The Strehler Sirna, The New Brand And Watch By Andreas Strehler (Live Pics)

Visiting Andreas Strehler’s workshop is quite an experience. A detail-obsessed craftsman who only works with a surgical microscope, he settled in Sirnach, a small city in Thurgau, isolated from the main watchmaking areas. There, Strehler has a fully equipped manufacture, one of the very few in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, enabling him to craft watches and movements in-house with a small dedicated team. A technician and practitioner of watchmaking in all its aspects, he garnered fame working behind the scenes for great names in the industry but also with ultra-sophisticated watches such as his Sauterelle à Lune Exacte (the most accurate moon phase with a one-day deviation every 2 million years) or his Tourbillon Trans-Axial featuring a constant-force mechanism and a tourbillon regulator on the same axis. The independent watchmaker now embarks on a new adventure with the launch of a new brand. Named Strehler, the new model is called Sirna, and it’s an essential time-only watch.

With the Strehler Sirna, the independent watchmaker’s idea was to create a beautiful daily watch, an elegant three-hander that would be (relatively speaking) simpler and more attainable than his previous creations. This led to the creation of a new brand, Strehler, which will sit next to his other eponymous brand Andreas Strehler – which will still offer the uber-complicated pieces we know.

Yet, as you would expect from this meticulous craftsman, behind its apparent simplicity, the Sirna is still crafted respecting demanding standards. It is also fully manufactured in-house. There, Strehler produced the movement and most of its parts (except for a few components such as the barrel spring or the jewels), the case, the dial, the hands and the buckle.

The Strehler Sirna is a discreet and sleek 40mm stainless steel watch. If the design is familiar, the case is round and does not feature Andreas Strehler’s signature cushion shape, which remains the exclusivity of his other, higher-end brand. With fluid lines and a slim profile (8.5mm), it feels quite modern and wears comfortably on the wrist. All the more as the profile makes the watch looks even slimmer than it is. Fashioned out of medical-grade stainless steel, the case is almost entirely polished, except for a part at the periphery of the caseback. Its water-resistance is rated at 30 metres, which remains in line with the dressy vocation of the watch.

The dial stands out with its distinctive three-dimensional patterns created by renowned designer Eric Giroud. Manufactured in-house, it is made of titanium. It is not stamped but individually engraved and meticulously polished. Each dial is, therefore, unique. The vivid blue colour is achieved by anodization so that it won’t fade over time. Two steel chapter rings allow you to read the hours and minutes and the small seconds at 6 o’clock. Hand-polished leaf-shaped hands set the final touch.

Turning the Strehler Sirna over, the exhibition caseback is secured by four screws, offering a view of the beautiful SA-30 automatic movement. The architecture of this 30mm calibre stands out with a series of circles for the bridges and the openworked rotor that match the curvature of the case. The large, free-sprung balance beats at 21,600 vibrations/hour and boasts 60 hours of power reserve. The decoration of this movement is refined, with hand-chamfered bevels, circular Geneva stripes, graining and circular-grained wheels, all channelling the movement’s elaborate design.

The Strehler Sirna comes on a supple brown calfskin strap with off-white stitching. The steel pin buckle is engraved with the brand’s logo. The price is set at CHF 20,000 (excl. taxes), which seems fair for an “independent watch” of this level. The watch is not a limited edition, but the production capacity is expected to be around 30 to 50 watches per year maximum.

For more information, please visit the brand’s website.