Chopin Watches debuted in Warsaw on 26 April 2019 with the Op. 10 No. 12, a 56-piece mechanical watch built around Frédéric Chopin’s “Revolutionary” Étude. Designed by Antoine Tschumi with Swiss manufacture Schwarz Etienne, it paired a 43 mm steel case and a 96-hour manual-winding movement with details drawn from the composer’s music and life. Its launch price was €12,750 or CHF 14,500; those are historical prices, not current offers.
What Chopin Watches introduced in 2019
The brand’s first watch was unveiled in Warsaw on 26 April 2019 at the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Monochrome Watches’ launch report identifies Polish entrepreneur Michal Dunin and partner Maciej Maslak as the people behind the project, which began in 2015. The report also notes their earlier involvement in reviving the historic Polish watch company Błonie, beginning in 2012.
Antoine Tschumi designed the Op. 10 No. 12, with Swiss watch manufacture Schwarz Etienne providing the watchmaking and movement expertise. According to the launch report, Chopin Watches secured an exclusive license from the Institute to use the composer’s name and produce 56 watches in 2019. Dunin told Monochrome that the Institute helped select the étude and gave the team access to museum objects, including a pocket watch presented to Chopin by Angelica Catalani in 1820 and letters from 1831. These are details reported by Monochrome; they are not independently confirmed here by the Institute.
How the watch refers to Chopin and the Revolutionary Étude
The name points to Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12, widely known as the “Revolutionary” Étude. Monochrome connects the piece to the failed November Uprising of 1830–31 and Chopin’s response to events in Poland. The watch turns that story into a set of specific visual and mechanical references.
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- 10 and 12: These are the dial’s only Arabic numerals, referring to the opus and étude number.
- Signature at 12 o’clock: A plaque bearing Chopin’s signature anchors the top of the dial.
- Keyboard-shaped power reserve: The piano-key motif is functional, indicating the movement’s remaining reserve rather than serving only as decoration.
- Red carnelian: A red stone rims the small-seconds display. Monochrome says the color evokes the uprising and Chopin’s heart, which was returned to Warsaw and buried in a pillar of Holy Cross Church.
- Engraved case sides: Crosshatched decoration takes inspiration from the guilloché on the Catalani pocket watch, as described in the launch report.
- Manuscript-inspired movement text: The bridges and barrels carry engraved text drawn from manuscript and biographical material. The Naked Watchmaker describes the bridge inscriptions as laser-engraved, then finished to resemble parchment and rhodium-treated.
- Red balance wheel: The color motif continues inside the movement.
Monochrome reports that the upper barrel bears the inscription, “Time is the best censor and patience the most perfect of teachers”. That is an inscription reported on the watch, not a quotation independently established here as coming from a specific Chopin letter or speech.
Specifications and movement
The following figures are those reported by Monochrome at launch. The later DESA Unicum catalog also lists the 43 mm diameter and 96-hour reserve for the example it cataloged in 2022.
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- Precise Time Keeping:Automatical Mechanial Self-Winding Movement, provide precise and accurate time keeping. Fully winded, the power reserve of your watch can reach 36 hours.
- Stainless steel case with a black leather strap. Fixed bezel.Date display at the 3 o'clock position. Automatic movement.
- Fashion Casual Design: Analog display design with 12 Arabic numerals, very easy to read time. Leather band with the simplicity of business casual. Also make it a great gift for family or friends.
- Waterproof For Daily Use: Mildly Water Resistant NOTE:Only resistant splash or drip, not suitable for shower, swimming and diving. Too much water contact or usage in extreme Hot or Cold temperature will shorter watch life.
- Comfort: The strap is soft and comfortable and environmental friendly.
| Feature | Launch specification |
|---|---|
| Case | 43 mm, 316L stainless steel, polished and brushed |
| Crystal | Sapphire front and back |
| Water resistance | 50 m |
| Dial | Openworked, with sandblasted bridges, keyboard-shaped power-reserve indicator, carnelian-red small-seconds rim and blued Breguet-style hands |
| Strap and clasp | Black alligator strap with steel butterfly clasp |
| Movement | Schwarz Etienne MSE 210, manual winding, with two parallel barrels |
| Power reserve | 96 hours |
| Frequency | 3 Hz / 21,600 vibrations per hour |
| Components and jewels | 197 components and 37 jewels |
Monochrome says the calibre has an in-house balance wheel and hairspring and is based on Schwarz Etienne’s MSE 100.00. The Naked Watchmaker explains the construction in practical terms: a mainplate supports the components, while bridges secure them from above. Here, those bridges also provide the surface for the cursive, manuscript-derived inscriptions; the publication credits Schwarz Etienne with movement specialist work for the watch.
The 96-hour reserve also has a commemorative explanation. Monochrome says the brand linked it to the 96th anniversary of Chopin’s death, when his heart was buried in Warsaw. That is the reported design rationale, not an additional technical specification.
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- Material: Mechanical movement, mineral strengthened glass mirror, the case is made of stainless steel and the strap is made of High grade leathe.
- Measuare: Band length: 18.5cm/7.39inch, dial diameter: 41mm/1.6inch, dial thickness: 15mm/0.6inch.
- 30M waterproof, Daily waterproofing to prevent water splashing. But not suitable for bathing and swimming.
- Classic and fashionable desgin, PU leather strap, suitable for any occasion.
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Edition size, launch price and later auction record
Chopin Watches announced a limited run of 56 pieces at €12,750 or CHF 14,500 apiece. Those prices were published at launch in 2019. The launch report mentioned online availability through a dedicated Chopin Watches website, but that does not establish whether the website, stock or retail availability continues today.
A later catalog provides a documentary reference, but not a confirmed sale price. DESA Unicum’s catalog for its Warsaw watch auction on 19 December 2022 listed example number 42 of 56. It described the watch as unworn, with box, papers and warranty, and gave an estimate of PLN 60,000–100,000, or €14,900–21,300. An estimate is not evidence of a completed transaction or a current market value.
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What to check when assessing a surviving example
The 2022 catalog documents one example, not the condition or price of every watch in the edition. For a specific watch, the useful evidence is the individual example’s provenance and condition:
- Edition and provenance: Confirm the edition number and look for documentation connecting the watch to its history.
- Completeness and condition: Check whether the box, papers and warranty are present, and assess the watch’s actual condition rather than relying on another catalog’s description.
- Movement originality and service: Ask for documentation of servicing and any work that could affect originality.
- Price evidence: Compare the asking price with verified completed-sale records, not just auction estimates or launch pricing.
The available documentation establishes the launch specifications and one auction estimate, but does not establish present-day availability or a current market price.
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