The so-called California dials, which are distinguished by their alternating Roman and Arabic numbers, are the inspiration for the latest Armin Strom Tribute 1. The dial, which comes in five different colors, also has bar markings and a minute ring that looks like a train track. There are five distinct dial colors to choose from: blue, light blue, green, burgundy, and black.
The colorful dials provide each proud owner a special timepiece with a hint of uniqueness. The Tribute 1 California is decidedly contemporary, with the barrel visible on the dial, but the California dial adds a charming retro flare. The sunburst design on these ‘fumé’ dials in each of the hues has a gradient effect towards the center of the dial.
The hue is bright at first, then it deepens and darkens as it gets closer to the edge. The effect is both subtle and striking in all five hues, and is enhanced by the dial’s contrast with the black guilloché plate. Kari Voutilainen, a Finnish watchmaker and personal friend of the company, handcrafted the black guilloché plate.
Armin Strom developed and built the movement and hands in-house, and they have superb hand finishing. The movement’s highlight is the barrel, which is prominently exhibited on the dial side of the watch.
The words ‘100 HOURS OF POWER RESERVE’ have been delicately hand-decorated and etched on it, as the manual wound 135-part Calibre AMW21 gives an excellent power reserve of 100 hours when completely wound.
The Tribute 1 California’s movement has been constructed twice, just like every other Armin Strom watch. The movement was painstakingly disassembled after its first construction, and each individual part was cleaned, dried, rebuilt, and oiled before being precisely regulated and reinstalled to the case.
The legend ‘1 OUT OF 5’ is engraved on the back of each case, confirming the edition size. Each Armin Strom Tribute 1 California watch comes with a black alligator leather strap with stitching that matches the dial color. The watch will be available next month December 2021.
