Sultana

Sultana is a watch brand tracing its roots to 1935 and currently owned by Free Town Watch Products of Hong Kong.

History

The Sultana Watch Company, Ltd. was founded in 1935 in La Chaux-de-Fonds by Gaston Schwarz, part of the Schwarz family also known for Venus watches and movements and Astin brand. The company was merged with Le Phare in 1950 to become Le Phare-Sultana SA, a name that would remain for 70 years. Both firms were based in the same town and both included members of the Schwarz family of watchmakers. Both brands operated independently for decades, but often shared a single booth at major watch fairs, with La Phare on one side and Sultana on the other. In the 1960s, Sultana also used the brand Carsic in certain markets.

The Sultana brand was not widely used by the combined company until it was re-launched after the 1991 acquisition of La Phare-Sultana by Renley Watch Manufacturing of Hong Kong. The Sultana brand continued until at least 2017, again sharing a booth at BaselWorld that year. Renley became Free Town in the 2000s.