SJX Watches
Striking Improvement: Armin Strom’s Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59
Armin Strom’s Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition doesn’t just chime the current time, it chimes the best time (12:59) to show off its Westminster Carillon of four hammers chiming on four gongs. The watch combines the clever chiming complication with a clever chronometric innovation: a pair of sprung balances connected by an elastic “resonance clutch spring”, one of the brand’s signature invention. And all of that somehow squeezed into a water-resistant, 42 mm case that is slimmer than most chronographs. Initial thoughts Armin Strom’s repeater probably deserves an award for the brand’s most improved product. Its predecessor was 47.7 mm in diameter and 16.1 mm tall, while this is a wearable 42 mm and only 11.7 mm thick. That makes it slimmer than a Rolex Daytona — though most of the height is borne by the mid-case, making the watch look thicker than it is. It’s also somehow more water resistant, up to 50 m from an already solid 30 m, yet it costs just 2% more at the current retail price. That is before mentioning the Westminster Carillon, demonstration-chiming mode, and the more attractive design. The “demonstration mode”, which allows the watch to chime 12:59 on demand regardless of the current time, is well executed and suits the job of the repeater in the 21st century, which goes beyond simply telling time in the dark. Furthermore, the sound is good — pleasant and audible — but wristwatch minute repeaters have improved dramatically in ...
