The Armin Strom Tribute 1, now with Fumé Dials

In 2021, Armin Strom introduced a fresh collection with a sleek and contemporary design, seeking to breathe new life into and reinterpret the idea of the dress watch – the Tribute 1. The First Edition, housed in a compact and comfortable 38mm case, beautifully pushed the boundaries of traditional dress watch design as it has retained key Armin Strom elements. These include the bezel with a subtly reduced lip at 6 o’clock, borrowed lugs from the Gravity Equal Force, an off-centered dial featuring hour and minute hands – designed by the brand’s own Claude Greisler – and a prominent barrel in the lower right part of the dial, anchored by an openworked finger bridge. Following several other editions, there are now handsome and more complex editions with Fumé dials. 

Since its debut, Armin Strom has unveiled several variations of the Tribute 1, all released in limited series that swiftly sold out. Among these, the California series stands out, characterized by its distinctive colour palette, iconic dial design, and guilloché plates meticulously crafted by the esteemed independent watchmaker and close friend of the brand, Kari Voutilainen. These notable Tributes set the stage for the announcement we are making today.

Timed perfectly with the kickoff of Dubai Watch Week, Armin Strom unveils a quartet of new Tribute 1 models, adorned with captivating guilloché plates and distinguished by fumé dial colours – burgundy, slate, sky, and ocean. These newcomers uphold the perfect 38mm diameter, 9.38mm height, and 50m water resistance, along with the gracefully modern design of their predecessors, and crowned at an unconventional 10 o’clock position. The Tribute 1 Fumé series tantalizes with textures and hues that strike the perfect balance between attention-grabbing and discreet, making them uniquely special.

The signature AS configuration, featuring an offset time dial with rhodium-plated hour and minute hands, odd hours pad-printed and even hours applied, adds a sophisticated touch that complements the overall idea. The sunray-brushed finish on the metallic sub-dial base and the gradient of bright colour at the centre, transitioning to darker tones at the outer edge, enhance the allure, especially in burgundy, sky, and ocean variants. The fumé effect is accentuated by anthracite guilloché plates meticulously crafted by Kari Voutilainen’s atelier.

Another hallmark and striking feature is the motor barrel, where the arbour orbits the mainspring within the barrel, yielding an impressive 100-hour power reserve with just one super-efficient barrel. This not only underscores Armin Strom’s commitment to progressive technical concepts but also adds to the bold interpretation of a dress watch – and those tiny screws on the dial? They’re a delightful and technical touch that adds to the watch’s charm.

Flipping the watch reveals the manually wound Caliber AMW21, pulsating at 25,200vph. The design, reminiscent of German watchmaking aesthetics, showcases most of the movement covered with a large plate instead of the brand’s more typical bridges. Yet, it exudes an undeniable allure, letting the Geneva stripes gleam and highlighting smaller details, such as the polished jewel sinks and engraved information on the caseback. The visible balance wheel and its balance cock, mirroring the design of the mainspring barrel cock on the watch’s front, introduce depth, while the sandblasted base plate provides an ideal backdrop, though perlage remains a lingering desire.

Armin Strom offers the new Tribute 1 Fumé timepieces on a grey Alcantara calf leather strap with a folding clasp in stainless steel, each of the dial colours – burgundy, slate, sky or ocean will be produced in a limited series of 10 each, the price is CHF 19,900 or EUR 23,100. For more information, please visit arminstrom.com.