Armin Strom ARR25: why a repeater can play 12:59 at any time

Armin Strom · Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition

The movement in detail

01At 12:59, a minute repeater has plenty to say: twelve hours, three quarters and fourteen remaining minutes. A minute later, its sequence becomes much shorter as one o’clock arrives. Armin Strom lets the owner trigger the longest programme whenever desired. The Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition was introduced on April 14, 2026; this is an examination of ARR25 rather than a claim of a premiere today.

02In normal mode, the repeater sounds the time shown by the hands. A selector engages the 12:59 demonstration mode, with a column wheel controlling the change. A white/red aperture indicates the selected state. The slider at nine winds and releases the striking mechanism; four hammers and four gongs perform the Westminster sequence. A visible governor keeps the acoustic programme from becoming a hurried succession of strikes. In demonstration mode, what you hear deliberately differs from the actual time.

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03Timekeeping uses two independent regulators, each with its own barrel, gear train, escapement and balance. A spring-based resonance coupling synchronises their oscillations. These two balances do not indicate two time zones: both help maintain a single time display. Frequency is 25,200 vibrations per hour, or 3.5 Hz. This architecture explains ARR25’s complexity, but does not by itself justify promising a particular daily accuracy: the cited specification provides no numerical tolerance.

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04The titanium case measures 42 mm across and 11.7 mm thick, housing 506 components and 74 jewels; lug-to-lug length is 48 mm. Power reserve is 40 hours, so a watch put aside on Friday will need winding before the weekend ends. The official page and press release quote CHF 390,000 and an edition of 25. This is the manufacturer’s Swiss-franc price; local tax and delivery terms require separate confirmation.