One Week First Edition
- Stainless steel case
- Case back with anti-reflective treatment
- Diameter: 41.00 mm
- Stainless steel bracelet
ARMIN STROM UNVEILS THE ONE WEEK FIRST EDITION – THE SUCCESSOR TO ITS FIRST-EVER MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT
Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, 29 August, 2023: More architectural, more open and housed in a new streamlined steel case with an integrated bracelet: Armin Strom completely reimagines one of its most seminal models from the last decade, the One Week, in an all-new form. Debuting as the One Week First Edition limited to 25 examples, it further solidifies Armin Strom’s position as a full-fledged independent manufacture producing unprecedented mechanical marvels.
Maker of movements. The true horology connoisseur’s manufacture. Armin Strom stands out as one of the handful of exclusive independent watch brands that can pride itself in conceiving, developing and building some of the most exceptional mechanical watches around. Back in 2010, the brand unveiled its very first watch called the One Week featuring a movement that was developed and manufactured in house. Equipped with a seven-day power reserve and designed with symmetrical harmony in mind, the One Week would lay the foundation for many of Armin Strom’s groundbreaking developments, placing the brand on the radar of discerning collectors. Now, Armin Strom is revisiting its very first calibre in an all-new design and construction that’s bound to make the One Week a staple model in the brand’s lineup.
As Armin Strom founder Serge Michel noted, “When we decided to revisit the One Week, we knew from the beginning that we wanted it to be an all-occasions watch: sporty yet sophisticated, intricate yet legible, and filled with immersive little details that even the most demanding collector can appreciate. It was also important for us that the new One Week be instantly recognizable as an Armin Strom by integrating and further refining many of the design elements that have become characteristic of our more recent creations.”
A RADICAL CONSTRUCTION
As devotees of transparent horology, Armin Strom makes it a point to always feature kinetic mechanical elements on the dial side. The One Week First Edition takes this core Armin Strom trait a step further. Completely reengineered and redesigned, the manual-winding movement is as sculptural as it gets. Form, function, aesthetics and ergonomics are all harmoniously brought into the foreground, resulting in a piece of otherwise traditional horology executed in a dynamic, radical way.
“The One Week from 2010 holds a special place for the Armin Strom manufacture as it was the first movement we completely developed and built in-house. We went far beyond simply giving it a facelift, as it is in fact an entirely redesigned and reengineered movement. From the two barrels working in series for better isochronism to the 3D power reserve display and the increased beat rate, the new One Week is definitely a milestone achievement for our team in Biel,” remarked Claude Greisler, master watchmaker and co-founder of the revitalised Armin Strom.
FAR MORE THAN A REMAKE
True to its name and just like its predecessor, the One Week delivers an impressive seven-day power reserve. But that’s where the similarities end. The new manual-winding ARM21 calibre features two mainspring barrels, which work in series to provide consistent levels of energy to the gear train. Held by two finger-style bridges, the barrels are symmetrically arranged on the right portion of the completely open dial. The manual winding ritual takes on a hypnotic choreography, as the motion of two ratchet wheels winding up the two barrels in opposite directions is entirely visible from the dial side.
One of the most distinctive features of the new One Week is its power reserve indicator. Keeping with the architectural depth of the movement, the power reserve is indicated by a cone system, inspired by pocket watches. This consists of a mirror-polished cone, which is driven by a conical gear on the opposite side of the dial.
New movement, new beat rate. Another major evolution in the new One Week is the oscillating frequency of the regulating organ. As it is designed as an all-occasions watch that can take on dynamic activities, the beat rate has been increased from 2.5 Hz to 3.5 Hz (25,200 vph). This higher frequency, which offers a more stable chronometric performance, meant that the entire gear train had to be recalculated and reconfigured.
THE PURSUIT OF BALANCE AND DEPTH
Another surprising first for Armin Strom is the placement of the hour and minute hands. Normally, Armin Strom watches feature offset hour and minute hands, either on a subsidiary dial as small hands or slightly off from the centre as large hands. In the One Week, the faceted hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova are perfectly positioned in the centre of the open dial, further enhancing its visual balance.
In fact, compared to the previous generation of the One Week, which featured a partially open dial to expose the movement, the new One Week was conceived to be much more three-dimensional. It totally foregoes a traditional dial, instead adopting a contemporary architecture, with various movement elements positioned in such a way that they can be explored from many angles. The bridge holding the hands has been designed with a geometric form to rise above the mainplate. Keeping legibility optimal, the movement is surrounded by a chapter ring set with baton indices filled with Super-LumiNova. The small seconds at 9 o’clock are displayed on a small black dial, emblazoned with the brand’s “AS” logo.
ALL IN THE EXECUTION
Like all Armin Strom creations, from the purest to the most complex, the One Week is a masterclass in haute horlogerie hand-finishing. Straight and circular grained surfaces, chamfered and polished bevels, Geneva-striped plates and polished screws and sinks are clearly applied by expert hands.
The One Week First Edition stands out in particular with its cool light blue PVD-coloured mainplate and bridges. The One Week’s micromechanical sculpture of a movement is housed in a suitably contemporary case. Crafted in stainless steel, it measures 41 mm in width and only 10.6 mm in height, surprisingly compact proportions for a calibre of such intense depth. Paired with an integrated steel bracelet consisting of “H”-shaped satin-brushed and polished links, the overall design is holistic with an emphasis on ergonomics to make for a perfect everyday wear piece full of mechanical intrigue.
The One Week First Edition is limited to 25 pieces and will be delivered with an extended warranty period of 10 years, instead of Armin Strom’s usual 5-year warranty. It will also be distinguished from future editions with its light blue PVD coloured mainplate and bridges.
About Armin Strom
Armin Strom is an independent watch company based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Armin Strom timepieces offer a unique fusion of the Swiss-German horological tradition, avant-garde “transparent mechanics” and an unwavering commitment to horological innovation. The hallmark of the brand’s low-volume, artisanal approach to watchmaking is its commitment to exposed dial-side movement mechanics, with every part hand-finished to the highest haute-horology standards.
Armin Strom was established in 1967 by Mr Armin Strom, a legend in the art of hand-skeletonization. In 2006, the stewardship of Mr Strom’s legacy became the responsibility of Master Watchmaker Claude Greisler and businessman Serge Michel, who together revitalized the brand with the opening of Armin’s Strom’s first fully-integrated Manufacture in 2009. Today the brand designs, develops, mills, embosses, galvanizes, hand-finishes and assembles all of its own watches in-house, enabling Armin Strom to bring even the most complicated ideas to life without any of the compromises that typically stem from reliance on a supply chain.
Technical Specifications
Reference:
- ST23-OW.FE
Indications
- Hours, minutes, small second
Case
- Stainless steel
- Sapphire crystal and case back with anti-reflective treatment
- Diameter: 41.00 mm
- Height: 10.60 mm
- Water-resistance: 100 m / 10 ATM
Movement
- Armin Strom manufacture Calibre ARM21
- Winding mechanism: manual winding
- Regulating system: flat hairspring with a variable balance spring
- Power reserve: 7 days
- Dimensions: 36.60 mm × 6.00 mm
- Frequency: 3.5 Hz (25,200 vph)
- Jewels: 35
- Number of components: 194
Dial
- Black minute ring and small-second dial, numbers and indexes with Super-LumiNova® filling
Hands
- Faceted polished hands and Super-LumiNova® filling
Bracelet
- Stainless steel with a double folding clasp
Limited
-
25 pieces
About Armin Strom
Armin Strom is an independent watch company based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Armin Strom timepieces offer a unique fusion of the Swiss-German horological tradition, avant-garde “transparent mechanics” and an unwavering commitment to horological innovation. The hallmark of the brand’s low-volume, artisanal approach to watchmaking is its commitment to exposed dial-side movement mechanics, with every part hand-finished to the highest haute-horology standards.
Armin Strom was established in 1967 by Mr Armin Strom, a legend in the art of hand-skeletonization. In 2006, the stewardship of Mr Strom’s legacy became the responsibility of Master Watchmaker Claude Greisler and businessman Serge Michel, who together revitalized the brand with the opening of Armin’s Strom’s first fully-integrated Manufacture in 2009. Today the brand designs, develops, mills, embosses, galvanizes, hand-finishes and assembles all of its own watches in-house, enabling Armin Strom to bring even the most complicated ideas to life without any of the compromises that typically stem from reliance on a supply chain.
When ‘Mr. Armin Strom’ retired from watchmaking, he transferred ownership of his brand to two boys (by then adults) who had had frequented his workshop so often together in childhood: businessperson Serge Michel and Master Watchmaker Claude Greisler.
In 2009, the revitalized Armin Strom built upon Mr. Strom’s historical legacy with the opening of its first fully-integrated Manufacture; located in Biel, Switzerland.
Today the Manufacture produces all of our timepieces in-house and with great reverence for the Swiss-German watchmaking tradition. Our extraordinary team of dedicated engineers and artisans, led by Master Watchmaker Claude Greisler, uphold that tradition with uncompromising passion and commitment.
Serge Michel is the scion of one of the most prominent families in Switzerland. His unwavering passion and commitment to the business of the Armin Strom Manufacture have made him both the sponsor and the driving business force behind the brand.
Fascinated by watchmaking and watch collecting from a young age, he and his childhood friend Claude Greisler shared a dream of co-founding a watch company; one that would someday produce watches of the very highest quality in the Swiss-German tradition. Today that dream has become a longstanding reality.
Beyond his life in the Manufacture, Serge is a husband and proud father of two girls. His other passions include global travel and wine collecting. Nothing brings a bigger smile to Serge’s face than introducing the latest Armin Strom creation to good friends over a dinner paired with several bottles of fine wine.
Claude Greisler is “a watchmaker’s watchmaker.” His greatest passions are watches (past and present) and complicated watchmaking. In actual fact, watchmaking has been a Greisler family profession for generations. Claude’s training began in his grandfather’s workshop, which led to his formal training, beginning with his completion of a four year program at the “School for Watchmakers and Rhabilleurs” in Solothurn, Switzerland; followed by a two-year program in movement restoration at Centre Interrégionalde Formation des Montagnes [CIFOM] in Le Locle; and then a further two-year program at CIFOM focused on the development and construction of complicated timepieces. Upon the completion of his 8 years of watchmaking education, Claude honed his craft as a watchmaker at Christophe Claret (a brand known for its ultra-complicated timepieces) as the next step in his longstanding ambition: to dedicate himself to the design and production of horologically significant timepieces. Beyond his watchmaking obsession, Claude is also a passionate skier and outdoorsman. Together with his wife, Gaby, Claude explores the Swiss backcountry as often as his responsibilities at the manufacture will allow.
Manufacture
At Armin Strom, we’re obsessed with every detail of every watch that we make. We develop, mill, emboss, galvanize and hand-finish all of our watches in-house. We adhere to the very highest haute-horology standards because we know that Armin Strom collectors appreciate looking at more than just the time.
Armin Strom represents a unique fusion of the swiss-german horological tradition with avant-garde ‘transparent mechanics’ and an unwavering commitment to horological innovation. Our watches are designed to both showcase how our movements actually work and to validate the attention to detail that goes into their production. Whether with a loupe or with the naked eye, with an Armin Strom timepiece there will always be something captivating to see.
At Armin Strom, our highly qualified and dedicated team invests an incredible amount of enthusiasm, passion and effort to create watches that are mechanically exceptional and meticulously well-finished. “The only difference between the possible and the impossible is that the impossible takes a little longer.” [Mrs. William Tilton, “The Washington Herald”, 1921].
Our passion for ‘transparent mechanics’ is at the core of our watchmaking design philosophy, but perfection in our execution and in the long-term reliability of our watches is always paramount. These priorities are the hallmarks of the Swiss-German watchmaking tradition. We honor that tradition with every watch that we produce at the Armin Strom Manufacture.
Decoration
Hand engraving
Every piece is unique.
Steel burins in various sizes and wax-coated holders are the tools of the engraver.
In the engraver’s hands, each workpiece becomes a unique work of art. The engraver draws their own motif design on the workpiece with a needle according to their original drawings; working under the microscope.
Polishing
Embellishing every part of a movement makes every Armin Strom watch akin to a hand-crafted piece of jewelry.
Working bare brass or steel by hand is time-consuming work: edges of plates, bridges and levers must be perfectly chamfered or, as watchmakers call it, beveled. Every part is then polished to perfection, even when the embellishment won’t be visible in the finished watch.
Beveling and polishing requires a trained eye and fingertip sensitivity together with both patience and perseverance. For example, even a relatively small part like a pallets bridge will require at least half an hour to complete – and often more than that.
Traditional Grinding
Here a classic fine watch-making finishing technique known as “Geneva Stripes” (Côtes de Genève), is displayed. They’re created via the use an abrasive disc that’s applied in perfectly straight lines to create the Côtes de Genève on the workpiece.
Circular graining (Perlage) is a decorative motif reminiscent of clouds, typically used on main plates. To achieve this pattern, the watchmaker uses an abrasive pencil and gently makes contact with the workpiece, gradually working across the whole surface. This creates the characteristic overlapping circular grained motif.
All rotating parts of an Armin Strom movement are embellished with a circular grinding pattern.
Assembling
Up to this point, they were all just individual parts – turned, milled, polished and decorated. Now the watch will begin to take shape.
The watchmaker uses a pressing tool to insert the jewel bearings for the spindles of the toothed wheels into the plate and bridges. This is a crucial operation. The way the jewels are pressed in influences the correct vertical play of the gear-train. Do the gear-wheels and pinions mesh together correctly? Does the height need adjusting by a few hundredths of a millimeter? Once the gear-train is adjusted, the bridges and plates are screwed down, and the mainsprings are assembled in the going barrels, then the movement is ready to receive the escapement. With the installation of the escapement, consisting of the escape-wheel, the pallets and balance-wheel, the watch comes to life.
After the first assembly, the movement is completely disassembled and each individual part is then cleaned, dried, reassembled and lubricated. After the second assembly, the movement is meticulously regulated before the watchmaker sets the hands and re-inserts the movement back into the case. The back of the case is then fixed in place. The completed watch is subjected to a multi-day rate test on a watch winder. Water resistance is also tested. Once the watch has passed these quality tests, it is finally certified as complete.