Last October we announced to you that Armin Strom and the Virgin Racing F1 team would soon be in cahoots in the paddock.  Well, the amorous banter has ceased and here’s a peek at their first off-spring, the Armin Racing Chronograph. Virgin Racing F1 are now Marussia Virgin Racing F1 and this is an Armin Strom, Armin but these are mere trivialities, here’s the watch – a big, bold sporty timer.

The case is titanium with matt black PVD coating, 44.4mm with sapphire front and back.  The Marussia Virgin F1 colours – red, black and white feature strongly but the branding is fairly subtle all the same.  It is hard to make out from the press images, but there is also a date window at 9 o’clock.  Inside is a mechanical movement with chronograph function and power reserve of 46 hours.

The Armin Strom Racing Chronograph comes presented on a black leather or black and red rubber strap with PVD coated buckle.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Armin Strom have been announced Official Timing Partner of the Virgin Racing F1 Team.

Virgin is of course a well known global brand – there is hardly a single commercial pie into which Richard Branson has not successfully dipped his finger, music, travel, financial services, communications to name only a few and of course Formula One.

Armin Strom AG founded in 2006 might sound like a very youthful watch brand yet when it was founded Armin Strom had already spent a long career at the bench producing exquisite handcrafted timepieces with characteristic skeletonisation of the highest quality. With a new movement, their first in-house Calibre the ARM09 unveiled almost a year ago and presented at Baselworld 2010 housed within the One Week Earth Collection, it has already been a great year for the brand.

That this will be an interesting marriage of these two very different companies is in no doubt.  I suspect that the offspring of this commercial daliance will be technical, superbly crafted limited editions, possibly forming part of the Armin by Armin Strom collection.

F1 fan? read more about F1 drivers and their watches from Senna to Schumacher and beyond here.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Armin Strom release the first collection of watches powered by their first in-house calibre – the ARM09 (Armin Reserve Marche 09).

The movement was already given its debut in November 2009 but the new One Week Earth Collection remained under wraps until Baselworld 2010.

Armin Strom, co-founder of the brand is an acclaimed expert in hand-skeletonized pieces and the Armin Strom Blue Chip series of watches is viewed by many as one of the industry’s finest examples of this exquisite art.

The Armin Strom One Week Earth

The latest Earth Collection and the added achievement of the title “manufacture” follows a dynamic few years for the company which also saw them relocate to a new bespoke premises in Biel, Switzerland – not so much the realisation of a dream, more part of the strategic long term plans of this innovative marque, because although this is a brand which may use traditional finishing techniques it is one which is fully focused on the future.  It’s state-of-the-art production area would be the envy of many larger companies and the new calibre ARM09 certainly has development potential with provision in its design to add modules for more complicated pieces to come.

The dial of the One Week Earth Collection is split into three segments comprising off-centre hours and minutes, small seconds and power reserve at 9 o’clock and stunning visible crown wheels and hand-regulating mechanism.  The ARM09 Calibre consists of 146 components and has a 7 day power reserve.  Case variations are titanium, stainless steel, PVD coated stainless steel and 18 carat rose gold.

The four versions of the collection Earth, Water, Air, and Fire will be a limited release of 100 pieces per element.

Popularity: 2% [?]