The New Armin Strom Pure Resonance (SIHH 2018)

Following the motto “less is more“, Armin Strom presents a refined version of its superb Resonance watch. Why “less is more“? Well, in the case of the new Pure Resonance, it isn’t only about pairing back the design. As you’ll see, sometimes in watchmaking, removing parts and features can actually benefit accuracy – and Armin Strom’s Resonance concept is all about accuracy.

The first thing to note is how the  Armin Strom’s Resonance watch has been refined in terms of design. First of all, its case is now smaller, with a 42mm diameter (1.4mm smaller than the regular version), slimmer, with a 12mm thickness. All of that is due to the thinner bezel and the shorter lugs. Armin Strom’s watches are usually quite large on the wrist so this should benefit the elegance of the watch and open new markets. The characteristic “lip” at 6 is still present, as a reminder that personalization is still part of the brand’s DNA (this lip can be engraved).

Next, the dial of the Armin Strom Pure Resonance is far less complex than it used to be. First of all, the movement here shows plain bridges and is no longer open-worked. The main attraction of this watch, the visible dual balances oscillating in resonance, are still present though. The bridges are also decorated with straight Geneva stripes, a classical decoration but a first for the brand. The main difference in terms of display comes from the removal of one of the sub-dials for the small seconds. Instead, the Armin Strom Pure Resonance becomes an apparently simple 3-hander – hours and minutes on one of the sub-dials, small seconds on the other.

The Armin Strom Pure Resonance will be available in two different versions: Fire, with an 18k rose gold case and a black dial – Water, with a stainless steel case and a blue dial. As an ode to tradition and to provide more elegance, the indexes are Roman numerals, also something that is not usual for Armin Strom.

The cleaner style of this Armin Strom Pure Resonance is not only due to a visual update. In fact, it is entirely based on a mechanical upgrade of the movement. The goal is still to display the interesting resonant balances while improving overall precision. For that, the brand has removed the twin seconds flyback mechanism of the movement. In watchmaking, the fewer functions a timepiece must perform, the better it can concentrate on accuracy. In other words, with no superfluous functions, this watch can focus fully on precisely providing the time. The time displays receive their portioned energy from the lower regulator, while the upper regulator remains in place to create resonance.

The Armin Strom Pure Resonance is an interesting take on the concept, with an elegant minimalistic approach – both of the design and of the mechanics. It will be priced at CHF 49,000 in steel and CHF 62,000 in rose gold (CHF 5,000 less than the normal version). More on www.arminstrom.com.