Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple

Armin strom sets the tone in the realm of transparent mechanics with the
Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire PurpleGravity Equal Force inspiration and development

Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, 6 May 2024: 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 represents a drive to constantly improve Armin Strom watches with every model. As a creative watch brand focused on innovation, Armin Strom’s watchmakers and movement engineers routinely research and explore concepts across the horological landscape in search of ways to rethink theory and practice.

The Gravity Equal Force development began with a desire to deliver equal force to the regulating system. The result was a stop-works declutch mechanism incorporated into the barrel housing ensuring consistent power delivery to the balance and escapement.

Utilizing a Geneva wheel mounted to the barrel housing cover, the rotation of the mainspring barrel is limited to just 9 full turns out of a possible 12.5. This represents the central 72% of the mainspring’s potential torque curve, the flattest and most consistent portion. As the barrel housing unwinds around the arbor, a pin counts off the rotations on the Geneva wheel until it reaches the locked position and prevents further unwinding.

This limit keeps the power delivery to the balance as consistent as possible and the amplitude in optimal range. Once it reaches the upper limit, the declutch mechanism guarantees the slip of the mainspring and allows the micro rotor to turn evenly when fully wound.

A small declutch lever is attached to the Geneva wheel that marks its rotation and power reserve from full to empty. Sitting atop the barrel cover, the power reserve location will change as the watch is wound, providing some playful variation in the dial display.

The new stop-works declutch mechanism coincides with a complete reassessment of the mainspring barrel construction. When a U.S. client brought a vintage pocket watch to Armin Strom for repair, it created an opportunity to explore techniques that were common in earlier watches and update them for use in a modern movement.

Upon inspection it was discovered that it bore a motor barrel whose barrel and winding mechanism are constructed opposite that of the standard going barrel. The standard design sees a central arbor often supported by jewel bearings rotating inside the barrel to wind the mainspring. Once fully wound, the arbor remains fixed while the mainspring pushes the barrel housing and so driving the going train.

A typical mainspring barrel doesn’t rotate in a precision jewel bearing but around the arbor, which means higher friction and less precise rotation. The Armin Strom motor barrel design reversed this so that the barrel housing stays locked after winding, allowing the well supported and more precise arbor to rotate and drive the going train.

This simple change goes against at least a century of tradition, yet, when assessed objectively, it is clear that it is a demonstrably better system as it is more precise and stable during operation of the movement. Armin Strom’s watchmakers built on this idea to create an entirely new watch that launches a brand-new collection.

The development of Caliber ASB19 sees continued improvement throughout all the components thanks to the technological advancement of the previous centuries. A new layout combined with improved geometry for the gear teeth and adjustments provides smoother operation and more robust functionality.

Armin Strom’s focus on innovation and development was kickstarted during the development of its groundbreaking Resonance Clutch Spring and has led to the watchmakers rethinking everything in an attempt to innovate where others stagnate. This isn’t limited to mechanics alone; the entirety of Armin Strom’s design aesthetic is evolving to build a new core moving forward.

The previous openworked display has been replaced by a dial offset from the center, providing a clear indication for the time to avoid any confusion. Retained are the visible barrel and micro rotor, though now supported by clean geometric bridges harkening to pocket watches of the past. The entire presentation has the goal of reducing details to the essential for a cohesive package.

The previous case design has been trimmed down to create the first 41-millimeter case for Armin Strom. The iconic lip at 6 o’clock, which can be traced back to Mr. Armin Strom himself, is still present, though in a much more streamlined form. Armin Strom has taken the opportunity to improve finishing on every component throughout the movement, creating a new standard for Armin Strom calibers.

The entire philosophy of development at Armin Strom is reorganizing to focus on updating the aesthetic design to signify a new chapter for the brand. The intention is to take every opportunity to rethink watchmaking theory, improve each new watch, and take Armin Strom’s level of finishing ever higher.

System 78 - A new entry to Armin Strom

"The Gravity Equal Force signals a new direction for the brand, launching the System 78 collection to replace the Single Barrel Collection. The collection is intended to be the entry point for Armin Strom, an haute horlogerie collection at a reasonable price point with impeccable finishing and constant invention. 

“It’s not self-evident that we can present our watchmaking values and hunger for innovation to a broader audience. It was a big challenge to offer this level of perfection for that price” says Serge Michel, Founder of the Manufacture.

The name displays what the brand hopes to create, a System of fine watchmaking available to all who desire it. Every piece will feature an innovation as well as showcasing the watchmaking philosophy of Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, co-founders of the modern Armin Strom, both born in the same year, 1978. Thus the System 78 collection is born."