When it comes to new watch brands on the market, we often encounter a lack of transparency with regards to the origin of the movement (for instance, a low-cost quartz ticker). If the new brand manages to pick up a mechanical movement of some sort, they still might bury it in the information, almost as if they are ashamed they have not created their own. With the new Sjöö Sandström Royal Capital watch, things are definitely a bit different, in that regard.

For starters, let us talk about Sjöö Sandström. They are a Swedish company (not too many watches coming from there as of late), with roots going back to 1986. It was then that two engineers, Christer Sjöö and Mikael Sandström, came together over a love of watches. Their first effort was an automatic piece produced in 1993, and a worldtimer introduced in 1997. Now, in 2014, they’re introducing the Sjöö Sandström Royal Capital, a new watch with an interesting movement.

As I mentioned at the start, many new brands try to hide where the movement is sourced from. Not so with Sjöö Sandström. For the Sjöö Sandström Royal Capital, they are utilizing a movement from Swiss firm Vaucher, the caliber 5401. Other than this being a unique Swedish-Swiss collaboration, there is another great feature of this movement – it features a micro-rotor.

If you are not familiar with this sort of feature, it is exactly as it sounds: a winding rotor that is much smaller than what we normally see covering up the back of a movement. This configuration has always been rather rare, as it requires a more unique construction of the movement itself, with a modified layout, and therefore, more unique bridges.

I am personally very intrigued by the micro-rotor for a few reasons. The first, is its uncommonness. While I am by no means a movement expert, having this sort of novelty in the collection would surely be a worthy addition. The second reason is a bit more of a practicality – with the smaller rotor housed in the movement (instead of on top), it makes for a much more compact movement – and therefore, watch. In this case, the Sjöö Sandström Royal Capital comes in at a svelte 7.6mm thick.

So, right off the bat, Sjöö Sandström is off to a very good start – a slender automatic with a unique movement (and it is always good to see a different movement maker in the mix). What of the rest of the design? I am going to call it a sort of “beefy minimalism.” The beefy part of that appellation comes from the case itself (a fairly wide, brushed bezel, and similarly thick, but tapering, lugs), as well as the handset a bit. At first, the handset seems slender, but this is due to the bevel they have, and how light catches it.

From a different angle, you can see that the handset is actually on the wider side. It is also something I have to compliment the brand on – the hands look to be perfectly sized, both to the watch and to each other. Now, for the minimalism. This is evident in the dial as you have tapered baton markers in the same material as the case (gold or steel), the running seconds dial, and some minimal branding – though, it might be a nice touch if the logo up at 12 was a bit more subtle, as in its present form, it reminds us more of a fashion watch than a luxury item.

In the end, I have to say, this is a watch I am very intrigued by. This is, first and foremost, due to the movement and its aforementioned micro-rotor. But I think it is also housed in a very sharp-looking three-hander that should appeal to a variety of folks. In gold, the Sjöö Sandström Royal Capital comes in at a price of 62700 SEK for the steel, and 148700 SEK for the gold version; that is, around $8,650 and $20,600, respectively. As always, only time will tell, but this may be the next best combination since peanut butter and chocolate. To my eyes, it is another very interesting option in the luxury watch segment. sjoosandstrom.se

Tech Specs from Sjöö Sandström

• ROYAL CAPITAL GOLD
  • Reference: AU-1440-1
  • Case: Ø40mm, thickness 7,8mm incl. glass, 18K 5N gold
  • Case-back: 18K 5N gold see-through with sapphire crystal
  • Crown: 18K 5N gold with engraved logo
  • Dial: Ivory white with rose gold satin and polished index
  • Water-resistance: 10 ATM (100m)
  • Bracelet: Brown or black genuine alligator bracelet
  • Buckle: Folding buckle in 18K 5N gold with engraved logo
• ROYAL CAPITAL STEEL
  • Reference: SS-1440-1
  • Case: Ø40mm, thickness 7,8mm incl. glass
  • Case-back: See-through with sapphire crystal
  • Crown: Steel with engraved logo
  • Dial: Black, Silver or Grey with rhodium satin and polished index
  • Water-resistance: 10 ATM (100m)
  • Bracelet: Brown or black genuine alligator bracelet
  • Buckle: Folding buckle in steel with engraved logo
• Mechanical movement:
  • Caliber reference: SSG9 (Vaucher Manufacture Cal. 5401)
  • Energy: Automatic winding with Micro rotor, Tungsten (Wolfram)
  • Jewels: 29
  • Number of components: 146
  • Frequency: 3Hz (21,600 v.p.h)
  • Power reserve: 42h