Blue has long been part of the watchmaking vocabulary. In Armin Strom’s Dual Time GMT Resonance Manufacture Edition Blue, it feels both familiar and unexpected.

Inspired by classic watchmaking codes, the intense blue hue offers a subtle retro-chic touch, extending from the mainplate to the hands and indices, and continuing onto the dark blue alligator leather strap. It is a classic color applied in a way Armin Strom has never done before. The stainless steel case measures 34.15 mm, and only 50 units will be produced.

The blue finds its counterpoint in two fine-grained white dials featuring sky-blue minute rings. Their subtle texture catches the light, allowing the underlying blue plate to stand out with greater contrast. The white dials are complemented by applied indices with a blue PVD coating and faceted hands that echo the color of the plate.

The continuous interaction of the two balance wheels creates a kinetic display with striking three-dimensional depth, offering a direct view of resonance in action. Each time zone features its own hour, minute, and day/night indicator, providing intuitive functionality for frequent travelers. With a frequency of 3.5 Hz (25,200 vibrations per hour) and a 42-hour power reserve, the ARF22 transforms the phenomenon of resonance into a functional complication.

 

A different kind of blue

The blue color not only transforms the tone of this caliber but also alters the perception of its artisanal finish. On the dial, the blue plate defines the open-worked architecture, framing the two white dials—with their fine grained finish—and their polished, faceted blue indices. Each dial incorporates a black-polished day/night indicator featuring sun rays and a crescent moon—the latter engraved with a crater-like texture.

Turning the watch over reveals the reverse side of the mainplate, featuring raised lettering created via laser engraving alongside two matching blue gear train bridges. Polished bevels bordering the mainplate and the blue PVD-coated gear train bridges stand out against the dark blue surfaces, catching the light with every shift in angle.

What is typically a subtle finishing detail becomes a distinctive visual feature of the movement. *Côtes de Genève* on the rhodium-plated barrel bridge introduce another play of light, with a linear finish that contrasts against the depth of the surrounding blue. Black-polished elements, circular graining, and *perlage* complete the traditional artisanal finish.