Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Forged In The Fires Of The North, This Is The GoS Fullerö Sword
You'd be forgiven to think the name hints to an actual sword, as this Damascus steel watch takes after the legendary Viking blade of the same name.
Hammer blow after hammer blow comes down on a steel blank, glowing red-hot from the fires of the forge. Little by little, things start to take shape. The process seems brutal and harsh, but in reality is precise and meticulous. The eye of the master guides the steel to become a blade that will strike fear in those who dare to challenge it. It becomes a symbol of conquest and triumph of the Northerners. It. Once wielded by a mighty Viking warrior, it tells tales of a bygone era, preserved in the clutches of the earth only to be rediscovered centuries later. This is the legend of the Fullerö Sword, a priceless artifact that now inspires a watch of the same name; the GoS Fullerö Sword.
This vivid intro might be a touch Hollywood-esque, but I wanted to set the scene in a way that befits GoS’ latest creation, named after the iconic Viking blade rediscovered in 1969. It was dug up during an archaeological excavation in Fullerö, Sweden, which is where the blade gets its name from, obviously. It has since become known as one of the best preserved Viking blades ever to be found, intricately detailed from top to bottom. The pattern-welded steel core shows great care and attention by its makers, master craftsmen capable of forging a sword that would withstand being buried for centuries.
GoS, the Swedish independent watchmaker headed by Patrik Sjögren, is known for incorporating hand-forged Damascus steel elements in their watches. Everything from dials, crowns, cases, bezels, hands, movement bridges, rotors and so on, can potentially be crafted from this material. And with the skilful help of master bladesmith Conny Persson, Patrik has taken the Fullerö Sword as inspiration for the, well, Fullerö Sword watch. The main element is the dial, crafted using the same technique as the blade, with 2 different types of steel used to build an ingot of 7 to 9 layers, which is then twisted to forge intricate patterns. To enhance the look, Persson has used nickel layers and modern steel to recreate the pattern and upped the layer count to 17 for a rich texture in the dial.
But it doesn’t end there, as the dial comes in three finishings; Midnight Blue, Glowing Steel, or Raw Steel. On top of the outer perimeter of the dial sits a solid sapphire crystal index ring with notched hour and minute indices, and a luminescent circlet behind it glowing in orange. The central spear-shaped hands are a GoS signature and are paired with a needle-shaped central seconds hand. There’s no branding on the watch whatsoever, as the design and material finishing leave no doubt as to who has made it.
The GoS Fullerö Sword comes in a 41.5mm wide by 11mm tall stainless steel case. The case is intricately detailed with a black-enamel-infilled braided engraving on the bezel and caseback, a hand-cut crown shaped like the hilt of a Viking blade, and a vertical grooved pattern in the caseband. Naturally, a sapphire crystal preserves the dial and movement, and double gaskets keep out dirt and moisture. It’s rated to 50m of water resistance so it’s up to the standards of daily tasks and activities.
Ticking away underneath the caseback, held in place by six screws, is the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic which has been modified to GoS’ desires. This includes an anthracite finish, a skeletonized solid Tungsten rotor and a GoS Triskele emblem in gold. The movement runs at a frequency of 28,800vph and has a running time of approximately 68 hours when fully wound.
The GoS Fullerö Sword comes on a handcrafted black Moose leather strap with a stainless Damascus steel pin buckle and it’s delivered in a hardwood presentation box with a Black Oak finish. Each watch will be individually engraved with “No.X 202X” to mark its place in the series, with 12 watches being made this year, which is estimated to increase to 18 in the coming few years. The price is USD 11,500 excl. VAT with a Raw Steel dial, or USD 12,500 excl. VAT with the Midnight Blue or Glowing Steel dials.
For more information, please visit GoSWatches.com.
2 responses
Why then a minute or hour hand doesn`t have sword shape?
The GoS hands have evolved over course of 15 years with the original inspiration from viking arrow and spear heads. I have prototyped true sword-shaped hands but found them to be much less elegant, so I’m sticking with our design-protected GoS hands.