Shopping Cart

Armin strom sets the tone in the realm of transparent mechanics with the Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple

MAY 06 2024    |    Novelties

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 Ultimate Sapphire Purple

Technical specifications

                   

Indications     Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator
Movement     Armin Strom manufacture Caliber ASB19
      Automatic winding with micro rotor, Geneva-drive equal force barrel, offset display with subdial seconds
Main plate   purple PVD plate with guilloché pattern by Kari Voutilainen
Regulating system   Balance wheel with 4 regulating screws
Power reserve   Geneva stop-work limited to 72 hours
Dimensions   35.52 mm x 11.67 mm
Frequency   3,5 Hz (25,200 vph)
Finishing   Hand-finishing to the highest quality level
Jewels   28
Number of components   202
Case   stainless steel
    Sapphire crystal and case back with anti-reflective treatment
Diameter   41 mm
Height   12.65 mm
Water resistance   3ATM
Lug-to-Lug   48.09 mm
     

Dial

 

Grey toned off-center sapphire dial with subdial

Hands  

Faceted polished hands and Super-LumiNova® filling

Strap   Delivered with a grey nubuck leather strap with purple stitching and keepers
Width lugs/buckle   20/18 mm
Buckle   Pin buckle or folding clasp available in stainless
Reference   ST24-GEF.SA.AC.M.A7.FC
Limited production   25 pieces per year

 

 

                                           

                                            

 


Related Articles

JUNE 10 2025    |    Novelties

Arnold & Son Nebula 40 Steel, Blue Edition Design Philosophy: Radiating Harmony

The watch features a star-shaped arrangement of seven bridges, radiating from the center like a nebula, giving it both structural integrity and visual depth.

The movement is laid out with four lines of symmetry, aligning the barrels, balance, and small seconds for a harmonious aesthetic.

Technical Excellence: A&S5201 Calibre

Dual barrels provide an impressive 90-hour power reserve.

Components are arranged in a kinematic chain around the edge, enhancing both function and form.

The crown mechanism is inverted and placed on the case-back side for symmetry with the first wheel at 9 o’clock.

Aesthetic Details

The lower levels of the movement are treated with a rich blue PVD, contrasted by palladium-finished bridges and components.

Includes horizontal satin brushing on the dial side and Arnold & Son’s signature ‘Rayons de la Gloire’ motif on the reverse.

The 40 mm diameter and 9.10 mm thickness ensure elegance on the wrist.

Strap & Bracelet Options

Available with a blue alligator leather or rubber strap.

Also offered with a three-link steel bracelet that highlights the watch’s symmetry and skeletonized beauty.

View Watch Gallery
Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4
View More
AUGUST 19 2025    |    Novelties

Greubel Forsey Launches the Nano Foudroyante: A New Chapter in Watchmaking Innovation

Greubel Forsey has officially released the Nano Foudroyante, a groundbreaking timepiece that blends cutting-edge nanomechanics with refined craftsmanship. Limited to just 22 pieces, this watch marks a major milestone for the brand, evolving from its earlier Experimental Watch Technology (EWT) concept into a fully developed and independent creation.

The Nano Foudroyante is crafted entirely in white gold and features a rhodium-finished dial with a blue minute track, blued steel hands, and a white foudroyante dial for enhanced legibility. A blue textured rubber strap completes the look, giving the watch a modern and sporty edge.

What sets this timepiece apart is its use of nanomechanics—a revolutionary approach that allows the foudroyante complication to operate using just 16 nanojoules of energy per jump. That’s 1,800 times less than traditional designs. The complication divides each second into six parts, with a red-treated hand rotating once per second, driven directly by the balance wheel. There’s no traditional gear train, just a series of ultra-efficient, low-inertia wheels.

The Nano Foudroyante also features Greubel Forsey’s first flying tourbillon, with the foudroyante dial always facing twelve o’clock for easy reading. Despite its complexity—428 components in total—the movement fits into a compact 37.90mm case, making it the smallest Greubel Forsey watch ever made.

This release is a bold statement of innovation and intent, offering collectors a rare opportunity to own one of the most advanced mechanical watches ever created..
 

View Watch Gallery  
Image 1  Image 2 Image 3  Image 4  
View More
JUNE 29 2026    |    Novelties

Greubel Forsey Introduces the Balancier QM: A New Pinnacle of Haute Horlogerie

Independent manufacture Greubel Forsey has unveiled the Balancier QM ($GF09cm$), marking a historic milestone for the workshop by officially naming its highest, most uncompromising hand-finishing standard: Qualité Musée (Museum Quality). While this meticulous level of execution has been quietly embedded into every single timepiece crafted by the Atelier since its founding in 2004, the Balancier QM is the first model to formally carry the designation. Driven forward by a dedicated research wing within the brand’s proprietary EWT (Experimental Watch Technology) Laboratory, this standard mandates that every individual component, whether fully visible through the sapphire crystals or buried deep within the gear train, must hold up as a standalone work of art.

The mechanical architecture of the Balancier QM is a tour de force of in-house micro-engineering and innovation. Most notably, the timepiece features a specialized hairspring manufactured entirely in-house from the raw alloy stage up—a rarity in modern watchmaking accomplished via restored antique machinery. This is paired with an impressive $12.60\text{ mm}$ variable-inertia balance wheel and a cutting-edge bi-level escapement system that utilizes unique convex pallet-jewels, allowing light to softly diffuse through the rubies rather than abruptly reflecting off flat surfaces. Illustrating the immense labor required for the Qualité Musée standard, the steel balance wheel bridge alone requires seven distinct hand-finishing techniques, ranging from flawless mirror barrel polishing to extra-large $0.40\text{ mm}$ hand-polished bevels.

Visually, the timepiece presents an intricately layered, three-dimensional landscape neatly organized within a highly compact 39.60mm white gold case. The movement architecture encourages deep visual exploration; the escapement is nestled into the lowermost depths of the chassis, while the eye naturally ascends past a high-set small seconds sub-dial, flame-blued polished steel hands, and a raised chapter ring. Beneath this upper track, a power-reserve indicator slips mysteriously across a dedicated sector to track the watch's 72-hour chronometric power delivery, sustained by two fast-rotating, series-coupled mainspring barrels. True to Greubel Forsey’s signature underplayed luxury, the words "Qualité Musée" are entirely absent from the dial, hidden instead on a secret internal plate deep inside the movement.

Limited to just 33 exclusive timepieces worldwide, the Balancier QM represents a deliberate strategic pivot for Greubel Forsey toward smaller, more wearable case dimensions without sacrificing an ounce of technical complexity. The manufacture openly acknowledges that achieving this level of structural perfection across all 298 movement parts demands an extraordinary expenditure of time, which will intentionally reduce the company's overall production volume heading into 2027. Looking ahead, the Qualité Musée standard will serve as the foundation for a series of compact releases, including a highly anticipated movement under development at the EWT lab featuring a gear train crafted entirely from solid gold.

 

View Watch Gallery  
Image 1  Image 2 Image 3  Image 4
View More
APRIL 01 2026    |    Watches and Wonders 2026

The Architecture of Two Worlds: Chronoswiss Unveils the PULSE GMT Collection

Chronoswiss marks a definitive leap into the future of independent watchmaking with the introduction of the PULSE GMT, a collection that represents one of the most progressive chapters in the brand's history. Inspired by the mechanical spirit of the 1999 Tora icon, this new series redefines traditional design codes through a radically modern lens while maintaining the brand's independent spirit. The collection is built specifically for global travelers and collectors who move between continents and time zones, requiring a sophisticated mechanical companion.

The PULSE GMT features a bold, sculptural case construction that seamlessly integrates the first full metal bracelet in Chronoswiss history. This architectural approach ensures a unified presence on the wrist, blending the iconic onion crown and coin-edge bezel with contemporary lines. Whether crafted from high-strength Grade 5 Titanium for daily wear or solid 18-carat 5N Gold, the 41mm case offers a powerful physical and visual statement.

At the heart of the collection beats the Manufacture Caliber C.6002, an automatic movement developed exclusively with La Joux-Perret. This dedicated mechanical construction provides a true dual-time display, featuring a 24-hour second time zone on the left and a 12-hour home time on the right, all unified by central minutes and seconds. With a 55-hour power reserve and water resistance up to 10 bar, the movement is designed for movement and mechanical clarity.

The collection showcases the height of Lucerne craftsmanship through two distinct dial interpretations. The Silver Guilloche edition celebrates pure mechanical texture with hand-guilloché patterns cut on century-old machines, while the Enamel Sky Gold features the rare art of paillonné enamel. This demanding craft embeds gold stars within layers of translucent fire enamel over a guilloché base, creating a celestial display designed to last for centuries.

View Watch Gallery  
Image 1  Image 2 Image 3  Image 4  Image 5  Image 6   
View More
ENDLESS DISCOVERY IN YOUR INBOX
Join our mailing list to receive insider updates on our latest collections, invites to private events, and other personalized offerings.