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Armin strom sets the tone in the realm of transparent mechanics with the Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple

MAY 06 2024    |    Novelties

Armin Strom fuses masterful mechanics with a bold chromatic twist, unveiling its latest Ultimate Sapphire Edition. The iconic Gravity Equal Force now sports a striking purple guilloché-engraved mainplate by Kari Voutilainen. 

Armin Strom’s System 78 collection represents the independent manufacture’s purest expression of innovative haute horlogerie. Within it, the classical codes of watchmaking are revisited to bring about new functions and solutions, while also expressing the brand’s unique aesthetic sensibilities. With an emphasis on transparency, as well as highlighting kinetic elements, the Gravity Equal Force stands out as a technical tour-de-force with an instantly recognisable look – outstanding in form and function, finished by meticulous hand decoration. Now, with the new ‘Purple’ Ultimate Sapphire Edition, Armin Strom is doubling down on integrating vibrant chromatic hues with exceptional mechanics.

Let it reign: Gravity Equal Force Purple

At once regal and electric, the latest edition of the Gravity Equal Force features a colour Armin Strom has never used before. Its base plate boasts a guilloché engraved motif with a barley grain pattern, expertly handcrafted in the atelier of acclaimed independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen using a traditional rose engine lathe. The striking purple colour is applied using a 3D PVD process, which reflects a wide spectrum of tones as it shifts with the light. Making this edition even more outstanding, the small off-centred dial is crafted from transparent sapphire crystal, which is reserved exclusively for the Gravity Equal Force’s Ultimate Sapphire Editions. The crowning glory is a light grey nubuck leather strap with purple stitching and keepers. The Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple is limited to a run of 25 pieces per year.

 

Automatic: redefined

The Gravity Equal Force stands out as the first automatic watch endowed with an equal force transmission integrated directly in the mainspring barrel - a patented mechanism by Armin Strom. It provides consistent power transmission to the regulating organ, ensuring unwavering precision throughout the watch’s autonomy. The power reserve indicator forms part of the barrel, which is entirely visible from the dial side, opposite the micro-rotor with a unique click system featuring two springs for better winding efficiency.

Also this latest creation, part of Armin Strom’s perpetual quest for superior chronometric performance, was entirely developed, manufactured and decorated within the walls of the Bienne-based manufacturing site. Like all Armin Strom watches, the Gravity Equal Force Purple’s movement is assembled a first time to ensure it is in perfect working order and that it meets the brand’s exacting decorative standards, then taken apart and assembled a second time when it is ready to be cased in its final form. 

 

Putting the ‘haute’ in ‘horlogerie’

What separates a mere tool from a work of art is craftsmanship. Like a canvas for artistic expression, superlative hand-finishing applied by specialised watchmakers and seasoned artisans can be appreciated throughout the Gravity Equal Force and its many proudly exposed layers and components. Polished bevels (anglage) on the bridges, black polished screws, polished countersinks, perlage and various types of graining, be it straight or circular, as well as Geneva stripes on the three-quarter bridge visible through the case’s back.

One of the Gravity Equal Force’s most distinctive elements is the triplet of dark grey ruthenium-plated bridges that occupy the right-hand portion of the open display. Inspired by the finger-style bridges found in pocket watches, it takes up to an entire day for these bridges to be embellished by hand. First, the undersides are given a matt finish, after which the sides are given a straight-graining finish by carefully sliding them on an abrasive paper to produce continuous, shimmering fine lines. Then, the inner and outer chamfers of the bridges are bevelled with increasingly fine files and then finished with a flash polish using locally sourced gentian wood to remove even the finest lines. Finally, a straight-graining finish is applied to the top side for ultimate radiance.

Armin Strom : 15 years in the science of movement

In 2008, longtime friends and partners Serge Michel and Claude Greisler took the reins at Armin Strom and founded its very own manufacture in the watchmaking town of Biel in 2009. Just one year later, the duo presented their very first watch with a movement designed and manufactured in-house. Over the following years, Armin Strom would become a truly integrated and self-sufficient manufacture, creating 17 exclusive calibres and developing several world firsts in the domain of watchmaking. In 2016, it introduced the Mirrored Force Resonance, a game-changing resonating dual regulator developed for maximum chronometric precision with a captivating oscillation mechanism on the dial-side of the watch. In 2019, Armin Strom reinvented the automatic watch movement with the Gravity Equal Force, the first automatic watch to feature an equal force transmission mechanism within the barrel that had previously been found only in pocket watches. Today, Armin Strom stands out as a leading force of creative, independent watchmaking, with its own distinct design language and exceptional attention to detail highlighted by hand-finishing all its creations. 2024 promises to be a year full of surprises, and the best is yet to come…

 

Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple

Technical specifications

                   

Indications     Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator
Movement     Armin Strom manufacture Caliber ASB19
      Automatic winding with micro rotor, Geneva-drive equal force barrel, offset display with subdial seconds
Main plate   purple PVD plate with guilloché pattern by Kari Voutilainen
Regulating system   Balance wheel with 4 regulating screws
Power reserve   Geneva stop-work limited to 72 hours
Dimensions   35.52 mm x 11.67 mm
Frequency   3,5 Hz (25,200 vph)
Finishing   Hand-finishing to the highest quality level
Jewels   28
Number of components   202
Case   stainless steel
    Sapphire crystal and case back with anti-reflective treatment
Diameter   41 mm
Height   12.65 mm
Water resistance   3ATM
Lug-to-Lug   48.09 mm
     

Dial

 

Grey toned off-center sapphire dial with subdial

Hands  

Faceted polished hands and Super-LumiNova® filling

Strap   Delivered with a grey nubuck leather strap with purple stitching and keepers
Width lugs/buckle   20/18 mm
Buckle   Pin buckle or folding clasp available in stainless
Reference   ST24-GEF.SA.AC.M.A7.FC
Limited production   25 pieces per year

 

 

                                           

                                            

 


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MARCH 31 2025    |    Watches and Wonders 2025

Chronoswiss Unleashes the Q-Repeater – A Chiming Masterpiece combining Legacy and Future

Time is not just seen—it is heard.

Chronoswiss presents the Q-Repeater Scream and Q-Repeater Blue Note, two extraordinary Quarter Repeater timepieces that merge the sonic beauty of timekeeping with cutting-edge mechanical architecture. The watchmakers from Lucerne have created a bold reinvention of sound, design, and independent watchmaking deeply rooted in Chronoswiss history. Housed in a Grade 5 titanium case, these 42mm skeletonized masterpieces reveal the intricate mechanisms behind their chiming complication. Every press of the 10 o’clock pusher activates the mesmerizing quarter repeater function, where hammers strike to audibly indicate the hours and quarter-hours, making time a true sensory experience. At its core lies a legacy movement, rooted in the vision of Chronoswiss founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang. First introduced in the 1990s and exclusively produced for Chronoswiss, this legacy caliber has been taken from our archives, meticulously restored, refined, and reborn in the Atelier Lucerne, making these two timepieces an extraordinary link between the past and the future.

What the watchmakers of Lucerne have achieved here is the ultimate evolution—the heart beats with the legacy of the past, carrying its passion and memories, while the body is Modern Mechanical, engineered for the next century and beyond.

Q-Repeater Scream – A Chiming Rebel
This is not your grandfather’s repeater. The Q-Repeater Scream is a wild, untamed spectacle—combining bold design and mechanical precision unlike anything in watchmaking. The multi-level dial is a skeletonized stage and at the same time part of the movement, where CVD-coated bridges in electric blue, orange, and purple hold the Paraiba green minute ring, the floating hour, as well as the small seconds rings. At 1 o’clock, the heart of this spectacle is fully visible: the striking hammers, set to release a mechanical rock concert at the press of a button.

As you can tell by the name already, it’s not just about what you see. It’s about what you hear. Every chime is a scream of innovation, breaking free from the traditions of classical repeater watches. Even the legacy movement itself becomes part of the gig, holding the Super-LumiNova blocks and hand-guilloché bridges—one of which moves when the mechanism is activated, adding to the dynamic energy of the dial. The watchmakers of Lucerne refer to the glowing ceramic blocks as “chicken heads”, a nod to the iconic amplifier knobs found on rock concert stages—designed to crank up the sound and electrify the crowd.

Caged in 42mm of titanium, the Q-Repeater Scream is limited to just 25 pieces. As only very few of the legacy movements exist this might be the final tour of the band. Each piece is a testament to mechanical defiance and unfiltered artistry. A Quarter Repeater like no other— built for collectors who dare to embrace the wild side of watchmaking.

Q-Repeater Blue Note – The Sound of Elegance
For those who seek a symphony rather than rock n roll, the Q-Repeater Blue Note takes a more refined yet equally innovative approach. Inspired by the expressive power of jazz and blues, the navy blue CVD-coated skeletonized dial and bridges which are part of the movement, play on contrasts with a silver hour ring and luminous white Super-LumiNova markers, creating a harmonious composition of mechanics and design.

In music, a blue note is an altered pitch—intentionally deviating from the standard, creating a sound that is richer, deeper, and full of soul. One could say – the Chronoswiss way of making watches – and music. The Q-Repeater Blue Note embodies this philosophy, blending traditional watchmaking with a contemporary edge, offering a timeless yet unconventional melody of time.

Like the Scream, the Blue Note features the multi-level regulator dial, a fully visible quarter repeater mechanism, and a restored historical movement, revised and refined by thewatchmakers in Lucerne. It is a timepiece that doesn’t just mark time—it composes it.

Time Reimagined, Sound Reinvented
The Q-Repeater Scream and Q-Repeater Blue Note stand as testaments to Chronoswiss’ relentless drive to push boundaries. With only 25 pieces per model, these Quarter Repeaters are more than just rare; they are audible declarations of mechanical mastery.

This is not just a watch. It is an experience. A fusion of sound and time, crafted for those who appreciate the extraordinary. Chronoswiss has never followed the expected path. The future of independent watchmaking starts here—with a chime.

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