Armin Strom Tribute 1 Green Watch Review
The new Armin Strom Tribute 1 Green pays hommage to Switzerland’s verdant landscape. Limited to 50 pieces, the watch shuns symmetrical constraint with its off-centre dial, motor barrel and beautifully decorated finger bridge.
Armin Strom launched the Tribute 1 in 2021, marking a significant shift in the brand’s design philosophy. Before then, the independent brand had always been known for its sportier (costlier) creations and its penchant for visible mechanics, namely the Resonance and Masterpiece collections. The Tribute 1, however, surprised seasoned collectors with a new, restrained aesthetic. Gone was the skeletonised dial and in its place was a sleeker silhouette and an off-centre display – a subtle departure from seemly symmetry. The talking point of this dress watch was its prominently displayed barrel positioned between 3 and 6 o’clock – a wonderful reminder of Armin Strom’s independent spirit.
The first Tribute 1 watch was a characterful, highly original steel dress watch housed in a 38mm case. Later in 2021, Armin Strom released the California dial model, offered in several dial colours, including black, blue, grey and burgundy. Then came the Tribute 1 Rose Gold – a version that perfectly intertwined warmth with refinement. Unsurprisingly, this model sold out instantly, echoing the success of its steel forebears. Each new limited edition is built on the excitement and anticipation of the last, making the new Tribute 1 Green arguably the most compelling iteration yet.
Armin Strom Tribute 1 Green – case
Unlike the more masculine physiques belonging to Armin Strom’s sportier collections, the new Tribute 1 Green watch honours the modular architecture of those belonging to the System 78 collection. Formed of stainless steel, it shares the same lug design as the company’s Gravity Equal Force model but is smaller, dressier and more affordable. Furthermore, it features the same thin, polished bezel and angular flanks.
The dimensions of this watch are identical to previous Tribute 1 models, measuring 38 mm in diameter with a thickness of 9.39 mm. On paper, these modest proportions suggest a degree of restraint, but in reality the Tribute 1 Green makes a statement. It is endowed with a mix of contrasting brushed and polished surfaces with angular edges meeting brushed vertical flanks, providing a level of complexity usually the preserve of costlier watches.
Once again, the Tribute 1 Green adheres to the brand’s distinctive design language with a crown residing at 2 o’clock and a discreet ‘lip’ located at 6 o’clock. Considering many of Armin Strom’s watches are openworked, technical expressions of Haute Horlogerie, the Tribute 1 Green appears comparatively minimalist. Moreover, its proportions serve as a reminder that elegance can often be the result of moderation and restraint.
Armin Strom Tribute 1 Green – dial
The off-centre time display is tastefully balanced by the assertive presence of a motor barrel – a signature component of the series. Where some previous iterations have featured fumé dials or muted guilloché motifs, the Tribute 1 Green presents the time against a hand-engraved green backdrop of grain d’orge guilloché. This barley-corn texture is created using a traditional rose engine lathe, transforming the flat colour into a dynamic scene. Near-black shadows transition into vibrant and more intense green hues as light shifts across its surface, yet all elements on the dial remain remarkably legible.
Classic white Roman numerals are framed by an outer negative space filled with fine frosting, maximising contrast. Rhodium-treated hands float above the evergreen dial, though small in size, they lucidly impart meaning.
The visual anchor, however, remains the barrel at 4 o’clock, secured with a finger bridge that’s bevelled and mirror-polished to perfection. The barrel cover bears the inscription, ‘One Hundred Hours of Power Reserve’, presented in relief. The watch, limited to 50 pieces, secures to the wrist with a green Alcantara strap, featuring off-white stitching, and is fitted with a stainless steel folding clasp.
Armin Tribute 1 Green – Calibre AMW21
Armin Strom employs the same movement within all of its Tribute 1 watches, the manual-winding Manufacture Calibre AMW21, a refined movement boasting a 100-hour power reserve. Unusually, the watch features a motor barrel which my colleague, Angus Davies, discussed in detail in his in-depth feature on Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force.
The Calibre AMW21 breaks with convention, placing the barrel in plain sight, positioned in the lower right quadrant of the dial; however, the biggest difference with this movement relates to how it transmits energy from the tensioned mainspring to the gear train. Equipped with a motor barrel (aka equal force barrel), the barrel housing remains locked after winding and the arbor transmits energy to the gear train. This provides a more stable form of winding with less side to side motion, delivering more efficiency and mitigating wear.
A remarkable 97% of all movement components are produced in-house, a level of independence seldom matched. Looking through the sapphire caseback reveals additional aesthetic flourishes. The three-quarter plate is adorned with Côtes de Genève decoration and sports gleaming bevels. The finger bridge (balance cock) and escape wheel cock are grained and even the jewel sinks are beautifully polished.
Closing remarks
Since opening its Manufacture in 2009, the Biel-based brand has produced numerous skeleton watches, often marketed with the strapline, ‘we show what we make’. While the Tribute 1 Green chooses to wear more of its clothes than some of its siblings, it still reveals its barrel front of house, imbuing this time-only watch with a unique, characterful mien.
Sometimes style comes at the expense of substance, but this is not the case here. The patented equal force barrel serves the escapement with a linear supply of torque, augmenting rate stability. The finishing is exemplary, with the mirror-polished finger bridge to the front proving notably refined. Quite simply, the Armin Strom Tribute 1 is a shining example of high-end, neoteric watchmaking and serves to explain why legions of horophiles favour ‘independent’ brands rather than mainstream Maisons with big budget brand awareness.
Looking ahead, the Tribute 1 is perfectly poised for measured evolution. Could a subtly integrated complication further amplify the allure of the Tribute 1? Or will the arrival of new exhilarating colours expand the collection further? Either way, the Tribute 1 continues to prove that mechanical purity can be both attainable and refreshing at the same time.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Armin Strom Tribute 1 Green
- Reference: ST25-TRI.21
- Case: Diameter 38 mm; height 9.38 mm; water resistance 5 ATM (50 metres); sapphire crystal to front; exhibition case back.
- Functions: Hours; minutes; seconds
- Movement: Caliber AMW21; hand-wound movement; frequency 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz); 21 jewels; power reserve 100 hours; 135 components.
- Strap: Green Alcantara strap with off-white stitching paired with a stainless steel folding clasp
- Price: CHF 22,000 – (RRP as of 5.10.2025)
- Limited Edition: 50 pieces