Armin Strom are known for the exceptional quality of their movements and finishing on all of their watches – they started life as movement manufacture after all – from the entry-level Tribute 1 to their world leading resonance technology with watches like the Zeitgeist. However, beyond creating quality versions of watches and complications seen across the watchmaking world they also aspire to innovate with never before seen functions. The new Armin Strom Orbit First Edition falls into this latter category.
The name Orbit comes from the fact that the flagship complication, a central pointer date, uses the watch’s bezel instead of the periphery of the dial. In itself this isn’t the craziest of innovations, but it has been combined with an on/off system that takes it to a whole new level.
How that’s achieved is that the central date hand, tipped with a red A in reference to the brand’s name, operates off of the movement’s column wheel in the same manner as a chronograph hand. That means, like a chronograph, the function can be stopped and started at will. While disengaged it returns to a vertical, neutral state pointing at the word “Date” on the black ceramic bezel. Then, when activated with the pusher on the left side of the case, the central hand jumps to the current date.
The purpose of which is that while it’s disengaged the hand obscures as little of the display as possible. So you can move it out of the way when it crosses over the off-centre hours, minutes and seconds subdials. It’s a cool way to improve the usability of a common complication and make it more interactive for those who buy mechanical watches wanting a tactile experience.
If you choose to leave the date function active constantly, it will operate like a regular pointer date changing every midnight. A nice touch is that despite the bezel date engravings being a complete circle the complication is actually retrograde, meaning the hand doesn’t go directly from 31 to 1 but instead reverses all the way back around. That’s so that the hand never points to “Date” except when the complication is disengaged, meaning there can never be any confusion as to whether it’s active or not.
Operating the innovative complication is the Armin Strom manufacture Calibre ASS20, which is visible through the exhibition caseback and openworked portions of the main display. It has all the bells and whistles expected from Armin Strom including hand-finishing, polished and chamfered edges, polished chatons and perlage graining. In terms of specs, it’s based on the 2019 Gravity Equal Force movement, meaning it delivers constant force to the balance with a “stop-work” mechanism preventing the mainspring fully unwinding. The power reserve is 72-hours and it has automatic winding courtesy of a micro-rotor. It has a lot going for it.
It’s packed full of so many mechanical details it’s easy to overlook the aesthetic. It bears resemblance to the Gravity Equal Force collection in that its dial layout is mostly skeletonised with a trio of horizontal bridges and an off-set subdial. However, its stainless steel case measures a broad 43.4mm in diameter and the fixed ceramic bezel is engraved with a white date scale. What it lacks in Avante Garde appeal compared to the Gravity Equal Force, it makes up for in sportiness.
Date complications are so common these days that it’s easy to dismiss them. But what the Armin Strom Orbit First Edition really shows is that there are still new ways to reimagine even the most well-trodden elements of watchmaking and make them exciting again.
Price & Specs:
Model: Armin Strom Orbit First Edition
Reference: ST22-GEFD.75.ST
Case/dial: 43.4mm diameter x 12.6mm height, stainless steel with a ceramic fixed bezel, offset black-gold dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Armin Strom manufacture calibre ASS20, automatic with micro rotor, 30 jewels, 273 parts
Frequency: 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator, date on the bezel
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price/availability: £26,500, limited to 25 pieces
More details at Armin Strom.
