Introducing – Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance now in Stainless Steel

To make things clear from the beginning, the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance was one of the watches that impressed us most here, at Monochrome-Watches, in 2016 – and when you know our level of snobbery, that’s really saying something. This watch has it all: a massively impressive technical solution, a respect for watchmaking history, a traditional manufacturing process and an unchained look. Previously only available in gold, the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance is now offered in Stainless Steel – mainly for the look but also a bit for the wallet…

Back in November 2016, we introduced you to a watch that we dared to call “Revolutionary” – all of that… But believe us, the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance is a massive piece of watchmaking pleasure. Not only is the execution superb but the technical solution developed is a feast. This watch is based on the idea of resonance, conceived by Christiaan Huygens, later explored by Astide Janvier and Abraham-Louis Breguet, and then further developed by Beat Haldimann and François-Paul Journe (now, that’s a list of properly talented watchmakers). Only a few could achieve the mastery of the resonance effect in a watch. The idea is to use two regulators, which beat in harmony, thanks to the resonance effect, and thus one annihilates the errors of the other. However, this traditionally meant two independent gear trains and two independent oscillators, with no mechanical connection. This is where the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance changes the game.

The Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance’s caliber ARF15 features two oscillators connected by a steel resonance clutch spring, connected to the balance spring studs. To put it in layman’s terms, this spring acts just like Huygens wooden beam optimized with 21st century technology (see more details here). The two balance wheels get coupled by the tiny vibrations in the spring. This revolutionary, patented mechanism gets the two oscillators to synchronize while making their revolutions in opposite directions. The two balances find a concurrent rhythm in opposite directions so as to continuously average out errors for maximum accuracy.

Advantages of the resonance system are:

• A stabilizing effect on timekeeping (advantageous to accuracy).
• A conservation of energy (think of a professional cyclist riding in the slip stream of another cyclist in a racing situation).
• A reduction of negative effects on timekeeping accuracy due to outside perturbation such as shock to the balance staff, which in turn keeps the rate more stable and increases precision.

The dial of the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance showcases a mesmerizing ballet of the two oscillators with the connecting spring – see our video here for more. The design, in the same vein as other recent Armin Strom productions, is technical and architectural – several layers, many technical elements visible on the dial side, revealing a well-thought out construction. Finishing is superb. The display remains simple, besides the complexity of the movement, with the time indicated on the right side of the dial, and two small second displays at 11 and 7 – a pusher at 2 o’clock allows for the resetting (and synchronization) of the twin-second hand.

As of now, in addition to rose gold, the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance will also be available in stainless steel, with a white dial and blue accents. Sportier, even more technical, this new look fits perfectly with the common origins of the metal. It is matched with a blue alligator strap. Dimensions and technical specifications remain the same (43.4mm diameter, 48 hour power reserve, 25,200vph frequency). The Steel Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance will be priced at CHF 54,000 (vs. CHF 67,000 in rose gold). www.arminstrom.com.

Technical specifications – Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Steel

• Case: 43.4mm diameter x 13.0mm thick – stainless steel – sapphire crystal on the front and on the back with antireflective coating – 50m water resistant
• Movement: AFR15 with manual winding – 48h power reserve – 25,200 vibrations/h – hours, minutes, twin seconds, two independent resonant regulators – 36.6mm x 7.70mm – 226 parts.
• Strap: blue horn-back alligator strap on pin buckle
• Price: CHF 54,000