This is the set that should have been for a while now. Swedish watch maker Gustafsson & Sjögren (GoS) will soon release this limited edition watch and knife set. Johan Gustafsson is actually a bladesmith who specializes in creating beautiful Damascus steel. His work has been transformed into watch cases and dial in the GoS brand, but now you can get one of their watches and knives together in a beautiful set.
Artisan type work with this aesthetic is either something you love or hate. You can’t deny the incredible level of detail and work that goes into creating the complex patterns of this type of folded and then blacksmithed metal. What I really like is that between the knife and watch you get a range of different Damascus steel styles and patterns. The set really does include a large range of GoS’s capabilities. Plus, given the nature of Damascus steel, no two pieces of metal look exactly the same.
The watch has a rather funny name and is called the GoS Vile. Yea, don’t ask why – must be a Swedish thing. I don’t think they are going for the English meaning of vile. The knife on the other hand is the Oden. So this is the Vile & Oden watch and knife limited edition set. Actually, according to Nordic mythology Vile and Oden where gods and brothers. The Vile watch (heehee) is 42mm wide in steel. The dial, crown, and lug screws are in Damascus steel. Inside the watch is a Swiss ETA Unitas 6498-1 manually wound movement. While different in style, the GoS Lapland Sky watch that I reviewed here has more pertinent details on what the watch itself is like. Different for the Vile is the dial design, the case style, and the reindeer strap stitching decor. I really think all watches should have Damascus steel crowns – they are beautiful and feel so good when polished up.
While not much of a knife collector (though I love a good knife), I know a lot my readers are. I learned this a few years ago and I think it makes sense that if you are into watches, chances are you also like knives, guns, planes, cars, gadgets, etc… The Oden knife is a standard folding-blade style piece completely done in Damascus steel. You can see that the blade and handle parts are all done using different styles of Damascus steel. I think it is really neat looking. Damascus steel belt sheath maybe? We will see.
GoS will produce just 5 sets of the Vile & Oden watches. Each will come in a special Swedish box made by Sture Nyberg. Price per a set will be about $20,000 each.
Tech specs from GoS:
Watch – GoS Vile
Case: Stainless steel 42mmx10mm
Lug width: 22mm
Glass: Flat sapphire glass with anti reflection treatment
Movement: Swiss manual ETA 6498
Movement refinement: Refinished and improved by the Swiss company Soprod.
Dial: Hand-forged damascus steel
Index ring/rehaut: Hand-shaped and polished grade 5 titanium
Hands: Polished silver finish
Crown: 8mm in fine-grained Damascus stainless steel
Case finishing: All high-gloss polished with Gustafsson & Sjögren logo on case side.
Strap: Handcrafted in black reindeer leather with traditional Sami tin-thread decorations
Knife – GoS Oden
Blade size: 150 mm, 4.49 inches
Style:Mosaic Damascus folder
Blade thickness: 3 mm, 0.12 inches
Total size: 250 mm, 9.75 inches
Blade: Flower Damascus and explosion
Bolsters: Flower Damascus
Handle: Nordic fossilized coral
Liners: File-worked grade 5 titanium
Presentation Box Watch and Knife set
Individually crafted box in svepask technique of birch wood colored with natural pigments mized in linseed oil covered with high grade natural wax and polished to a deep finish
