Armin Strom’s Gravity Equal Force, first seen at Dubai Watch Week 2019, is a new watch that seeks to innovate with the help of historical inspiration and a healthy dose of research and development.

The Gravity Equal Force marks the official beginning of a new direction at Armin Strom: with its advent the brand also launched a new collection, System 78, which builds an entry-level core on innovation and a more refined design sensibility.

Modifying and challenging Armin Strom’s typical design codes, the designers altered proportions for a more modern aesthetic and more functional usability for the wearer. The watch’s diameter is reduced to 41 millimeters, a first for the brand, and the “Armin Strom lip” at 6 o’clock was shaved to match the more modern shape of the case.

While it is similar to the brand’s original Gravity models, Gravity Equal Force is designed to be easier to read at a glance while highlighting the timepiece’s innovative mechanics.

Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force in pink gold on the wrist

Gravity Equal Force in pink gold

Until now, Armin Strom has only offered this intriguing daily wearer in stainless steel. But after the stunning success of that model, the team has decided to bring it out in gold as well – starting with that most classic of interpretations: pink gold and black, which is not only full of character, but also an interesting combination in a retro sort of way.

Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force in pink gold

Aside from the beautiful and contemporary-looking case, the movement and the resulting dial layout rightfully grab all the attention.

The movement layout looks similar to the rest of this boutique brand’s products – it is very obviously a sibling – but it incorporates modifications that include a new triplet of bridges supporting the barrel, a micro rotor whirring away between 12 and 1 o’clock, and keyless works that are inspired by historical pocket watch movements. “We invested a lot of time into getting the proportions of these three bridges just right,” Armin Strom’s technical head, Claude Greisler, explained.

Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force in pink gold

This visible movement layout is a true highlight, sharing the dial space with the time display, which is now a fully off-center dial with an integrated small subsidiary seconds dial. Both elements are equally in focus, a very pleasing fact to fans of good watch technology. And the time displays flow with ease into each other.

Armin Strom Caliber ASB19

The rear of the entirely new Caliber ASB19 takes on a new aesthetic as well, serving as a combination of past Armin Strom design cues, including the style of the winged plate supporting the micro rotor, and historical pocket watches (repeating the style of individual cocks for the gear train and balance).

View through the display back of the Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force in pink gold

The new caliber also sports upgraded, differentiated finishing for a true haute horlogerie package. The aesthetic changes marking the Gravity Equal Force as a shift in philosophy are certain to please both the brand’s avid followers and gain it new ones.

Mechanically much is noteworthy here, including the first time a stop-works mechanism has been combined with automatic winding in a wristwatch – a direct result of the desire to deliver consistent power from the mainspring to the regulator in a reliable and easily implemented way.

The new “stop-work declutch” mechanism derives from older stop-works mechanisms found on manual winding pocket watches utilizing a Geneva wheel as the counting and limiting feature to keep power delivery restricted to the most consistent portion of the mainspring.

The biggest difference is that this mechanism is built inside the mainspring barrel, allowing the mechanism to “slip” once it reaches the upper limit. This makes it work with the micro rotor so that the mainspring not only stays in the optimal operating range but will do so as long as the watch is worn.

“We have reinvented the whole functionality of an automatic watch movement to bring another level of precision and to offer our collectors more assurance for reliable daily wear,” says Greisler.

Armin Strom’s guiding principle

Every new watch coming from this independent manufacture in Biel, Switzerland must include an innovation according to CEO Serge Michel and co-founding head of technology Greisler.

In this case, it is both the resuscitation of the updated vintage stop-works mechanism and the harmonious way in which all of the dazzling ingredients combine to form the equally delightful parts of the technical looking but relatively accessible Gravity Equal Force.

Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force in pink gold

“We want to become a leader in watch engineering and movement design. I have so many ideas and goals that I am very excited to go to work every single day,” Greisler has said to me. And his enthusiasm and skill shine through in every atom of this elegant and technically fascinating timepiece.

For more information, please visit www.arminstrom.com/en/collection/model/gravity-equal-force.

Quick Facts Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force pink gold
Case: 41 x 12.65 mm, pink gold
Movement: in-house automatic Caliber ASB19 with micro rotor visible from the front and Geneva-drive constant force barrel, 25,200 vph, frequency, 72-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; power reserve
Price: CHF 26,900 (incl. VAT) / $26,600 (not including taxes)

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