Arnold & Son Nebula 40 Steel, Blue Edition

Armin Strom, the independent Swiss watchmaker renowned for its openworked designs and mechanical innovation, proudly unveils two striking new additions to its System 78 collection: the Orbit Lime Green and Orbit Ice Blue.

These limited edition timepieces—each restricted to just 20 pieces worldwide—introduce vibrant new fumé dials that blend bold aesthetics with technical mastery. The Lime Green model radiates energy and modernity, while the Ice Blue version offers a serene and sophisticated presence. Both dials feature a gradient effect that transitions from vivid color at the center to deep black at the edges, enhancing the visual depth of the openworked design.

A World-First Date Display on Demand

At the heart of both models lies the Armin Strom Manufacture Caliber ASS20, the world’s first movement to feature a date display on a ceramic bezel that appears only when activated. A pusher at 10 o’clock engages the date hand, which points to the current date and advances automatically at midnight. A second press returns the hand to its neutral position, offering a playful yet practical complication powered by a column-wheel mechanism.

The movement also incorporates Armin Strom’s patented Equal Force Barrel, delivering consistent energy for a stable 72-hour power reserve.

Haute Horology Craftsmanship

Each Orbit model is meticulously hand-finished at Armin Strom’s Manufacture in Biel/Bienne, employing traditional techniques such as anglage, perlage, and circular graining. The off-center dial is paired with rhodium-coated hands enhanced with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring legibility and elegance. The watches are housed in a stainless steel case with a fixed ceramic bezel and come with a matching bracelet featuring a double-folding clasp.

The Science of Movement

Founded in 1967 and revitalized in 2009, Armin Strom continues to push the boundaries of horological innovation. Every timepiece is designed, developed, and assembled in-house, reflecting the brand’s commitment to transparency, craftsmanship, and mechanical excellence.

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The year 2026 marks a historic milestone for the Moritz Grossmann manufactory in Glashütte, as it celebrates the 200th birthday of its visionary founder and namesake, born on March 27, 1826. A genius watchmaker, scientist, author, and initiator of the German Watchmaking School, Grossmann profoundly shaped the craft of horology and the fate of his hometown. Rather than merely imitating historical concepts, the modern manufactory honors his legacy by blending his cutting-edge philosophy with modern engineering. This dedication to technological perfection and exceptional aesthetics cements its place among the world's elite elite watchmakers.

To commemorate this bicentennial occasion, the brand has unveiled the HAMATIC Silver-Plated by Friction anniversary edition. This special timepiece introduces exclusive design details that pay tribute to the brand's origins, including an "1826" engraving on the balance cock and a vintage 1875 "M. GROSSMANN" logo on the dial. For the first time on a Hamatic model, clean Arabic numerals represent the hours, gracefully stepping in to replace the Roman numerals traditionally favored in previous iterations.

At the heart of the watch lies the exquisite manufactory calibre 106.0, which features a highly effective automatic winding system driven by a pendulum-style hammer weight. This "hammer automatic" mechanism masterfully reinterprets a historical concept with contemporary engineering, incorporating custom features like stop seconds for precise time setting and hand-finished decorations. The movement also proudly mirrors Grossmann’s original ingenuity through traditional hallmarks, such as a large balance wheel, raised screws, and fine handcrafted hands made of blue annealed steel.

The standout aesthetic achievement of this anniversary edition is its rare "silver-plated by friction" dial finish. This painstaking, entirely manual technique requires a master artisan to delicately brush the dial surface with specialized pastes and powders to achieve a fine-grained, velvet-like texture that softly diffuses light. Set in an elegant white gold case paired with a blue kudu leather strap, the HAMATIC Silver-Plated by Friction will be released on March 26, 2026, and is strictly limited to just 18 pieces worldwide.

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