An interview with the two CEOs of Armin Strom, a company that has established its unique style with its resonance mechanism

Serge Michel (current owner) and Claude Greisler (director and master watchmaker) acquired the eponymous brand from master watchmaker and founder Armin Strom in 2006. Just two years later, in 2008, the two childhood friends opened their own manufacture in Bienne, Switzerland, and launched their first in-house movement.

WatchTime spoke with Michel and Greisler about their vision for being an independent Swiss watchmaker, the challenges of being a relatively young brand, and their shared passion for precision.

"Striving for stability of precision means achieving a watch that keeps perfect time over days, weeks, and months." (Claude Greisler)

WT: You both come from Burgdorf, Switzerland, and attended the same school. How did you end up at the helm of Armin Strom?
SM: When Claude and I were children, we were deeply intrigued by local watchmaker Armin Strom, a man not only famous but also highly respected. Whenever we had the chance, we would try to learn a little about what was going on in his small workshop. Rumor had it that Mr. Strom regularly traveled abroad, delivering hand-finished, artistically transparent timepieces to select clients. A Guinness World Record holder and a celebrity himself, his life was fascinating to us. Without realizing it at the time, I had developed an irresistible passion for watches. While I began studying marketing, my childhood friend, Claude Greisler, followed in Armin Strom's footsteps and became a renowned watchmaker. Claude had learned watchmaking and design from the ground up at a renowned luxury and innovative watch brand. We remained friends, but at that time, we had no idea that we would become business partners together at our first love, Armin Strom. When he contacted my family to find a successor to Armin Strom, I saw this as an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream with Claude, who shared the same memories of Armin Strom.

WT: What has been the biggest takeaway so far from starting the company?
CG: The most important thing, then and now, is to constantly improve and evolve. I apply this to my business and to perfecting my own watchmaking.

WT: What is your current annual production?
SM: Currently, our production capacity is only a few hundred watches per year, which we have to split carefully between new releases and existing collections. We currently employ 23 people, more than half of whom are watchmakers.

WT: What is your most popular model?
SM: Resonance models are extremely popular. This complicated mechanism, which ensures precise stabilization, is a unique technology that breaks the conventions of watchmaking, which is why it is so popular. Most watch brands give up on the challenge of incorporating resonance at the stage from prototyping to realization, but Armin Strom chose to take on the challenge and, true to its own spirit, mastered this technology.

WT: What is your favorite complication?
CG: Resonance, of course, and I love the mechanical magic that can be seen on the dial of the Armin Strom Resonance watch.

WT: How do you two divide up the work?
SM: I am in charge of sales and the internal sales department, and Claude is in charge of product development and manufacturing. We share the overall management of the company.

WT: What is the spirit of Armin Strom?
CG: Our passion for transparent mechanics. We believe that watchmaking craftsmanship should never be hidden behind a dial. We are currently reinterpreting Armin's tradition of see-through movement. A visible movement is not only important for the mechanical aspect, but also for the visual aspect.

WT: Do you still have contact with the Strom family?
SM: Yes, Armin is a close friend of our family and recently visited us in the workshop. He is delighted to see the brand evolve and the current reinterpretation of see-through technology in Armin Strom watches.

WT: What has 2021 been like for Armin Strom?
CG: It's been our strongest year since we first launched. We've seen a strong trend towards independent brands, including ourselves, which of course makes us very proud and happy. I think the pandemic has also exacerbated this trend, with people spending more time researching products online and choosing extraordinary watches that stand out from the mainstream and offer true craftsmanship values.

WT: How is the increased demand affecting your business?
SM: During the COVID-2 pandemic, orders have more than doubled, and there are waiting lists for some models. Of course, we are doing everything we can to keep our customers waiting. The independence of the Armin Strom workshop has proven to be a clear advantage. We are not dependent on suppliers, are flexible in every way, and enjoy freedom of choice in everything we do.

WT: What is your biggest challenge?
SM: Meeting the growing demand for watches. This involves expanding production capacity while maintaining quality and securing highly skilled watchmakers. Staying in touch with collectors during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it's difficult to meet them in person, is also a challenge. However, I think we've been doing quite well with simple digital tools like WhatsApp, online meetings, emails and phone calls.

WT: If there was one thing you wanted people to know about Armin Strom, what would it be?
CG: We are passionate about every detail of the watches we create: the movement development, embossing, galvanic treatment, and hand-decorating the movements. We value the highest standards of fine watchmaking, knowing that Armin Strom collectors will enjoy their pieces again and again.

WT: To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Resonance technology, you launched the platinum "Zeitgeist." Is this watch already available?
SM: We have already had some unique pieces of the Zeitgeist in our customers' hands. Demand for the watch has been so high that we are considering releasing more versions. I should add that the Zeitgeist is Claude's and my favorite watch.

WT: What do you think is the biggest advantage of resonance technology?
CG: Resonance maximizes the stability of timekeeping by employing the scientific principle of adjusting precision over time. In horology, precision is often touted as the ultimate goal of fine watchmaking, but in reality, precision alone does not make for good timekeeping. It is stability of precision that allows a watch to keep perfect time day after day, week after week, or even month after month.

　Armin Strom's latest generation Resonance is the most reliable on the market, synchronizing faster than any other resonance watch. Thanks to the Resonance Clutch Spring, a flexible suspension connecting the two hairsprings and the balance, all Armin Strom Resonance watches are also more resistant to shocks and vibrations.

WT: What was the most difficult aspect of developing the "Resonance Clutch Spring"?
CG: It was about breaking away from existing concepts about certain complications.

WT: Do you plan to offer more accessible watches in the future?
SM: The "System 78" collection combines the perfect finishing and innovative features of luxury watches with an accessible price point, resulting in extremely high demand. While our production capacity for this collection is significantly lower than the actual demand, we aim to allocate a limited number of units to this collection, thereby broadening access to luxury watches.

　The Masterpiece Collection represents the pinnacle of our watchmaking philosophy, technical prowess and artistic sensibility. These exceptional timepieces are always produced in very limited quantities.

　The phenomenon of resonance, exemplified by the Resonance collection, is a true milestone in watchmaking history and one that is very close to our hearts. It will remain a key part of Armin Strom's collections for years to come, and the recently launched Zeitgeist unique pieces mark the next chapter of Resonance watches.