Introducing: The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple
As a fan of Armin Strom, I have had the pleasure of reviewing many of the brand’s previous models. Back in 2019, I was following the story of the then-new Gravity Equal Force, and while the watch was and still is out of my financial reach, I was amazed by what the Biel/Bienne Maison presented us. With the latest release, Armin Strom is upping the ante by introducing the Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple.
The name is a mouthful, but the watch is jaw-dropping. I reported on the first Gravity Equal Force in 2019 and went hands-on with it a year later. Today, Armin Strom is releasing its latest watch, and it offers more than meets the eye.
Gravity Equal Force
The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force was the first model line in the company’s System 78 collection. The idea behind the collection was to offer smaller, dressier, more affordable, and mechanically cleaner options to the AS fan base. It also opened the brand to a much larger audience by widening its reach. As far as the Gravity Equal Force is concerned, the most significant improvement is the mainspring barrel. It received an upgrade with a stop-work declutch mechanism combined with self-winding. The idea was to provide consistent power delivery to the balance. The process is simple: the stop-work declutch system inside the barrel limits the torque delivered to the balance wheel. The Gravity Equal Force is more consistently accurate throughout its power reserve thanks to this smooth power delivery.
Ultimate Sapphire Purple
Armin Strom brought several Gravity Equal Force models to the market in the last five years. However, the brand’s latest creation, the Ultimate Sapphire Purple, tops them all. Well, that’s how I see this new watch, at least. The Gravity Equal Force is the first automatic watch with a patented equal-force transmission integrated into the mainspring barrel, a power reserve indicator, and a unique micro-rotor design. What made me say it could be better, however, is not that but the model’s visual appeal. For the first time, the mainplate is crafted by Kari Voutilainen, one of our most important contemporary artisan watchmakers. Voutilainen is famous in the watch world for the excellence of his handmade guilloché decoration. The barley-grain pattern decorating the mainplate in this watch comes from his atelier via a traditional rose-engine lathe.
I mentioned a few times, notably in our Fratello On Air podcast, that purple will be the watch industry’s new “it” color. I doubt this was why Armin Strom chose said color, but “great minds think alike,” as they say. A striking lilac tone covers the base plate for the new Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple, resulting in a shade that reflects a broad spectrum of tones as it shifts with the light. Furthermore, the off-centered dial is transparent sapphire crystal, an exclusive feature of this model. The gray nubuck strap completes the Ultimate Sapphire Purple’s look, perfectly complementing the purple shade and the three ruthenium-plated finger bridges. Those serve as one of the key visual components of the Gravity Equal Force line.
Final words
Like every Gravity Equal Force, the display case back on this Ultimate Sapphire Purple edition allows us to admire the three-quarter bridge with Côtes de Genève decoration. Overall, the timepiece is highly decorated, yet it still preserves elegance and simplicity and balances between classical inspirations and modernist approaches in watchmaking.
The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire Purple is an edition of just 25 pieces. It is 41mm wide, only 12.65mm thick, and water resistant to 3 ATM (30m). A lug-to-lug of only 48mm sits nicely on the wrist, even if the width is on the larger side. The Armin Strom manufacture caliber ASB19 has a power reserve of 72 hours, 28 jewels, and 202 components. At CHF 27,500 / €31,900 / £27,300 / US$28,900, we are talking about a well-priced timepiece that aligns with other Haute Horlogerie ateliers. You can find out more about it on the official Armin Strom website. As always, let us know what you think of this release in the comments!
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