Armin Strom gives its Mirrored Force Resonance a facelift, and interestingly calls it the First Edition, though the model has been around since 2016.
New: Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance – First Edition
Price: CHF 58,000 / EUR 61,600 / GBP 52,100 / USD 59,000
Commentary
When we first received this press release, we were a bit confused. We have covered the Mirrored Force Resonance in detail at launch and subsequently, and looking at the specifications, this novelty looks very similar.
- Armin Strom Mirrored Forced Resonance hands on detailed review and technical discussion
- Armin Strom Mirrored Resonance unboxing and look book
- Armin Strom Enamel dial series
- Armin Strom Pure Resonance
- New dial option for Armin Strom Pure Resonance
- also read the Armin Strom Manufacture report
- and customising your Armin Strom
The name First Edition threw us off, as we became confused with this curious naming, 6 years after the launch models. So we wrote Armin Strom to clarify. And indeed it is just a facelift, a redesign on the aesthetics which is the novelty.
The case is now slimmer at 11.55mm thick instead of 13mm and the first redesign which they call Pure whose height was 12mm. The prominent lip signature at 6 o’clock is also reduced, and the overall look is more streamlined and sleek.
However, on closer inspection, the movement has also been redesigned. The movement is now caliber ARF21 instead of ARF15. The caliber received a modification and was offered as ARF16 in the 2019. Power reserve (48 hours) and dimensions remain unchanged. Other than an aesthetic redesign of the movement, it remains pretty much the same as the launch models. From the case back, what used to be a massive plate perforated to house the flying barrel and winding works now sports a bridge layout with two cocks with bombe surfaces. The keyless works is also now visible with the ratchet wheels and pawls designed to look like those of vintage pocket watches.
THe naming convention is somewhat confusing, that the First Edition comes some 6 years after the launch models, which are called Fire (RG) and Water (SS). The price has also been raised to CHF 58,000 in a SS case compared to CHF 48,000 for the Pure Resonance in SS. In exchange for the price premium, the watch is limited to 25 pieces includes special by a number of details that are exclusive to this series. The two bombe bridges between the ratchet wheel and barrels are crafted in white gold. And the opaline dial has been created in a warm “Black Gold” colour. The watch comes with a 10-year warranty instead of the usual Armin Strom 5-year warranty.
Release information
The Mirrored Force Resonance takes on a strikingly elegant form with a newly designed case, movement and dial, incorporating Armin Strom’s unique and chronometrically superlative Resonance technology in new proportions and revealing more of its innovative movement.
Armin Strom took the watch industry by storm in 2016 when it unveiled the Mirrored Force Resonance, a watch that exploits the physical phenomenon of resonance in an ingenious and unprecedented way. It set a new standard of chronometric precision and regularity by achieving what watchmakers once believed to be impossible.
Revisiting the independent manufacture’s milestone creation in 2016 from a new vantage point, the entirely redesigned Mirrored Force Resonance takes the winning formula of superior chronometric stability and reimagines it using a new, refined design language. From the outside, the case has been redesigned from scratch in more slender proportions (43mm x 11.55mm), with slimmer, more elegant lugs, as well as a very subtle signature Armin Strom “lip” at 6 o’clock.
The raised sapphire glass box reveals the innovative and truly one-of-a-kind movement from multiple angles and has been redesigned for a more open, three-dimensional look. Most notably, the two balance bridges have been openworked for more visual harmony between the two synchronized balanced wheels and the off-centre dial. The pusher at 2 o’clock allows the two running seconds indicators – which rotate in mirrored clockwise and counter-clockwise motions – to be reset to zero and visually track the state of resonance.
Turning the watch over reveals the extent of the movement’s complete redesign. Inspired by the golden age of precision marine chronometry, the engraved main plate outlines the specific characteristics of the Mirrored Force Resonance in raised text. Highlighting the fact that the ingenuity of the Resonance is having two movements beating in sync with independent energy sources and gear trains, the symmetry of the movement is accentuated with its mirrored arrangement of open bridges and gears. This open execution also allows the Armin Strom manufacture to showcase its expertise in hand finishing while also shining a light on the brand’s history as a preeminent maker of skeleton watches. The wider hand-polished chamfers on the bridges and countersinks and the mix of satin-brushed and mirror-polished surfaces also exude a superlative and distinctly haute horlogerie quality that can only be achieved by the hands of skilled artisans.
Other mechanical features have been updated in addition to the architecture and re- engineered movement, such as the ratchet wheels and pawls that now take their inspiration from those found in pocket watches and provide a smoother tactile experience when winding.
Claude Greisler, Co-Founder and Master Watchmaker at Armin Strom, comments, “The openworked Resonance movement further highlights the ingenuity of our unique and patented system. Even more incredibly, we’ve made the new Mirrored Force Resonance slimmer, paying particular attention to the ergonomics and overall proportions of this exceptional timepiece.”
An Exceptional Debut Series
As part of a new tradition at Armin Strom that began with other recent collections, the First Edition of the Mirror Force Resonance is limited to 25 pieces and is made even more special by a number of details that are exclusive to this series. First, the two finger-style bridges between the ratchet wheel and barrels are crafted in white gold. Secondly, the opaline dial has been created in a warm “Black Gold” colour. And finally, the watch comes with a 10-year warranty instead of the usual Armin Strom 5-year warranty.
Commenting on the debut series of the new Mirrored Force Resonance, Serge Michel, founder of Armin Strom, remarked, “The Mirrored Force Resonance has become one of Armin’s Strom’s most evocative creations, and its evolution has been warmly welcomed by our collectors and partners. The enthusiastic reception and high demand for the First Edition of 25 timepieces mean we can’t wait to show you the Manufacture Edition, which will be unveiled in early 2023.”
Armin Strom’s patented Resonance Clutch Spring
Long considered the “holy grail” of watchmaking, the physical phenomenon of resonance enables more regular timekeeping by synchronizing two balance wheels that oscillate in opposite directions at the same time. Throughout the history of watchmaking and even today, watches incorporating this phenomenon are few and far between. In fact, only a handful of watchmakers in the entire history of watchmaking have attempted to harness the potential of resonance, with varying levels of success and reproducible reliability.
With its groundbreaking and patented Resonance Cluch Spring, Armin Strom has succeeded where other watchmakers could not. Conceived, developed and produced entirely at the Armin Strom manufacture in Biel, the Resonance Clutch Spring is the result of years of intensive research by Claude Greisler and the manufacture. Crafted from a single piece of steel, the Resonance Clutch Spring is designed to transfer energy between both hairsprings and quickly bring the balance wheels into resonance. Armin Strom’s newest generation of resonance isthe quickest and most reliable on the market, synchronizing faster than any other watch that uses resonance and remaining in a resonant state longer than any other.
Thanks to the Resonance Clutch Spring, a flexible suspension connecting the two hairsprings with its balance wheels, all of Armin Strom’s Resonance watches are more resistant to shocks or vibrations than standard mechanical movements. Precision and consistency are, of course, the ultimate goals of mechanical watchmaking and resonance plays a crucial role in helping these amazing watches keep time consistently over days, weeks and months. Armin Strom’s goal is a watch that the owner knows will tell the time consistently, day in and day out.
The Resonance Clutch Spring is made of steel and performs more consistently than high-tech materials such as silicon, and withstands temperature fluctuations well. It also makes the Resonance Clutch Spring future proof by using proven materials and modern methods to increase longevity and improve serviceability.
Technical specifications: Mirrored Force Resonance – First Edition
Reference no. ST22-RF.75 Indications: Hours, minutes, 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 6.70 mm
Frequency: 3.5 Hz (25,200 vph)
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: 5 ATM
Dial: Black Gold coloured with number part azurés and centre mat Hands: Steel, manufactured by Armin Strom, decorated by hand
Strap: Dark Blue alligator strap with white stitching, pin buckle in stainless steel First Edition limited to 25 pieces
