Armin Strom today announced the introduction of an entirely new timepiece; one that reinterprets the classic dress watch in a contemporary context. The highly efficient motor barrel in the ‘Tribute 1’ is unusual in that the arbor turns around the mainspring within the barrel itself, which makes it more efficient while conserving space. The first edition of the ‘Tribute 1’ is available in a limited edition of just 25 pieces. This first iteration is further distinguished by its white gold barrel bridge and a 10-year warranty, exactly double the standard warranty typically offered by Armin Strom.

The new Armin Strom Tribute 1 features the indication of hours, minutes, and seconds. The watch is cased in stainless steel with a case measuring 38 mm in diameter and only 9 mm in height. Water-resistant to 50 meters, the Tribute 1 was fully developed and manufactured in-house by Armin Strom. Powering the watch is the manual wound movement calibre AMW21 composed of 135 parts and with an 18K white gold bridge. The movement provides a power reserve of 100 hours when fully wound.

 “We believe that exceptional hand-finishing, presented in the context of a modern aesthetic design sensibility, is the key to a modern dress watch revival. We’re the heirs to a long tradition of manually wound dress watch design at Armin Strom; but like much of the rest of the market, we had moved away from that. Over time, this became a source of deep regret for me and I was ultimately inspired to do something about it. I’ve been obsessed with every detail of this timepiece, particularly when it comes to finishing. Hand polishing the dial-side of each barrel bridge takes over 12 hours to complete. To make the inaugural iteration even more special, we chose to produce that bridge in solid 18K white gold. The gear train bridge on the backside is beveled and polished at a 60-degree angle, a process that’s far more complex to execute and as a result takes twice as long. The polishing of the hands that I designed for this watch was also extremely time-consuming. The barrel is hand polished and provides 100 hours of autonomous operation. The Calibre AMW21 is adorned with Côtes de Genève, the jewel sinks are polished to a gleaming conclusion and the main plate is circular-grained. The balance cock and the stepped escape wheel cock deliver a three-dimensional allure, while their edges are hand beveled to convey an overall sense of luxury.”

Claude Greisler, Master Watchmaker and co-founder Armin Strom.

The Tribute 1 is also more classic in its dimensions than any of the rest of the Armin Strom designs. Additionally, the crown is located at 2 o’clock as a nod to modern design that enhances wearer comfort. The watch is delivered on a grey Alcantara calf leather strap with a double folding clasp in stainless steel. For the price, this is a lot of watch for the money. Kudos to Armin Strom!

Sticker Price CHF 13,900 Swiss Francs —approximately $15,400 USD. For more info on Armin Strom click here.