Independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen made the hand-guilloché salmon mainplate that now sits beneath the transparent sapphire dial of Armin Strom’s Gravity Equal Force.
Armin Strom introduces the Gravity Equal Force “Ultimate Sapphire Salmon”, made in a limited series of 25 pieces a year. Like its blue predecessor, it belongs to the System 78 collection.
The salmon mainplate is PVD-coated and set in a stainless steel case, on a grey nubuck strap with matching stitching. Through the grey-toned, off-centre sapphire dial, the eye goes straight to the movement. Calibre ASB19 winds automatically with a micro-rotor. Armin Strom says it was the first to combine a stop-work declutch inside the barrel with a micro-rotor, keeping the force delivered to the balance wheel constant.
Every component is decorated by hand at the brand’s manufacture in Biel/Bienne, with bevelled and polished bridges and black-polished screws. As with all Armin Strom watches, each piece is assembled twice – once for precision, and again after decoration.
The result is a dial that behaves like a small window: look past the salmon guilloché and the mechanism keeping time is right there, visible rather than hidden.
The Basics
Brand: Armin Strom
Model: Gravity Equal Force “Ultimate Sapphire Salmon”
Reference: ST24-GEF.SAL
Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 12.65mm
Case material: Stainless steel
Dial: Grey-toned off-centre sapphire crystal with subdial; salmon PVD mainplate with guilloché pattern by Kari Voutilainen; rhodium hands with Super-LumiNova®
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Strap: Grey nubuck with grey stitching and keepers; stainless steel folding clasp
Limited edition: 25 pieces per year
The Movement
Calibre: Armin Strom Manufacture Caliber ASB19, automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator
Winding: Automatic with micro-rotor; patented equal force barrel
Power reserve: Geneva stop-work limited to 72 hours
Frequency: 3.5Hz (25,200 vph)
Jewels: 28
Images courtesy of Armin Strom.