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Brand Review: Armin Strom Watches

Armin Strom watches are quite popular among watchmakers, and users alike. The popularity alluded to this brand of watch stems mostly from its specialty in skeletonization. In less than half a century, the company has made a name for itself among the top dogs of the bigger, more elite watch brands.
In 2006, Armin Strom handed over the reins of the company to two trusted younger men; Serge Michel and Claude Greisler. This handover saw Armin Strom AG expand from specialisation, and focus, on skeletonizing, and into a more integrated Manufacture. The company now creates its own movements, which are manufactured in in-houses. This article will reveal the many facets of Armin Strom watch Manufacture, along with some of its Collections. Armin Strom watches aren’t like any other luxury watches; and this article will show you why.

Armin Strom Watches: History

Armin Strom Watches: The Prelude

Even before the company was formed, its founder, Armin Strom, was a watchmaker. A young Armin Strom studied watchmaking and, in 1967, settled in Burgdorf, northwest of Bern, in Switzerland. It was in his native town of Burgdorf that he started his business. He sold and repaired clocks, as well as creating watches of his own. It was then that he discovered his talent in hand skeletonizing. To this day, his idea of cutting out parts of the watch that had no part to play in movement differentiates Armin Strom watches from other brands.
Armin was exquisitely detailed when engraving the parts of the watches. But it was not until 1984, when his watches were showcased at Basel’s Watch Fair which was renowned for its display of international watches and jewellery, that his company gained fame. The media spread news of his masterpieces, and customers around the globe took interest in Strom’s hand-skeletonized watches.
But it was not until he saw his successes in men’s wristwatches that he ventured into making women’s wristwatches. In 1990, he was awarded the Guinness World Record for creating the world’s smallest hand-skeletonized watch. This earned him numerous orders from major watch brands to skeletonize several series of theirs.

Armin Strom Watches: A New Dawn

In 2006, the company became a limited company, and it came to be known as Armin Strom AG. In the same year, Serge Michel became the Owner of Armin Strom AG, and Claude Greisler became the Director. Serge and Claude decided to reinterpret tradition by continuing the making of hand-skeletonized watches, and making visible the movement within the watches.
It was from 2008 that Serge and Claude had the idea to transform the company to an in-house where parts required for production would be produced. In 2009, their idea became reality when the company moved from Burgdorf to Biel, a watchmaking town. November, 2009, saw the company’s presentation of its first in-house calibre: ARM09. It was from that moment, after presenting ARM09 in the One Week Collection, that Armin Strom AG earned the right to be called a Manufacture.
A significant amount of the parts used in production are created within the company. As a result, Armin Strom need not worry about comparison to older, well-known watch Manufactures who have massive support from seasoned horologists, and watch enthusiasts. But although the brand is growing, the company has no intention, either now or in the future, to manufacture its watches in large quantities, choosing quality over quantity. Although Armin Strom has retired, he is a shareholder in the company, and he gives advice to the skeletonizers of the company.

Armin Strom Watches: The Difference

What sets Armin Strom watches apart from other luxury brand watches? The major difference lies in the attention to detail in their skeleton watches. Strom watches are not known for their unnecessary, extravagant designs, rather, they are known for their delicate hand-skeletonizing. They are not made for just anybody, hence the attention to details; starting from the engraved bridges to the polished levers. Armin Strom watches are made for people who enjoy the technical parts of a watch, as well as the mechanical parts.
Also, the positioning of the lip at 6 o’clock, on the bezel, adds a dash of Armin Strom, the man. Personalised engraves of one’s initials are possible on the additional surface created on the watches for such thing.

Armin Strom Skeleton Watch

Armin Strom's skeleton watches distinguish it from other watches. These watches are made by stripping down the parts of the watch, and leaving only those necessary in the movement. These skeleton watches make all the difference. In 2014, Armin Strom Manufacture made the Skeleton Pure. The production of this watch was done entirely in the company’s manufacturing in-house. This was a fulfilment of the founder, Armin Strom’s dream to produce all the required products in the company’s in-house.

Armin Strom Watches: What They’re Made Of

Armin Strom Manufacture chooses the quality of small-scale production over the simplicity of large-scale production. This decision is also upheld by the watchmaker during assembly of the parts used in making the watches. Hand-skeletonized movements are built into cases from materials such as titanium, steel or solid 18kt gold, after which they are fitted with sapphire glass.
After this process, all Armin Strom watches are fitted with hand-sewn leather, or rubber straps. The leather straps are made from alligator skin, and the rubber straps may be interchanged with carbon straps, depending on the model of the watch. Although the materials used in production are essentially the same, the watchmaker’s craftsmanship makes every watch unique. The limitedness of each series makes room for innovation and exploration of ideas in different watches.

Armin Strom Watches: The Prices

Armin Strom watches focus on intricacies, and quality. The Manufacture is run with the philosophy that the movement is the focus of the watch, thus, it uses ageless, attractive case designs, deliberately omitting trendy trimmings. Armin Strom Manufacture develops its watches to be used past a single generation, so, the watches are devoid of fashion trends.
This decision makes Armin Strom watches less expensive than other luxury brand watches. However, this does not mean that they are less in quality. Minute Repeater Resonance by Armin Strom is the first ever two-in-one resonance chiming wristwatch. There are two complications: minute repeater, and resonance; two forms of resonance; two independent movements; and two independent mainsprings in one barrel. There were two development teams that created it: Armin Strom’s team was in charge of the resonance, and Le Cercle des Horlogers was in charge of the repeaters. This watch is the first of its kind, and a limited edition of just 10 pieces, with the going price at $350,000.
However, there are Armin Strom watches that range between $3,000-$10,000.

Armin Strom Watches: The Collections

Armin Strom Masterpiece Watch

This collection is more of a contemporary watchmaking, wherein Armin Strom Manufacture explored new horizons, while still imbuing the beauty and aesthetic of skeletonization. It is a perfect middle ground for the limited edition watches, and the craftsmanship of Armin Strom. This collection is characterized by its interpretation of the complications that can arise in functional design. Another popular part of this collection is the Minute Repeater Resonance.

Armin Strom Resonance Watch

In 1665, the prominent Dutch scientist, mathematician, and horologist Christiaan Huygens noted that two of his pendulum clocks were oscillating in perfect synchrony. If the harmony was disrupted for whatever reason, the clocks found their way into the same rhythm. The Armin Strom Resonance applied this phenomenon, further stabilising it by connecting two regulators with a steel spring.
This mechanism ensures precision and accuracy on the part of the watches, and it can be appreciated and admired on the dial side of the watches.

Armin Strom Double Barrel Watch

The Skeleton Pure is a part of this collection. Introduced in 2014, the Double Barrel collection boasts of mechanical architecture. This collection by Armin Strom shows a movement by emphasizing the layered components. In all the watches of this collection, a full dial is absent, but this has an advantage and a purpose; the intricacies and fine details of the movement are revealed to the letter. This collection allows horologists, and even the watchmakers, the pleasure of details, and aesthetics.

Armin Strom Single Barrel Watch

This collection offers up timepieces that are a blend of the tradition of the refined watch movement, and a modern viewpoint to go with it. Here, it is impossible to mistake the time display, although, the hour and minute hands are slightly off center. This collection contains watches such as Gravity, and Gravity Date.
This collection can be described as “haute horlogerie” because of the exclusive calibers used in manufacturing the watches. The watches in the collection reflect the elements: water, earth, etc.

Where to Buy Armin Strom Watches

If you are interested in new and pre-owned Armin Strom watches, as well as other luxury watch brands on sale, you are at the right place. If you are in Naples, Florida, you are just a step closer to getting one of the watches we deal in. Simply visit our certified store: Exquisite Timepieces, located at 4380 Gulfshore Blvd., N. Suite 800. Or you can contact us for more information.