Armin Strom’s latest incarnation of its resonance movement ushers in a brand-new “Masterpiece” collection that will henceforth showcase the brand’s technical and artistic abilities. The Dual Time Resonance is striking to say the least, with an oval case in grade 5 titanium measuring 59mm by 43.4mm. The new dimensions were needed to accommodate the two time displays driven by the two independent movements found side by side in the manually wound ARF 17 calibre powering the watch.
Visually, the new ARF 17 calibre differs considerably from its predecessor, the ARF 16. The biggest difference is, of course, the horizontal alignment of the two movements. But you can also see two extra barrels for each movement, which increases the power reserve to 110 hours for each movement, as well as a conical power reserve indicator for each movement, which is visible on the dial side at 6 o’clock on each dial. The finishing has also changed from straight-line Geneva stripes to a circular style that is more in keeping with the shape of the movement.
On the dial side the seconds are notable by their absence and follow a trend with Armin Strom’s resonance models. The first calibre had two counter-rotating small seconds dial, the second incarnation concentrated on just one display, while the ARF 17 has none at all. Instead the 6 o’clock position is dominated by a 24-hour indicator driven by the first movement. The two hour and minute dials have a hand engine-turned finish and polished stainless-steel hands.
The new oval-shaped case frees up more room to show off Armin Strom’s technical masterpiece, with the resonance clutch spring found at 12 o’clock precisely. This spring forms a physical connection between the separate balance springs for each movement, which are fixed on two wonderfully decorated gilt bridges that sweep across the upper half of the case. In addition to the known benefits of resonance in watchmaking (Armin Strom’s laboratory testing on two COSC-regulated movements placed in resonance revealed precision gains in the order of 15-20%), the resonance configuration also leads to efficiency gains, since less energy is lost through vibrations in the supports of the regulator.
The Dual Time Resonance is a limited edition of just eight watches in Grade 5 titanium and retails for 180,000 Swiss francs.
