Shopping Cart

Armin Strom introduces the Orbit Purple

MARCH 25 2025    |    Watches and Wonders 2025

With the Orbit, we’ve created the world’s first on-demand pointer-date on a bezel. And in doing so, we didn’t just rethink a complication — we introduced a whole new experience. Most watches just force the date on you. The date function is always present — whether you like it or not, it shifts at midnight, ticking off another day. The Orbit? It’s different. It only displays the date when you ask.


Related Articles

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
MARCH 17 2026    |    Novelties

Greubel Forsey Unveils Final Editions of the Balancier Convexe S² in White and Black Ceramic

Greubel Forsey introduces the final and most exclusive editions of the Balancier Convexe S²: one in black ceramic with 5N red gold, and one in white ceramic, each strictly limited to 11 pieces.
These editions conclude a calibre developed through five years of mechanical and architectural exploration, with production set to cease permanently in 2026.

The Convexe case (41.5 mm) and movement were conceived as a single architectural whole, integrating Greubel Forsey’s signature 30° inclined balance wheel system as the visual and chronometric centre. The openworked movement features 301 components, including a 68‑part escapement platform, and is 
powered by two rapid-rotation coaxial barrels delivering a 72‑hour chronometric reserve.

Finishing remains uncompromising: frosted titanium bridges, polished bevels, hand‑finished countersinks, and meticulous transitions — even on invisible components.

Two Final Interpretations
Black Ceramic & 5N Red Gold
A dramatic contrast of dark architecture framed by ceramic, with red gold adding warmth and sculptural depth.The interplay of matte and polished surfaces enhances the piece’s three‑dimensional form

White Ceramic
A purist, graphic expression that highlights the structural geometry of the movement through light and shadow.The monochromatic case offers clarity, openness and a distinctly technical aesthetic.

Both editions preserve the characteristic S² display: suspended hours/minutes bridge, small seconds, and sector power‑reserve indication beneath a curved sapphire crystal.

This launch marks the concluding chapter of the Balancier Convexe S²’s five‑year evolution — not an iteration, but a final statement. As of 2026, Greubel Forsey will begin a gradual shift toward an almost entirely new collection, retiring earlier calibres with intention and ceremony rather than quiet discontinuation.

 

View Watch Gallery  
Image 1  Image 2 Image 3  Image 4  Image 5  Image 6 Image 7  Image 8  
View More
JULY 18 2025    |    Novelties

Chromatic Precision: Armin Strom Orbit in Lime & Ice

Armin Strom, the independent Swiss watchmaker renowned for its openworked designs and mechanical innovation, proudly unveils two striking new additions to its System 78 collection: the Orbit Lime Green and Orbit Ice Blue.

These limited edition timepieces—each restricted to just 20 pieces worldwide—introduce vibrant new fumé dials that blend bold aesthetics with technical mastery. The Lime Green model radiates energy and modernity, while the Ice Blue version offers a serene and sophisticated presence. Both dials feature a gradient effect that transitions from vivid color at the center to deep black at the edges, enhancing the visual depth of the openworked design.

A World-First Date Display on Demand

At the heart of both models lies the Armin Strom Manufacture Caliber ASS20, the world’s first movement to feature a date display on a ceramic bezel that appears only when activated. A pusher at 10 o’clock engages the date hand, which points to the current date and advances automatically at midnight. A second press returns the hand to its neutral position, offering a playful yet practical complication powered by a column-wheel mechanism.

The movement also incorporates Armin Strom’s patented Equal Force Barrel, delivering consistent energy for a stable 72-hour power reserve.

Haute Horology Craftsmanship

Each Orbit model is meticulously hand-finished at Armin Strom’s Manufacture in Biel/Bienne, employing traditional techniques such as anglage, perlage, and circular graining. The off-center dial is paired with rhodium-coated hands enhanced with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring legibility and elegance. The watches are housed in a stainless steel case with a fixed ceramic bezel and come with a matching bracelet featuring a double-folding clasp.

The Science of Movement

Founded in 1967 and revitalized in 2009, Armin Strom continues to push the boundaries of horological innovation. Every timepiece is designed, developed, and assembled in-house, reflecting the brand’s commitment to transparency, craftsmanship, and mechanical excellence.

View Watch Gallery
Image 1 Image 2  
View More
OCTOBER 02 2025    |    Novelties

Moritz Grossmann Presents the New BENU Power Reserve: Tradition Refined

Moritz Grossmann, the independent Saxon manufacture celebrated for its uncompromising craftsmanship and technical ingenuity, introduces the latest evolution of its iconic BENU Power Reserve. This new interpretation embodies the brand’s guiding principle: progress in harmony with tradition.

A Dial That Captures Light and Time
The dial is the face of a watch — a canvas where heritage meets artistry. For the first time, the BENU Power Reserve combines its signature linear power reserve indicator with Azurage decoration. This intricate guilloché pattern of ultra-fine concentric grooves animates the outer chapter ring, creating a captivating interplay of light. The softly textured matte center in shimmering argenté silver contrasts with applied blue numerals and indices, while the brand logo and minute track appear in understated grey.

Completing this refined composition are newly designed hands, handcrafted from steel in the Glashütte atelier. Each hand is meticulously beveled, polished, and then heat-blued using traditional thermal treatment. Their elegant curvature and needle-fine tips exemplify the precision and artistry that define Moritz Grossmann.

The Poetry of Mechanics: Power Reserve Indicator
Mechanical timepieces invite interaction, and the power reserve display is a charming expression of this dialogue. Positioned beneath 12 o’clock, the linear indicator reveals a two-tone bar driven by a differential gear train. When fully wound, the bar appears white; as energy diminishes, a blue segment gradually advances — a subtle yet constant reminder of the living mechanism on the wrist.

Inside the Case: Calibre 100.2
At the heart of the BENU Power Reserve beats the Calibre 100.2, an evolution of the manufacture’s foundational movement. This hand-wound calibre incorporates a differential mechanism for the power reserve display and features the brand’s signature innovations: manual winding with a pusher, a cantilevered balance cock with micrometer screw adjustment, and a separately removable winding module. Through the sapphire crystal back, the movement reveals its artistry — broad Glashütte ribbing, hand-engraved cocks, and raised gold chatons secured by blued screws.

Classic Elegance in Every Detail
The BENU Power Reserve is offered in rose gold and white gold, each with a 41 mm case that reflects the brand’s commitment to timeless proportions. The case surfaces are finely brushed to a soft matte sheen, complemented by a cross-grooved crown and slender lugs. A grey hand-stitched leather strap with blue stitching echoes the dial’s accents, completing a harmonious design that speaks to connoisseurs of understated luxury.

A Legacy Reimagined
Founded in 1854 by visionary watchmaker Moritz Grossmann, the Glashütte tradition was revived in 2008 by master watchmaker Christine Hutter. Today, the manufactory continues to honor its heritage through innovation, artisanal excellence, and a dedication to the finest German craftsmanship.

 

View Watch Gallery
Image 1 Image 2Image 3 Image 4Image 5
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.