Armin Strom is known for his elaborately decorated, openworked manufacture movements, which are manufactured to very high standards, and entered the dress watch category in 2021 with the surprisingly understated Tribute 1 model. While the Tribute collection still bore most of the brand's attributes, be it in terms of design or technology, it was simpler, more discreet and, for the most part, featured almost completely closed dials. In 2024, Armin Strom, together with Horomariobro, decided to reveal what lies beneath the dial and take the decoration to an even higher level with the presentation of the Tribute² Copper Edition. The model now returns to the brand's own collection as the new Armin Strom Tribute² Aurum Edition.
Most of the technical details and overall design of this new Tribute² Aurum Edition are identical to previous editions of the Tribute 1 model, starting with the case shape and dimensions. The Armin Strom Tribute² is a sophisticated and compact expression of the brand's DNA, including the discreet presence of the “lip” at 6 o'clock. It is a compact 38mm watch with a thin profile of less than 10mm. The textured and angular lugs are short and the case, which is polished on the top and brushed on the sides, is both elegant and sharp. It has sapphire crystal on both sides and is water resistant to 50 m. The crown at 2 o'clock adds a touch of originality and comfort.
In keeping with what Horomariobro and Armin Strom created in 2024, the Tribute² Aurum Edition takes the contemporary aesthetic of the collection to the next level by revealing most of the technical components and refining its decoration to the high standards for which Armin is known. More openwork and skeletonized than its predecessors, this edition highlights the movement's architectural presence while revealing even more handcrafted details. The base of the dial, which is also the main plate of the movement, is made of brass and gold plated (hence the name Aurum) and hand finished using the rare tremblage technique, resulting in a rich texture. It features a smoke gray subdial with gold-colored hands and markers.
A defining technical element of the watch: the motor housing, which is normally closed on the Tribute 1, is here fully open and features hand-polished, beveled spokes and a black polished, beveled steel finger bridge. Additional elements of the kinetic chain (click, bridge and winding wheels), usually hidden under the dial, have been revealed here for a subtle technical look. While the overall layout remains familiar, the openwork approach transforms the watch.
Hidden beneath the sapphire caseback is the hand-wound caliber AMW21, which was developed and manufactured entirely in-house and, despite its compact dimensions, delivers an impressive power reserve of 100 hours. This performance is made possible by the movement's innovative motor barrel design, in which the shaft transmits energy to the gear train – a configuration that improves efficiency while optimizing space within the movement. The caliber operates at a frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour (3.5 Hz) and features a variable inertia balance wheel and a flat balance spring supported by the signature System 78 finger bridge. The back is also elegantly decorated with Geneva stripes on the three-quarter bridge, a wide hand-polished 60° grinding surface and a three-dimensional escape wheel bridge with a polished depression. The movement is mounted twice, a trademark.
Worn on a taupe Epsom strap with taupe stitching, the Armin Strom Tribute² Aurum Edition is a limited edition of 10 pieces. The price is at 27,000 francs. More information at arminstrom.com.
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