2012/10/26 - Armin Strom presents an exclusive “coffret tourbillon”

 

The Biel-based manufacture has joined the highly exclusive club of horologers that develop and produce their own tourbillon movements. Showcasing their expertise, ARMIN STROM is currently touring the globe presenting their latest calibre, the ATC11, together with a collection of exceptional timepieces. The first stage of the tour recently took place in Interlaken, on October 25th, 2012.

1795 saw the invention of the tourbillon, an ingenious mechanism designed to counter the effect of gravity on the precision of timekeeping instruments. Since this time, the very notion of a tourbillon has represented fascination and complexity for watch enthusiasts.

By producing their first tourbillon in-house, ARMIN STROM sought to join a long tradition of watchmaking Manufactures that produce unique horological creations and form the foundation of Switzerland’s reputation for horological excellence. ARMIN STROM now figures firmly in the line-up of the most prestigious watchmaking houses, largely thanks to having made bold choices. This audacity is seen both in their production methods, which allow for great autonomy, and in a vision that blends horological know-how with a bold, contemporary aesthetic.

The tourbillon, situated at 9 o’clock of the new ATC11 calibre is distinguished by a lever worked in 18kt white gold, as well as an assembly that places the balance wheel and seconds pinion on the same axis. The manual calibre has a 10-day power reserve and is driven by two barrels, with a winding mechanism visible from the dial side. A hallmark of ARMIN STROM watches is their exposed, intricate inner mechanics. Since 2009, the brand has promoted modern forms of skeletonising, with designs integrated from the early stages of the calibre before being entirely crafted in the Manufacture.

An exclusive ”coffret tourbillon”, comprised of four unique timepieces, will be on display during the ARMIN STROM international tour. The choice of timepieces presents the brand’s aesthetic genius and pays testament to the company’s full spectrum of watchmaking skills. Four exceptional destinations echo the theme of the world tour, which is based on the essential elements of Earth, Fire, Water and Air. Thus each timepiece bears its own powerful identity, much to the delight of collectors and aesthetes.

The showcase of the Earth element took place at the foothills of the Bernese Alps, in Interlaken, in the setting of a renowned distillery. The next stages of the tour are already scheduled: Fire is due to take place under the desert sun in Dubai, Air among the soaring skyscrapers of Singapore and Water, on the shores of the pacific ocean, in Los Angeles.

ARMIN Tourbillon Collection – The “coffret tourbillon”

Ref. CO12-TC.50

To mark the occasion of its first tourbillon calibre made in-house, ARMIN STROM is delighted to present an exclusive “coffret tourbillon” of four unique timepieces. These watches showcase the know-how of this skilled Manufacture, which seeks to reinterpret horological traditions.

The four watches that make up the selection each embody one of the elements, FIRE, EARTH, WATER and AIR. A fundamental principal of each timepiece is that every part is crafted internally: from the production, to the decoration and assembly of each piece of the movement. The overarching aim of this is for control and influence over any and everything that can render a timepiece exceptional.

Individually, each timepiece asserts character, bearing its own hallmarks of horological flair which contrast yet marry it to the other models. Each shares the same technical specificities of the ATC11 tourbillon movement, namely a manual winding mechanism visible from the dial side, a power reserve of 10 days driven by two barrels and a tourbillon situated at 9 o’clock. Uniting these four models are the unique finishes that express a particular style of mechanical beauty and which bear testament to a passion for time. This same passion is the very raison d’être that informs the ARMIN STROM Manufacture.

 

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ELEMENT AIR – A sense of space

The raison d’être for the ARMIN TOURBILLON AIR timepiece lies in an essential belief: one has to sometimes overcome the confines of material to obtain an object’s true meaning. In watchmaking terms, this translates into exposing the beauty of the inner workings and mechanisms of a timepiece for the eye to see, in all their glory. Having applied this principle for more than 40 years, Armin Strom has become an incontestable master of skeletonisation. The Manufacture of the same name took on and incorporated this legacy into the very first sketch for the ARMIN TOURBILLON AIR. This is a timepiece that celebrates craftsmanship, whose interpretation has been made possible thanks to the know-how and skills of this Manufacture.

 

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ELEMENT EARTH – Time and Matter

Here, time and matter marry to create a fusion of the ephemeral and the immutable. The ARMIN TOURBILLON EARTH embodies a moment in time; what is transitory is captured in rotations of the tourbillon, with time ticking onwards over matter, leaving the most resistant materials unchanged – much like the ceramic planisphere that adorns the barrel bridge. To enter the world of the ARMIN TOURBILLON EARTH is to enjoy a human scale, caught between the fleeting moments of the seconds and the frozen time of the décor; a world of texture, shadows and light.

 

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ELEMENT WATER – The Art of Reflection

With its plate and its bridges set with diamonds as well as light and dark blue sapphires, the ARMIN TOURBILLON WATER timepiece plays with a prism of precious stones. By imitating the reflections found on the surface of water, the dial evokes the serenity and immensity of the oceans. It is thanks to the symmetrically placed tourbillon that the water symbolism finds its strength, movement and fluidity. As the philosopher Heraclitus said; “no man ever steps in the same river twice”, so the ARMIN TOURBILLON WATER watch seems to demand of its owner to always be seen in a constantly enthralling new light.

 

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ELEMENT FIRE – For the Love of Detail

The ARMIN TOURBILLON FIRE represents the theatre of know-how translated into art form by master horologer, Armin Strom. An art that consists of hand-engraving each piece of a movement with a patience that demands microscopic detail. It is here that the reverse side of the watch serves as a blank canvas for the arabesques and pointillist motifs that dance together to create flame forms. In these flickering figures we discover a world that contains a myriad of other worlds, plunging the mind into a whirlwind of associations, all deftly expressed in a love of detail.

 

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Technical Specifications

CALIBRE ATC11 16½‘‘‘

TOURBILLON AIR *1 / EARTH *2 / WATER *3 / FIRE *4

 

 

 

 

 

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