Watches and Wonders 2026: Armin Storm Unveils New Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition

A minute repeater is not just complicated, it is borderline obsessive. It is the sort of mechanical madness that takes over three weeks to assemble, demands the patience of a saint, and can only be executed by a tiny circle of watchmakers who genuinely know what they are doing. This is not mass production, this is horological brain surgery. Because there are complications that measure time, and then there are those that make time sing. The minute repeater belongs firmly to the latter, chiming hours, quarters, and minutes on demand, turning silence into something rather spectacular. Originally dreamt up in an era before electric light so one could tell the time in the dark, it has since evolved into one of the most coveted expressions of watchmaking artistry, where precision meets emotion in a way that feels almost theatrical. And now, at the recently concluded Watches and Wonders 2026, Armin Strom takes this already rarefied complication and pushes it further with the Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition, proving that in a world obsessed with screens and silence, there is still something utterly magnificent about a machine that dares to make a sound.

A minute repeater is what happens when a watch decides that simply telling the time is far too dull and instead performs it on command. Slide a lever and a hidden mechanical orchestra springs to life, using a series of cams and racks to physically “read” the time before tiny hammers strike coiled gongs to chime the hours, quarters, and minutes in sequence. One tone for the hours, a double note for the quarters, and a higher pitch for the minutes, all powered by a tightly controlled release of stored energy so it sounds like music rather than a toolbox falling apart. The absurd brilliance lies in the tuning, because every note must be perfect, which is why watchmakers spend weeks adjusting microscopic details until it sings with precision, turning something as ordinary as 10:37 into a small, mechanical concert on your wrist.

Encased in a 42mm titanium case and limited to just 25 pieces, this extraordinary creation from Armin Strom immediately establishes its presence with an anthracite titanium dial ring framing a composition that is both openworked and remarkably restrained, favouring fluid lines and balanced proportions over excess. The architecture is deliberately three dimensional, with the resonance clutch reoriented upward to bring its oscillating interaction into full view, while twin balance wheels remain visually anchored on the dial side, creating a sense of mechanical symmetry.

The minute repeater mechanism matches this sophistication, featuring four hammers and four gongs within an impressively slim construction to deliver a full Westminster chiming sequence, regulated by a flying governor visible beneath the hammers that ensures acoustic precision while adding kinetic theatre. Finishing on the dial side balances polished and matte textures, with mirror polished hammers, gongs and resonance clutch spring contrasting against a frosted mainplate and bridges, all enhanced by hand bevelled edges and polished sinks, while the stainless steel hands are individually decorated by hand.

At its core lies the entirely new manual winding manufacture Calibre ARR25, developed and produced in house, built around a patented resonance clutch that synchronises two independent regulating systems positioned at 5 and 7 o’clock, each with its own barrel, gear train, escapement and balance wheel operating in harmonic resonance. The minute repeater is further elevated by the integration of the 12:59 function, allowing the wearer to alternate between standard time striking and the longest possible sequence of 12 hours, three quarters and fourteen minutes, controlled by a precise column wheel system and indicated via a discreet white or red aperture. Activation is performed through a slider at 9 o’clock, which both winds and releases the striking mechanism. The movement offers a 40-hour power reserve, while sapphire crystal and caseback with anti reflective treatment ensure uninterrupted visibility of this intricate mechanical performance.