ARMIN STROM proves mastery in skeletonising in new releases
The Swiss independent watch brand ARMIN STROM enters the year 2016 with full of hope, determination and dedication in excelling further into the craft of fine watchmaking, and showcases its sheer expertise in the art of skeletonising with the latest additions to its growing collections
The history of the renowned Swiss independent watch brand ARMIN STROM began in 1967 when its founder and namesake of the brand, Armin Strom, a highly skilled and innovative budding watchmaker, opened his own shop in the Altstadt (Old Town) area of Burgdorf in Switzerland. The passionate craftsman moved from trading and repairing watches when he realised his exceptional talent at mastering the art of skeletonising.
From then on, his business flourished with international recognition most specifically from the presentation of its first collection at the 1984 edition of the Basel Watch and Jewellery Fair. His sheer talent and expertise in skeletonising – removing all the parts of the movement which have no active function for its operation – has been the ethos that distinguished the brand’s timepieces up until today.
A major turnaround happened in 2006 when the founder Armin Strom sold the firm to the Michel family in 2006 and officially retired in 2011. The company has then been growing with the vision of owner Serge Michel and company director and chief horologist Claude Greisler, who have turned the founder's renown in skeletonising into a guiding force for the Biel/Bienne-based firm. Michel and Greisler transformed the firm's watchmaking capabilities by establishing a full-scale, vertical Manufacture in 2008.
In 2009, the business moved into a new, large production facility in the watchmaking town of Biel, and presented its first in-house Manufacture Calibre that same year. Since that time, ARMIN STROM has developed and produced nine in-house movements, including a micro-rotor tourbillon.
This year, despite the challenging period faced by many brands, ARMIN STROM commits to expanding its watchmaking team, bolstering after-sales service, and signing new authorized retailers around the world. In addition, it unveils two remarkable timepieces that mark the new era in its superb hand craftsmanship and tradition of Swiss watchmaking while pursuing technical innovation.
Edge Double Barrel
This 2016, ARMIN STROM ushers in a new era with the limited edition Edge Double Barrel by opening creative possibilities for the firm's transparent aesthetic for years to come. From its striking movement design to larger case size, the manual-wind wristwatch brings a vigorous intensity and gutsier attitude to the brand.
Edge Double Barrel's skeletonised ARM16 calibre features unusual geometric and angular components. Featuring 34 jewels, the calibre beats at 18,000 A/h and ensures long power reserve with a minimum of 8 days.
On one hand, the watch’s spider-shaped crown wheels visually dominate the dial, complemented by large Arabic numeral hour indicators and the 60-second register with power reserve indicator. Unconventional cross-grinding decoration of the hand-beveled bridges intensifies the watch's industrial feel. The bezel is enhanced with a series of cutouts. The larger 46.80mm diameter provides more depth and dimensionality to the calibre.
Looking further into the timepiece’s aesthetics would reveal the black with white/silver indices and numerals as well as its stainless steel hands. Meanwhile, the massive case in stainless steel PVD black, complemented by the sapphire crystal and caseback with anti-reflective treatment, is water resistant up to 50 metres.
Fitted with a black alligator strap and double-fold clasp in stainless steel PVD black, the limited edition Edge Double Barrel is available to only 100 pieces.
Tourbillon Skeleton Collection
While very few Manufactures are capable of producing tourbillons, fully skeletonising one heightened the technical challenge and necessitated the design of a new movement from scratch. With the new Tourbillon Skeleton collection, ARMIN STROM has compounded the technical challenge of skeletonising the tourbillon, and has created a new timepiece specially designed to highlight its technical prowess.
Ultimately the skeletonising enhances the movement's mechanical artistry, with PVD colourisation of the main plate emphasising the calibre's layered construction. Along with the constant rotation of the tourbillon, the animation of the double going barrel while the watch is wound is open for observation.
The ARMIN STROM Tourbillon Skeleton Collection are available in the brand's signature elements of Fire (18k rose gold), Water, Air and Earth. Offered in a limited edition of 50 pieces per model, the Tourbillon Skeleton Collection varies according to its case material and strap. The Tourbillon Skeleton Earth comes with stainless steel PVD black and a genuine black alligator horn-back strap with an additional black rubber strap. The Tourbillon Skeleton Water flaunts its stainless steel and genuine dark blue alligator horn-back strap that comes with an additional dark blue rubber strap.
Meanwhile, the Tourbillon Skeleton Air is available in titanium case fitted with a genuine grey or white alligator horn-back strap, and comes with an additional grey or white rubber strap. The Tourbillon Skeleton Fire, on one hand, has its case made of 18 carat rose gold paired with genuine brown alligator horn-back strap and alternatively with the additional brown rubber strap.
Water resistant up to 50 metres, the collection also boasts its sapphire crystal and caseback with anti-reflective treatment. The dials of all the models come in sapphire with founded appliques and stainless hands except for the Fire which is available with rose gold hands.
Featuring hours, minutes, small seconds and tourbillon, this collection takes its power from the manual winding fully skeletonised movement, ARMIN STROM calibre ATC11-S. With 24 jewels, the exclusive calibre beats at 18,000 A/h and provides a generous power reserve of 10 days.
