grey IP6 treatment, mixing polished edges with matte and bead-blasted faces; the “cubist” geometry hugs the wrist thanks to softened ridges and mindful lug junctions, and cuff-friendliness comes from controlled height and disciplined domes.

Straps—Apple leather, nubuck or Alcantara—tune the look from restrained to richly textured; width (21 mm → 18 mm at buckle) gives stance without bulk, and owners can match material and tone to the dial to reinforce the story.

At order, the brand offers pragmatic customisation (rotor type, case tone, Medallion vs Grand Art) on lead times of a few weeks; delivery pace depends on the art atelier, and stage-by-stage traceability accompanies each piece’s creation.

“Solune Antarctica” range: readings, audiences and real-world uses

The range is easy to parse: Schaefer & Companions Solune Grand Art for a fully enamelled dial, and Schaefer & Companions Solune Medallion Enamel for a 12 mm disc at 6 on an “Eclipse” ground; the former is a statement piece, the latter a calmer daily read, and the choice turns on how much visual intensity you want.

• Schaefer & Companions Solune Grand Art — full enamel dial, 904L steel, 43 × 11.4 mm, ~49.3 mm L2L, 5 ATM, ETA 2892-A2 Top, star rotor or hand-painted rotor.
• Schaefer & Companions Solune Medallion Enamel — 12 mm enamel disc at 6, engraved “Eclipse” ground, same case/movement foundations.

On wrist, the Grand Art reads more immersive while the Medallion preserves negative space; both keep “glance-read” clarity via high-contrast astral hands, and the hours/minutes hierarchy stays crisp despite material drama.

Practically, pick by use first: frequent desk-to-leisure wear (Medallion) or a conversation piece (Grand Art); then case tone and rotor follow, and finally strap by season, and this flow avoids choosing on colour alone.

Positioning, prices, channels and footing: comparatively “accessible” craft

As of 29 August 2025, listed prices are around CHF 3,600 for Schaefer & Companions Solune Medallion Enamel and CHF 5,800 for Schaefer & Companions Solune Grand Art; press references in GBP land nearby, and the art-content-to-price ratio is pitched as competitive against far costlier métiers-d’art peers.

Distribution mixes direct online sales, a partner showroom in central Geneva (Watch Makers United, Rue Pierre-Fatio 5) and editorial collaborations; operational HQ and logistics are referenced in Alle (Jura), and the legal entity Wonderful Times SA steers the brand.

Annual volumes are undisclosed (limited by nature); the brand highlights piece-by-piece ordering, stage communication and the addition of other crafts (engraving, straw marquetry, micro-painting) over the year, and this paced calendar grows the line without scattering it.

The addressable audience: fans of worked dials, collectors curious about “wearable art” at a measured budget, buyers who value workshop transparency; the upgradable back-side rotor doubles down on personalisation, and serviceability of the 2892 reassures for long-term wear.

Conclusion

Schaefer & Companions speaks to anyone seeking a legitimate dial-as-canvas made by named hands, backed by a proven Swiss movement. The 904L Solune case provides the planes and angles to trap light, while Fabienne Remonnay’s enamel anchors a strong narrative. To choose well, start with your tolerance for visual intensity (Grand Art vs Medallion), your case tone (natural vs dark-grey) and the role of the rotor (open-worked star vs hand-painted disc). The result is a readable, customisable and coherent offer in the métiers-d’art space. Before committing, square your impressions with Dialicious customer reviews.

(Updated August 2025)