The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force is not like other watches. At a glance, it clearly doesn’t look like them, but more importantly, it also works a bit differently too, featuring a first in watchmaking. To be clear, it still tells time with three hands, is operated by a crown, and has all of the movement components one expects to find on a watch, from a mainspring to an escapement. But it hides a very cool secret. Something that sets it apart. Hidden within is a little mechanism that helps it be more accurate. It’s not a complication, per say, as it doesn’t add any functions beyond time-telling, rather, it makes for a better watch.

The Gravity Equal Force is one of a small handful of watches that attempts to address a fundamental issue with mechanical timepieces: variations in accuracy across their power reserves due to changing torque. As the power reserve diminishes, the torque, or force, decreases, the amplitude of the escapement falls, and the timekeeping becomes less accurate. Watchmakers have addressed this issue in various ways over the last few hundred years, which are often grouped together and referred to as “constant force” mechanisms.

The Gravity Equal Force uses a simple, though uncommon, mechanism compared to typical “constant force” systems such as fuseé, chains, and remontoirs called a Geneva or Maltese cross. This mechanism prevents the watch mainspring from unwinding to the point where the torque and, thus, the accuracy really drop off. However, what is perhaps truly special is that it’s the first watch to use a “stop work” mechanism in an automatic movement.

I spent some time with the newest version of the Gravity Equal Force, the Ultimate Sapphire Purple, and decided it was an excellent opportunity to put together a video to explain these concepts better while also taking a closer look at the watch, as it’s striking, to say the least. Please check it out below or on our YouTube channel.
Armin Strom