JUST FOR HER
ARMIN STROM SHOWS FEMININE SIDE WITH LADY BEAT
RMIN STROM INTRODUCES LADY BEAT , the independent Swiss watchmaker ’ s first watch designed
A with feminine customers in mind . And while the new collection aesthetically echoes Armin Strom ’ s existing Gravity Equal Force collection , with its open-dial three-bridge design , Armin Strom has designed an all-new , less complicated caliber and has placed it within a fairly thin new 38mm case , a first for the brand .
Armin Strom explains that the Lady Beat was designed in concert with female design consultants , who sought to answer the question : “ What does a woman desire on her wrist ?”
Thus , the new Lady Beat features an off-center dial that displays only a minute and hour hand with and no markers except a dot at 12 o ’ clock . This contrasts with the classic threehand display with small seconds found on the Gravity Equal Force .
And , instead of powering the watch with a visible micro rotor ( as on the Gravity Equal Force ) Armin Strom has developed a full-sized central rotor and placed it on the back of the new Caliber ALA20 .
While the wearer can still eye the movement ’ s vibrating balance directly on the front of the Lady Beat , Armin Strom has removed the stop-works declutch system and novel ‘ equal force ’ motor barrel from the new caliber . This allowed Armin Strom to create a caliber for Lady Beat that is thinner than the movement inside the existing Gravity Equal Force .
Also contributing to the Lady Beat ’ s “ soft shapes ” design brief , Armin Strom replaced classic lugs in favor of an integrated strap . Circles and semi-circles replaced angular shapes throughout the design .
“ These soft , moon-like shapes fill the optics of this watch ,” explains Armin Strom co-founder Claude Greisler . “ Look closely and you will see a half-moon-shaped plate sharing the watch ’ s lower level with the mechanical elements , while a full moonshaped subdial sits atop it .”
By avoiding the too-common trap of simply adding gemstones to a smaller version of an existing model , Armin Strom succeeds on its own terms with its first feminine watch .
Armin Strom offers two Lady Beat models . One with a white dial and the other with a black dial .
Price : 16,900 CHF ( about $ 18,600 )
SPECIFICATIONS : ARMIN STROM LADY BEAT
Movement : Automatic caliber ALA20 , high-quality décor , 25,200 vph , seventy-hours of power reserve .
Case : 38mm by 11.65mm steel , sapphire crystal and case back with anti-reflective treatment . Water-resistance to 30 meters .
Dial : Offset in white or black with hand-finished steel hands .
Strap : Delivered with a bi-material rubber and Alcantara in satin white or black , and a double-fold clasp in stainless steel .
Price : Starting at 16,900 CHF ( about $ 18,600 )
22 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2021