Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture Edition Green

INDUSTRIAL GREEN MEETS FINE WATCHMAKING: THE NEW MIRRORED FORCE RESONANCE MANUFACTURE EDITION GREEN

Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, 22 April 2023: Armin Strom’s Manufacture Edition of the Mirrored Force Resonance is now available with a green grenage dial and grey Alcantara strap. With a limited edition of 50 pieces for this watch, Armin Strom continues the design evolution of the horological revolution that is only fully achieved by the independent Biel/Bienne watch manufacture: the harnessing of the near-magical physical phenomenon of resonance.

The open-worked movement is the star of the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance. It is yet another execution proving the fact that Armin Strom is the world’s only watch brand that has fully cracked the code of how to use resonance in a wristwatch. With unique technology, developed and manufactured entirely in-house, the independent watch brand is able to synchronise two movements in one timepiece in order to achieve higher chronometric precision and consistency.

But first, let’s take a look at the new off-centre, green dial featuring a textured grenage finish. The machine-green hue is inspired by some vintage equipment still used alongside contemporary state-of- the-art machines in Armin Strom’s fully integrated manufacture. “We chose this green because it harmonises with the polished and decorated parts of the open-worked movement. And the grenage finish gives a contrast to the polished indexes. This frizzy, kind of frosted surface reflects some light – but it is not too loud. It doesn’t overwhelm your attention and it shouldn’t compete with the movement,” says Armin Strom’s Master Watchmaker and co-founder, Claude Greisler.

When it comes to the open-worked movement framing the green dial, it is really a showcase for the handmade decoration techniques that are mastered in-house by Armin Strom’s watchmakers. The 3D- shaped balance bridges and all chamfers are hand-polished, and the dial side surfaces are also hand- worked with frosted, perlaged or circular-grained finishes. All parts of the movement – even the invisible ones – are painstakingly decorated with artisanal mastery; a process that sometimes takes 10 times as long as manufacturing the part itself. In addition, the movement is assembled by hand twice to ensure an uncompromising commitment to quality.

Armin Strom is the only watch brand that has fully harnessed the power of resonance, which has mesmerised the world’s best watchmakers since the 17th century. This scientific phenomenon occurs naturally, since two bodies vibrating at a similar frequency automatically strive towards a common frequency. And when two bodies vibrate in resonance – be it radio waves, quantum physics or watchmaking – they are more precise, stronger and more stable and resilient than on their own. Instead of waiting for nature to reach a resonant state between the two balance wheels, Greisler and his team invented the Resonance Clutch Spring, which was first introduced in 2016 after years of research and experimentation. This patented, ingeniously bent spring directly connects the hairsprings, thus keeping the two balance wheels in a perfect resonant state. The swiftly undulating spring and two balance wheels moving to and from each other also make an unexpected and mesmerising dial-side kinetic spectacle.

The Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture Edition is an extremely rare and complex union of science and Swiss watchmaking of the highest artisanal standards and superlative chronometric performance.

“This watch is all about achieving the highest precision possible. And for me as a watchmaker, hand decoration is very emotional – you can express yourself and add your signature to a watch movement,” said Claude Greisler. “It is not strictly necessary – but thanks to hand decorating and unusual details like the green grenage dial, a watch becomes a piece of art.”

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:

• ST22-RF.20 
  

Indications:

• hours, minutes, twin-seconds
  

Movement:

• Armin Strom manufacture Calibre ARF21, Manual-winding, patented resonance clutch spring, 2 mainspring barrels
• Regulating system: two independent regulation systems connected by a resonance clutch spring
• Power reserve: 48 hours
  
• Dimensions: 37.20 mm x 6.70mm
  
• Frequency: 3.5 Hz (25,200 vph)
  
• Finishing: Base plate and bridges are decorated to the highest quality level
  
• Jewels: 39
  
• Number of components: 276
  

Case:

• Stainless steel
  
• Sapphire crystal and caseback with anti-reflective treatment
• Diameter: 43.00 mm
  
• Height: 11.55 mm
  
• Water resistance: 3 ATM
  

Dial:

• Green with grenage centre and a circular satin-brushed chapter ring and applied polished baton indices
  

Hands:

• Manufactured by Armin Strom, steel with hand finishing and Super-LumiNova® filling
  

Strap:

• Grey Alcantara strap with white stitching and double folding clasp in stainless steel

Edition:

• Limited to 50 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.

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.