Interview – Armin Strom’s Serge Michel and Claude Greisler talk about what makes the brand unique and what’s coming next
Armin Strom is not a usual brand. And this is not only due to the unique design of their watches. We’ve told it to you several times when reviewing their timepieces and when we took the opportunity to visit the manufacture – because Armin Strom is a truly integrated manufacture that produces most of the parts of a watch and that has a true innovation power (see the Resonance watch). Today, we take the time to talk with Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, owners of the brand, to talk about what makes this watch manufacture unique and what they have in mind for the future.
Often the best watches are those that come with a story attached. Sometimes that story can be attached to momentous events or achievements the watch is associated with, or the accomplishments of those who wore it. It can also be a story of how it’s made and who it’s made by. Such is the case with Seiko’s latest additions to their Presage collection — the limited edition Shippo Enamel watches. The form of these watches will be familiar to those who have come across the Presage line before, with its elongated Roman numerals and classical hands. This version, the SPB073, also sports a power reserve and date subdial to keep things interesting but, honestly, the texture of the dial itself is so good, it doesn’t need anything superfluous. As the name suggests, the dial is made using Shippo enamel, a technique that dates back to 17th century Japan, and involves several layers of blue enamel being applied and fired, to build a rich, deep colour over the guilloché base — which really shines after a final polish. The dials are all hand done by a craftsman named Wataru Totani. The results are deeply beautiful. But more than that, they make…
While you can make an argument for one-watch-per-purpose (a watch for work, weekend, formal occasions, etc), I personally think that versatility is the key to a good watch. Luckily, versatility is something the Santos has in spades, which you might find surprising given that, on the face of it, the Santos de Cartier is a rectangular watch with a white, Roman-numeralled dial. But this latest watch has been designed with maximum user-friendliness in mind. Not only does the watch come equipped with QuickSwitch and SmartLink systems for changing your strap and resizing your bracelet on the go, each watch also comes with two straps, and is offered in a range of sizes and plenty of case variants. So whether it’s work or play, there’s a Santos for you. In case you still don’t believe us, here’s how to break the Santos de Cartier down, for four dress codes. The formal Santos Let’s start at the top. Dressing formally can cover a lot of stylistic ground: it could be a wedding (royal or otherwise), or perhaps some sort of grandiose gala (Met or otherwise). And while the finer points of the dress code might vary, the purpose of your watch remains…
Editor’s note: One of the questions we constantly get asked is about watches as investments. And while there’s no doubt that watches are being increasingly seen as a viable category for investment, In this piece originally written last year Sandra argues that it’s not a path you should go down — especially with new watches. Read on. Being in the watch writing line of work, it’s no great surprise that friends and acquaintances often ask me for watch-buying advice. Call it an occupational hazard, call it a compliment that they should consider my advice worth seeking, but (unlike a doctor friend, who gets irritated by being asked for free clinical advice at dinner parties) I never tire of talking about watches. But something has changed: as watch auction prices have gone relentlessly up over the past few years (not to mention the retail prices of many brands), the two questions I’m most often asked are: “I’m tossing up between an X and a Y [pick any two modern watch brands]. Which one is going to hold its value better?” And: “I’d like to buy vintage and I can’t afford a Daytona or a Patek, so which other brands would make…