Hanowa Biel Hans Noll Age Dating
Share
Short story – who is Hanowa?
- Hanowa AG was founded in 1963 in Biel / Bienne (Switzerland) by Hans Noll .
- The name stands for "HA ns NO ll WA tches**.**
- Since 1990, Hans Noll has also run the sports brand Swiss Military Hanowa , which still exists today.
- Mechanical watches, quartz watches and chronographs were (and are) produced, mostly with purchased movements (ETA, Ronda, Sellita etc.), not manufactured in-house.
➡️ This means: There is no continuous serial number chronology like with old manufacturers.
Hanowa watches are instead dated by movement type, logo, dial design and case specifications.
Temporally identifiable phases
| Time period | Features | Types of Works / Technology |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 – 1975 | “Hanowa – Swiss Made” without any additional designation; classic men's watches, often mechanical (hand-wound) or early automatic. | ETA 2472, AS 1950, FHF 96 and similar |
| 1975 – 1985 | Beginning of the quartz era; simple designs, often rectangular cases, luminous numerals (70s style) | Ronda 705, ESA 9362 (Tuning-Fork / Quartz) |
| 1985 – 1995 | More round cases again, sporty models, many quartz movements (ETA, ISA) | ETA 955, FE 704 |
| from 1990: Swiss Military Hanowa | Logo with cross in shield + "Swiss Military Hanowa" on dial | Quartz movements Ronda 515, Swiss ISA 8170; from 2000 also automatic Sellita SW200 |
| 2000 – today | Sapphire crystal, stainless steel case, water resistance 5–10 ATM, serial number engraved on the outside | Quartz (ETA Precidrive / Ronda Z60), automatic (Sellita SW200, ETA 2824‑2) |
Work numbers & serial numbers
Hanowa often includes a serial number or reference number on the case back of newer models (from around 1985 onwards) – but no central, datable serial number series .
Here's how to read the information correctly:
- “Ref. XXXX.XX.XX” → Model reference (not year of manufacture)
- "Cal." or “Movt No.” → Work name (ETA 2824‑2, Ronda 515 etc.)
- Serial number (e.g. 123456) → internal production lot number, not publicly datable.
Work assignment
| Factory | Manufacturer | Production period | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETA 2472 / FHF 96 | mechanically | ca. 1963–1975 | early Hanowa |
| ESA 9180 / 9362 | electronic / quartz | 1970–1980 | 70s design, rectangular |
| ETA 955.112 / 955.114 | quartz | from 1983 – today | most frequent work |
| Ronda 515 / 705 | quartz | from 1990 | typical Swiss Military family of products |
| Sellita SW200 / ETA 2824-2 | Automatic | from 2000 – today | usually marked "Swiss Military Hanowa Automatic" |
Logo development (useful for initial dating)
| Time window | Logo / Marking |
|---|---|
| 1963–1970 | Only the word mark "Hanowa" in cursive script |
| 1970–1985 | Block lettering HANOWA SWISS MADE |
| 1985–1995 | Large H in a circle or H-symbol with bars |
| from 1990 (Swiss Military) | Swiss cross in shield + “SWISS MILITARY HANOWA” |
| today | Same logo with model name e.g. "Patriot", "Officer", "Flagship" |
| Engraving / Info | Type of work | Estimated year of construction |
|---|---|---|
| “Hanowa Swiss Made” – AS 1950 | mechanically | ca. 1965–1972 |
| “Hanowa Swiss Made” – ESA 9362 | electronic | ca. 1976–1979 |
| “Hanowa H” logo – ETA 955.112 | quartz | ca. 1985–1992 |
| “Swiss Military Hanowa” – Ronda 515 – 10 ATM | quartz | ca. 1995–2005 |
| “Swiss Military Hanowa Automatic” – SW200 | Automatic | from 2010 to the present |
Hans Noll came to Biel in 1961 after a diverse career in trade and took over the European sales management of a medium-sized watch factory.
In 1963, following a change in management, he left the company to start his own business with his wife. Lacking the necessary capital to purchase his own brand, he used his imagination and combined the name of the company founder, Hans Noll, with the word "watch" – thus the Hanowa brand was born.
After just a few years, Hanowa was producing watches independently and quickly gained a reputation for imaginative watches (ring watches, pendant watches, clip watches, watch sets and much more).
Over the past ten years, the company adapted to changing market trends and shifted its production to sports watches. This led to the creation of the "hw Swiss Military" brand. Shortly thereafter, its sister brand "Swiss-Eagle" followed, targeting the same audience but offering special, exclusive models.
Source: Watchwiki, AI
