Armin Strom One Week First Edition Watch Revisits an Icon

By Nancy Olson

Unveiled today during Geneva Watch Days, Armin Strom’s new One Week First Edition recalls the groundbreaking One Week model from 2010, which holds a special place in the company’s collective heart. It was fitted with a movement completely developed and built in-house, setting the stage for what would follow from this innovative brand. And while this latest limited edition creation recollects that very first in-house caliber, it has been entirely redesigned and reengineered.

“When we decided to revisit the One Week, says Armin Strom principal Serge Michel, “we knew from the beginning that we wanted it to be an all-occasions watch: sporty yet sophisticated, intricate yet legible, and filled with immersive little details that even the most demanding collector can appreciate. It was also important for us that the new One Week be instantly recognizable as an Armin Strom by integrating and further refining many of the design elements that have become characteristic of our more recent creations.”

And recognizable it is, though not without a few surprises.

The One Week First Edition realizes the brand’s well-known penchant for “transparent horology” and pushes the mesmerizing mechanical elements on the dial side of the watch one step further. In this way it showcases the sculptural qualities of the manually wound in-house ARM21 with seven days of power reserve and an increased beat rate (from 2.5 Hz to 3.5 Hz).

Claude Greisler, Armin Strom’s master watchmaker and co-founder (with Serge Michel) of the revitalized brand, calls the watch a “milestone achievement,” owing to the two mainspring barrels working in series for better isochronism to the 3D power reserve display. Held by two “finger-style” bridges, the barrels are arranged on the right side of the open dial, and in a dramatic and visible pas de deux, the two ratchet wheels wind the barrels in opposite directions. Not to be outdone, the power reserve indicator’s mirror-polished cone is driven by a conical gear.

Hand finishing, for which Armin Strom is known, is here a masterful display of straight and circular-grained surfaces, chamfered and polished bevels, Geneva striping and polished screws. The can’t-miss light-blue PVD-enhanced mainplate and bridges provide a colorful pop.

And there’s more. The new One Week First Edition, limited to 25 pieces, foregoes a traditional dial for a contemporary look with the various movement elements thoughtfully positioned amidst the time-telling features. The Super Luminova-filled faceted hour and minute hands are positioned in the center of the dial, surrounded by baton indices also filled with Super Luminova. Small seconds are at 9 o’clock, shown on a small black dial decorated with the “AS” logo. In another touch of modernity, the 41mm streamlined stainless steel case is only 10.6 mm in height, and the integrated steel bracelet comprises H-shaped satin-brushed and polished links.

The watch, priced at $34,000, comes with an extended 10-year warranty.