Armin Strom Blue Chip Skeleton Automatic Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com/watches/armin-strom Armin Strom is a name known to a few; the exquisite work performed by the company’s artisans is self-evident to all. This Armin Strom Blue Chip Skeleton Automatic is a 46.5mm rose gold art gallery for the wrist. From the totally skeletonized dial to the engraved bridges of the skeleton movement, this Armin Strom offers true “blue chip” value in the form of a hand-crafted spectacle. From his 1960s origins as a master watchmaker to his 1980s emergence as a point of reference in the arcane art of watch engraving, Armin Strom built a reputation among connoisseurs of high horology. Since 2006, the manufacture bearing his name has grown in stature as a beacon of low-volume excellence in an industry overrun by machine-built products. Now semi-retired, Strom himself acts as an inspiration and spiritual guide to a small cadre of elite in-house craftsmen. Watches like the Armin Strom Blue Chip incorporate the hallmarks of the brand; unapologetic size, intricacy, and visual fireworks created by a team of 19 in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Chiseled golden spindles are all that remain of the Blue Chip’s original dial; the winding columns of rose-colored metal serve only to provide contrast against the silver brilliance of the movement itself. The 46.5mm 18-karat rose gold case serves as an ideal gallery for this Armin Strom exhibition; the vast sapphire crystal and display case back provides clear views of the scintillating details. And the