One of the most technically interesting watch collections produced by Swiss Armin Strom is the Mirrored Force Resonance collection (originally debuted in 2016). Over the years, the boutique watchmaker has offered the core Resonance movement in at least three different case shapes, including the very strange Armin Strom Dual Time Resonance with its weight case. The most recent Mirrored Force Resonance watches are much more palatable by comparison and include a range of models with round cases and a more fashion-forward approach to this type of high horology. Today, I go hands-on with the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture-Edition green watch.
Understanding the concept of “resonance” in a mechanical movement is somewhat complicated, and it has never really been well-established that it works in the way watchmakers have theorized for hundreds of years now. In principle, resonance applies to the tendencies of moving objects that are in close enough proximity to other objects, harmonizing and matching their movement frequencies. In watchmaking, the theory is that if you place two oscillating balance springs next to each other over time, their frequencies will perfectly match. Watchmakers such as Breguet back in the 18th century were fascinated by this and other concepts that could potentially lead to more accurate timepieces.
There are a small number of modern watches that have played with the resonance concept, and all of them are pretty high-end in price. Armin Strom actually makes the most affordable one with other competition coming from F.P. Journe and MB&F. Armin Strom also probably has the more authentically resonant movement with the dual escapements being connected via a patented clutch. The dial of the Mirrored Force Resonance watch has one dial for the time but dual regulation systems that are mounted in such a way as to promote resonance between them. The dual subsidiary seconds indicators are a testament to the “dual beating hearts” nature of the watch. Why is resonance valued? Because, in theory, you can increase accuracy over time because the resonance property should help cancel out timing errors that each individual balance wheel can experience. Does the chronometric concept work in action? It is hard to say, but it sure looks great in operation.
The movement inside the Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture-Edition watch is the in-house Armin Strom caliber ARF21. The manually wound movement is truly beautiful in its architecture and is made up of a relatively lean 276 parts. Each of the regulation systems operates at a 3.5Hz (25,200 bph) frequency, and the watch has a total power reserve of 48 hours (the system effectively uses double the power of a single regulation system watch). The real innovation on the resonance side is Armin Strom’s “resonance clutch spring,” which you can see in detail on the dial side of the movement opposite the off-centered dial to read the time. A pusher on the case performs an interesting task. Press it, and the seconds indicator dials — one connected to each escapement — synchronize with a flyback-style clutch-based reset. I’m not sure how functional it is, but it is a cool feature to have on a luxury watch with a movement that is all about accuracy. I’m all for toys on my timepieces.
The Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture watch case is in steel and is 43mm wide and 11.5mm thick with a lug-to-lug length of 49.6mm. The case has an expansive box-style sapphire crystal over the dial and is water resistant to 30 meters. This limited-edition version of the watch has the “green” dial and is paired with a very comfortable Alcantara leather strap with appropriately matching colors and stitching. In addition to this reference ST22-RF.20 Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture-Edition Green watch, there is a blue-dial version, as well (limited to the same 50-piece number set). Price for each is 68,000 Swiss Francs. Learn more at the Armin Strom website.
