More architectural, more open and housed in a new streamlined steel case with an integrated bracelet: Armin Strom completely reimagines one of its most seminal models from the last decade, the One Week, in an all-new form. Debuting as the One Week First Edition limited to 25 examples, it further solidifies Armin Strom’s position as a full-fledged independent manufacture producing unprecedented mechanical marvels.
Maker of movements. The true horology connoisseur’s manufacture. Armin Strom stands out as one of the handful of exclusive independent watch brands that can pride itself in conceiving, developing and building some of the most exceptional mechanical watches around. Back in 2010, the brand unveiled its very first watch called the One Week featuring a movement that was developed and manufactured in house. Equipped with a seven-day power reserve and designed with symmetrical harmony in mind, the One Week would lay the foundation for many of Armin Strom’s groundbreaking developments, placing the brand on the radar of discerning collectors. Now, Armin Strom is revisiting its very first calibre in an all-new design and construction that’s bound to make the One Week a staple model in the brand’s lineup.
As Armin Strom founder Serge Michel noted, “When we decided to revisit the One Week, 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.”
A radical construction
As devotees of transparent horology, Armin Strom makes it a point to always feature kinetic mechanical elements on the dial side. The One Week First Edition takes this core Armin Strom trait a step further. Completely reengineered and redesigned, the manual-winding movement is as sculptural as it gets. Form, function, aesthetics and ergonomics are all harmoniously brought into the foreground, resulting in a piece of otherwise traditional horology executed in a dynamic, radical way.
“The One Week from 2010 holds a special place for the Armin Strom manufacture as it was the first movement we completely developed and built in-house. We went far beyond simply giving it a facelift, as it is in fact an entirely redesigned and reengineered movement. From the two barrels working in series for better isochronism to the 3D power reserve display and the increased beat rate, the new One Week is definitely a milestone achievement for our team in Biel,” remarked Claude Greisler, master watchmaker and co-founder of the revitalised Armin Strom.
Far more than a remake
True to its name and just like its predecessor, the One Week delivers an impressive seven-day power reserve. But that’s where the similarities end. The new manual-winding ARM21 calibre features two mainspring barrels, which work in series to provide consistent levels of energy to the gear train. Held by two finger-style bridges, the barrels are symmetrically arranged on the right portion of the completely open dial. The manual winding ritual takes on a hypnotic choreography, as the motion of two ratchet wheels winding up the two barrels in opposite directions is entirely visible from the dial side.
One of the most distinctive features of the new One Week is its power reserve indicator. Keeping with the architectural depth of the movement, the power reserve is indicated by a cone system, inspired by pocket watches. This consists of a mirror-polished cone, which is driven by a conical gear on the opposite side of the dial.
New movement, new beat rate. Another major evolution in the new One Week is the oscillating frequency of the regulating organ. As it is designed as an all-occasions watch that can take on dynamic activities, the beat rate has been increased from 2.5 Hz to 3.5 Hz (25,200 vph). This higher frequency, which offers a more stable chronometric performance, meant that the entire gear train had to be recalculated and reconfigured.
The pursuit of balance and depth
Another surprising first for Armin Strom is the placement of the hour and minute hands. Normally, Armin Strom watches feature offset hour and minute hands, either on a subsidiary dial as small hands or slightly off from the centre as large hands. In the One Week, the faceted hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova are perfectly positioned in the centre of the open dial, further enhancing its visual balance.
In fact, compared to the previous generation of the One Week, which featured a partially open dial to expose the movement, the new One Week was conceived to be much more three-dimensional. It totally foregoes a traditional dial, instead adopting a contemporary architecture, with various movement elements positioned in such a way that they can be explored from many angles. The bridge holding the hands has been designed with a geometric form to rise above the mainplate. Keeping legibility optimal, the movement is surrounded by a chapter ring set with baton indices filled with Super-LumiNova. The small seconds at 9 o’clock are displayed on a small black dial, emblazoned with the brand’s “AS” logo.
All in the execution
Like all Armin Strom creations, from the purest to the most complex, the One Week is a masterclass in haute horlogerie hand-finishing. Straight and circular grained surfaces, chamfered and polished bevels, Geneva-striped plates and polished screws and sinks are clearly applied by expert hands. The One Week First Edition stands out in particular with its cool light blue PVD-coloured mainplate and bridges.
The One Week’s micromechanical sculpture of a movement is housed in a suitably contemporary case. Crafted in stainless steel, it measures 41 mm in width and only 10.6 mm in height, surprisingly compact proportions for a calibre of such intense depth. Paired with an integrated steel bracelet consisting of “H”-shaped satin-brushed and polished links, the overall design is holistic with an emphasis on ergonomics to make for a perfect everyday wear piece full of mechanical intrigue.
The One Week First Edition is limited to 25 pieces and will be delivered with an extended warranty period of 10 years, instead of Armin Strom’s usual 5-year warranty. It will also be distinguished from future editions with its light blue PVD coloured mainplate and bridges.
Armin Strom One Week First Edition Technical specifications
Reference no. ST23-OW.FE
Movement
- Armin Strom manufacture Calibre ARM21
- Winding mechanism: manual winding
- Regulating system: flat hairspring with a variable inertia balance wheel
- Power reserve: 7 days
- Dimensions: 36.60 mm × 6.00 mm
- Frequency: 3.5 Hz (25,200 vph)
- Jewels: 35
- Number of components: 194
- Indications: Hours, minutes, small second
Case
- Stainless steel
- Sapphire crystal and case back with anti-reflective treatment
- Diameter: 41.00 mm
- Height: 10.60 mm
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
Dial
- Black minute ring and small-second dial, numbers and indexes with Super-LumiNova® filling
- Hands: faceted polished hands and Super-LumiNova® filling
Strap
- Stainless steel with a double folding clasp
Limited to 25 pieces
About Armin Strom
Armin Strom is an independent watch company based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Armin Strom timepieces offer a unique fusion of the Swiss-German horological tradition, avant-garde “transparent mechanics” and an unwavering commitment to horological innovation. The hallmark of the brand’s low-volume, artisanal approach to watchmaking is its commitment to exposed dial-side movement mechanics, with every part hand-finished to the highest haute-horology standards.
Armin Strom was established in 1967 by Mr Armin Strom, a legend in the art of hand-skeletonization.
In 2006, the stewardship of Mr Strom’s legacy became the responsibility of master watchmaker Claude Greisler and businessman Serge Michel, who together revitalized the brand with the opening of Armin’s Strom’s first fully integrated manufacture in 2009. Today, the brand designs, develops, mills, embosses, galvanizes, hand-finishes and assembles all of its own watches in-house, enabling Armin Strom to bring even the most complicated ideas to life without any of the compromises that typically stem from reliance on a supply chain.