by Elizabeth Doerr

Not too long ago I received a message from watchmaker Patrik Sjögren, who was rightfully very proud to share the news that his business partner Johan Gustafsson will be featured in an upcoming book by David Darom set to publish in April 2017. It focuses on artistic folder knives and how they are made.

A photo shoot in Gustafsson’s Swedish smithy was staged as the procedures he uses to make his signature Mosaic Damascus steel were important to show in the forthcoming tome, in addition to several completed folder knives and other items stemming from the forge – including watches. Primarily among them the duo’s superb new Winter Nights model.

Johan Gustafsson hand-forges steel with the help of an air hammer in his Swedish smithy (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

Sjögren, who I find also has a keen photographic eye, was happy to share some of the photos taken for the book by photographer Björn Dahlgren, who he describes as having, “brilliant light-setting skills.”

We agree wholeheartedly: these very mood-appropriate photos are superb!

The GoS Winter Nights rests on an anvil in Johan Gustafsson’s smithy with the oven providing light in the background (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

The watch featured on the photos is the GoS Winter Nights, which is powered by Caliber GoS02 based on the manually wound Technotime TT718 with twin spring barrels and 5 days’ worth of power reserve.

The dial is handcrafted by Gustafsson using two different Swedish tool steels that are forged and folded in a total of 192 layers. After that is complete, Gustafsson works the damascened steel to create his signature patterns. The handmade way that this steel is worked ensures that each watch is a unique piece in its own right; no two will ever look 100 percent the same.

A wristshot of the GoS Winter Nights against the backdrop of Johan Gustafsson’s assembly bench (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

The large knife underneath the watch featured in the photo below is a “Semi Full-Tang Fighter” crafted in Mosaic Damascus steel. Gustafsson made this particular knife in 2012.

Its blade is created in what as known as accordion-cut Mosaic Damascus and Explosion Damascus steel. The spectacular handle includes mammoth ivory paired with a Twist Damascus bolster. The overall length of this sizable knife is 370 mm (8 11/16”).

The GoS Winter Nights shares the stage with Gustafsson’s Semi Full-Tang Fighter in this photo (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

GoS stands for Gustafsson and Sjögren, the “o” standing for the Swedish word for “and.”

The incredibly appealing aesthetics of duo’s work are mainly up to the “G” portion of the team: Gustafsson began forging his own blades in 1994. The style that he has evolved over the past two decades mainly comprises hand-forged, pattern-welded steel, and some of his major accomplishments include improvements and developments within a technique called Mosaic Damascus. This sees Gustafsson creating detailed, abstract patterns by forging metal plates of different steel types together into one solid piece.

Johan Gustafsson holds a damascened steel dial patterned with his signature “wildflowers” that is ready for etching (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

The entity known as Gustafsson & Sjögren (GoS) represents Gustafsson’s debut into the horological sphere. “We both felt that we had the same passion for the handcraft and a drive to get things done,” says the watchmaker half of the duo of his business partner, who he met in 2007. “Johan had a vision of using his steel in watches a couple if years before meeting with me. However, he was always disappointed with the results.”

Johan Gustafsson and Patrik Sjögren (GoS) in the blade smith’s Swedish smithy (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

The bridges of the new Winter Nights’ caliber exhibit a classic straight-grained finish, while Sjögren has given the beveled edges a high-gloss polish. The main plate boasts classic perlage that has been coated with a dark gray surface treatment. The wheels and the GoS logo are gold-plated to match red gold details like the hands and dial ring on the flip side of the watch.

Winter Nights is available either with the finishing seen here or upon request with the addition of Damascus steel bridges hand-forged by Gustafsson.

GoS Winter Nights next to Gustafsson’s Semi Full-Tang Fighter made of Mosaic Damascus steel (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

Each Winter Nights model is housed in a 43 mm stainless Damascus steel case. Unusually, each watch carries a full five-year warranty.

Four pieces of Damascus steel undergoing various steps in Johan Gustafsson’s smithy to become one beautiful piece of unusual, artistic, patterned steel (photo Björn Dahlgren)

A pair of GoS pens with Damascus steel barrels and Viking knot interpretations on clips and bands (photo courtesy Björn Dahlgren)

For more information, please visit www.goswatches.com.

Quick Facts Winter Nights
Case: 43 x 10 mm, stainless Damascus steel
Movement: manually wound Caliber GoS02 based on Technotime TT718 with twin spring barrels and 5 days’ worth of power reserve; on request bridges can be made of Damascus steel
Dial: handcrafted by Gustafsson using two different Swedish tool steels forged and folded in a total of 192 layers to make a signature Damascus pattern; GoS tiskele symbol and index ring in red gold; each watch is a unique piece in its own right as no two will ever look 100 percent the same
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds
Price: $19,500 plus tax; a two-tone version with 18-karat gold components made only on order is $29,500; movement with Damascus steel bridges approximately $5,000 more