Armin Strom's new Tribute 1 is a modern take on the dress watch

Armin Strom has announced the new Tribute 1, a reinterpretation of the classic dress watch with the brand's unique sensibility. The modest case measures 38mm in diameter and 9mm thick, and is equipped with a hand-wound, in-house movement with hand-finishing. This first edition will be limited to 25 pieces.

The first attempt at a thin design

　Armin Strom is a small, independent brand headquartered in Bienne, Switzerland. It was founded in 1967 by Armin Strom, who specialized in skeletonizing movements. In 2006, it was taken over by businessman Serge Michel and watchmaker Claude Greisler, who continue to create watches that uphold the founder's spirit.

　In 09, the company underwent a major transformation into a manufacture that realized complete in-house production by introducing various new facilities. Currently, the company handles everything from design and development to component processing, dial embossing, plating, hand finishing, and assembly, and all of its watches are equipped with in-house movements.

　Armin Strom has produced many modern skeleton watches that incorporate the movement as part of the design. Creating an avant-garde look with mechanisms such as the escapement, micro-rotor, and resonance mechanism exposed on the dial side is Armin Strom's specialty.

　The theme of the company's newly announced "Tribute 1" is "dress watch." Generally, the main interpretation of a dress watch in luxury watches is a simple design that omits functions other than displaying the time, with a classic, small, thin case and a beautifully finished movement. This model adds elements that are characteristic of the company.

　With the exception of the Lady Beat model released last year, all previous watches had case diameters of over 40mm and thicknesses well over 10mm. This was the company's first attempt at creating an elegant dress watch with a case thickness of less than 10mm.

　Watchmaker Claude Greisler said:
"The finest hand-finishing techniques, combined with modern design and sensibility, are key to this dress watch revival."

A meticulously crafted movement

　The distinctive design, with its off-centered inset dial and barrel visible through the dial opening, gives it a modern impression, similar to previous models. The stainless steel case measures 38mm in diameter and is only 9mm thick. Additionally, this is the first time that the crown has been positioned in two positions, making it easier to operate while wearing the watch and reducing interference with the wrist.

　What is particularly noteworthy about the newly developed Caliber AMW21 installed in the Tribute 1 is the beautiful hand-finished workmanship. The barrel bridge that supports the barrel on the dial side is made of white gold, and it takes 12 hours to polish the entire surface to a mirror finish. In addition, the bridge that supports the gear train on the case back side and the balance cock are chamfered at an angle of approximately 60°. Due to their complex shapes, this takes nearly twice as long as usual.

A wide variety of variations will be released soon

　The newly announced Tribute 1 is a first edition, with only 25 units produced. In addition to keeping the price as low as possible, the warranty period for this model has been extended to 10 years, double the usual period.

　Approximately two months after the release of the First Edition, the Manufacture Edition is scheduled to be released. The lineup will include two stainless steel models and one gold model, with 80 pieces of each. Special editions are also planned to be released from time to time, and are expected to feature different dial materials and specifications, as well as decorative features such as engraving.

　Furthermore, the Tribute 1 will be added to Armin Strom's personalization service, the Configurator, which allows customers to create a watch that is just their taste by selecting their preferred color scheme and a wide range of options.

　The Tribute 1 is not just a first edition, but one to keep an eye on for future developments. It represents a new attempt to add a modern interpretation to a dress watch, resulting in a beautifully crafted model that is typical of Armin Strom.