Armin Strom - Tribute 1 Rose Gold Edition

1 0 Thursday 6 October 2022 Edit this post

Armin Strom is launching today the Tribute 1 Rose Gold Edition, the first iteration of the Tribute 1 to be produced in a precious metal after the initial stainless steel versions that we reviewed here.

Limited to just 100 pieces, this modern interpretation of the traditional dress watch comes in a 38 mm x 9.38 mm case crafted from warm-toned 18K rose gold. The perfect proportions are highlighted by the alternation of satin-brushed and polished surfaces. The angular lugs add character to the watch.

The large crown is located at 2 o’clock for improved comfort on the wrist as well as for visually balancing the elements of the dial, framed by a slim polished bezel with a small embossment at 6 o'clock, a nod to a signature element of the brand that was originally designed to offer a surface for personalizing the watch with engraved initials.

Protected by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, the textured anthracite dial is characterised by an off-centre sub-dial - displaying hours, minutes and seconds - whose azurage textured effect nicely contrasts with the adjacent dial plate featuring a grenage finish that subtly changes in hue depending on how the light hits the surface.

The hand-polished barrel, a key element of the dial ensemble, is embossed with the text "MANUAL WINDING - ONE HUNDRED HOURS OF POWER RESERVE" and held in place by a sculpted hand-bevelled bridge made of rose gold to match the case.

The innovative barrel of the ‘Tribute 1’ is distinguished by an arbor that turns around the mainspring within the barrel itself, making it far more efficient while also conserving space. It delivers a power reserve of more than 4 days that is remarkable for a watch of this size and height.

Rose gold is also used for the sub-dial applied hour markers and the hands. These are produced in-house by Armin Strom - very rare in the watchmaking industry where most watch hands are produced by few specialised companies - and polished by hand.

Showcased through the sapphire crystal caseback, the hand-wound Calibre AMW 21 sports beautiful Haute Horlogerie hand finishes. The three-quarter bridge is adorned with Côtes de Genève decoration, hand-polished at 60°. The hand decoration includes a circular grained pattern on the main plate while the balance bridge features side graining, anglage, sand blasting and straight graining.

The hand-bevelled edges further enhance the escapement and the escape bridge. The “1 OUT OF 100” engraving on the caseback is a confirmation of the exclusivity of this edition.

Beating at the frequency of 3.5 Hz (25,200 vibrations per hour), the movement is equipped with a flat hairspring with a variable inertia balance wheel.

Completed by a luxurious black alligator strap with a double folding clasp in stainless steel 18K 5N rose gold coated, the Armin Strom Tribute 1 Rose Gold Edition ref. RG21-TRI.70 is attractively priced at CHF 23,900 / Euro 26,500 / US$ 23,900. arminstrom.com