Armin Strom wins the Red Dot Design Award 2017 which pays tribute to outstanding international product design in 31 different categories for the second time.
In 2017, the prize winners were selected by a prestigious jury made up of independent designers, professors and professional journalists. More than 5,500 products from 54 different countries were entered this year.
Armin Strom’s Mirrored Force Resonance comprises an innovative, sophisticated mechanism created for the pursuit of precision in a way that has never before been seen in a wristwatch: the eminently visible animated resonance clutch spring that connects two oscillators, the most sensitive part of a watch’s movement.
Never has form followed function in such a compelling and mechanically beautiful way. Professor Dr Peter Zec, Initiator and CEO of the Red Dot Awards, comments: “The Red Dot winners are pursuing the right design strategy. They have recognised the fact that good design goes hand in hand with economic success. The award made by the critical Red Dot jury documents high design quality and points the way forward to a successful styling policy”.
I was really surprised last year when Armin Strom declared their Mirrored Force Resonance watch. I always regarded them as a new which makes some interesting watches, but they never actually made a strong impression on me before this view came along, which also happens to be the most complex version that Armin Strom currently makes. Join us as we get up close with this wonderfully impressive piece and let me tell you why this view is indeed special.The Mirrored Force Resonance watch is really special as it joins a small and elite group of watches which rely upon the principles of resonance to improve timekeeping. For readers who are not familiar with resonance, it refers to the occurrence where a vibration or external force pushes another system to oscillate with increased amplitude. In watchmaking, it typically refers to the use of 2 oscillators beating in close proximity to strengthen their beat pace. The notion is that if resonance occurs, the two oscillators will begin to beat in sync with each other and with greater stability. This, then, equates to greater accuracy and greater chronometric performance.This idea was initially thrown around by highly famous French watchmaker Antide Janvier and Breguet over two decades ago, and Breguet even made some watches based on this principle. The idea may seem easy, but in practice, these watches are amazingly hard to fabricate and regulate, which explains why very few contemporary producers and watchmakers even create them. Apart from the Mirrored Force Resonance view from Armin Strom, only two other resonance watches come to mind; F.P. Journe’s Chronomètre à Résonance watch and Beat Haldimann’s H2 Flying Resonance. The Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance watch, therefore, joins a very exclusive club of watches.
