Straum Introduces Three Captivating Jan Mayen Basalt Limited Editions
Whenever the Norwegian brand Straum unveils something new, we are all ears at Fratello. Most of you will know we love the brand and collaborated on the Fratello × Straum Jan Mayen Limited Edition. In a new adventure, brand founders Lasse Roxrud Farstad and Øystein Helle Husby created three special new dials for the much-praised Jan Mayen watch. The dials are made from basalt rocks that the two men personally collected on the remote island of Jan Mayen. The result is a series of dials that stand out immediately and give the Straum Jan Mayen a unique look. Let’s find out more about this remarkable story.
If you are familiar with Straum, you will know that Lasse Roxrud Farstad and Øystein Helle Husby are passionate about the natural environment of their native Norway. The brand’s founders are also passionate about sharing parts of it with Straum’s fans. The brand’s first model, the Rastarkalv, featured a wooden dial made of the roots of a 3,300-year-old tree located in the swamps of Rastarkalv, Frei in Norway. It’s not only proof of being able to create special dials for their watches, but it also embodies the adventurous spirit of these two men and their brand. Now they’ve taken things a step further with the new Jan Mayen Basalt.
The story of the Straum Jan Mayen Basalt limited editions
Farstad and Husby traveled from Svalbard to Jan Mayen for these new dials. The isolated island is only accessible by boat, so it took a 10-day expedition to go there and come back with the basalt rocks for the dials. The island’s scenery is dominated by Beerenberg, the world’s northernmost active volcano. The plan was to ascend the mountain and collect basalt rock samples from ancient volcanic eruptions.
But as Jan Mayen is a protected nature reserve, visiting the island and taking samples is not that simple. The Straum team got the proper permits to visit the island, and collecting the basalt rocks was done responsibly and sustainably. Basalt is a special rock that forms after lava cools down rapidly and traps gas pockets inside while solidifying. That’s what gives the rock its open, porous, and spongelike texture. As you will understand, every piece collected has a unique texture, so each dial is different.
Turning rock into watch dials
Having rocks does not mean that you have dials, of course. It turned out to be quite the challenge to turn the rocks into dials. To realize this multistep process, Straum worked with experts from Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, and China. These experts helped to increase the Straum team’s knowledge about the craft of cutting, stabilizing, and polishing the brittle basalt material.
As you will understand, giving the basalt material the needed optical clarity takes great patience and skill. After that is achieved, the ultra-thin and delicate wafers are bonded to the dials’ coated brass bases. After that is done, it is still essential to pay great attention to detail during the final assembly. You want to ensure the basalt stays intact and keeps the natural beauty achieved in the process. The result is a series of distinct-looking watches available in three dial variations and limited to 100 pieces total.
The details of the Straum Jan Mayen
Let’s go over the details of these three new limited editions. Of course, the canvas for the unique dials is the Jan Mayen, the brand’s integrated-bracelet sports watch. It features a 38.7mm stainless steel case with an 11.5mm thickness, a 45.7mm lug-to-lug, and a 100m water resistance rating. On the right side of the rounded case, you will find the nicely proportioned crown protected by guards.
The watch’s integrated stainless steel bracelet measures 24.8mm wide at the lugs and tapers to 18mm wide at the clasp. It’s a beautifully machined and finished bracelet with a push-button butterfly closure, and it’s known to be among the best in class at this watch’s sub-€2K price point.
Straum equips the watches with the La Joux-Perret caliber G101. This automatic time-only movement operates at 28,800vph, has 24 jewels, and offers 68 hours of power reserve. The caliber is adjusted to four positions and offers an accuracy of ±7 seconds per day on average, with a max deviation of 20 seconds per day.
The caliber is visible through the case back’s sapphire window and displays excellent machine finishing, including exposed skeletonized wheels, Geneva stripes, and a nicely beveled outer edge on the bridges. It is a great modern power train for the Jan Mayen.
The three Basalt dial variations
But the story of these three new watches is all about the dial. As mentioned, there are three versions. The first is the Magma Red with a vibrant red sunburst base. The red dial aligns with the Fratello × Straum Jan Mayen Limited Edition. Both capture the color and energy of the molten magma that flows beneath the surface of the island. On top, the basalt wafer provides an intricate pattern that gives each watch a distinct look. A brushed peripheral ring holds the printed white hour and minute markers. The familiar set of three hands, each with a Super-LumiNova filling, hovers over the dial.
The second variation is the Radiant Mist, which features a fully lumed brass base plate. In regular light, the fumé dial shows a subtle gradient from white to light gray. It represents the island’s mist rolling over the basalt rock. In the dark, this special dial lights up brightly, just like the hands and the hour markers on the outer ring. This version allows you to enjoy the special effect of the basalt stone in the daytime and at night.
A lovely trio of dials with a clear standout
The last one in this series is the Volcanic Grey variant. It takes inspiration from the color of the cliffside caves on the island. The result is a sunburst gray base dial that is a great match for the basalt on top. With this fantastic trio of dials, the Jan Mayen Basalt limited editions will surely find their way to fans. The obvious standout is the Radiant Mist version due to its lumed dial.
But during the daytime, the Magma Red version is undoubtedly the most visually striking variant. The Volcanic Grey version is nice as well because of the contrast of finishes. With a total production of 100 pieces across the three versions, each new Jan Mayen Basalt limited edition will be rather uncommon too.
As a result, I think Straum will be able to sell all of them quickly for €1,900 (excluding taxes). That is only €300 more than the regular versions of the Jan Mayen. Considering the special story and the unique material that these dials feature, that is a very reasonable markup. A small number of the 100 pieces was offered to existing customers during last weekend’s Windup Watch Fair in New York.
The remaining Jan Mayen Basalt limited editions will be available for pre-order starting today at 18:00 CEST, with deliveries slated for April 2025. As I said, I expect these to sell out quickly. The watches have a unique story and dials that perfectly represent the Straum brand. That’s why it’s a great trio of limited editions.
But what are your thoughts on these new Straum Jan Mayen Basalt models? Let us know in the comments section.
