Independents
MTF introduces the GoS Sarek Collection, highlighting the brand's unique approach to watchmaking through hand-forged Damascus steel and deep Scandinavian heritage. This post explores how Gustafsson ō Sjögren, a partnership between a master bladesmith and a master watchmaker, translates Viking-era craftsmanship into contemporary luxury timepieces, including their first ladies' watch.
Gustafsson ō Sjögren (GoS Watches) presented their first ladies watch -- Sarek Ladies -- at Baselworld 2017.
Ladies of today can now enjoy Signs of Viking Past.
GoS Sarek Ladies black moose leather
Unique Hand-forged Watches
GoS products
GoS Watches is a partnership between master bladesmith Johan Gustafsson and master watchmaker Patrik Sjögren in Sweden. Soon after they met in 2007, they recognised a shared passion for their respective arts and for ancient Scandinavian craft tradition.
Patrik Sjogren
Their early watches featured hand-forged Damascus steel for dials at first, then also for the cases and eventually for the main plates of the mechanical movements. Every GoS watch is practically one-of-a-kind and a piece of art because every forged piece has patterns with different character and personality.
GoS Nordic Seasons - Winter Nights for PuristS
GoS Winter Nights for PuristS
The current Mrs MTF and I already experience the pleasure of a GoS watch, being the proud owners of one of the 10-piece limited edition Winter Nights for PuristS [CLICK] timepieces from the Nordic Seasons Collection; that had the ultimate manifestation of hand-forged Damascus steel for dial, case and movement.
The hand-forged Damascus steel main-plates of the hand-wind mechanical movement was a world's first.
GoS Winter Nights for PuristS
Signs of Viking Past
Recently, Gustafsson and Sjögren re-evaluated the GoS core values.
"Swedish handcraft and organic shapes from Scandinavian nature have always been a big influence but we found that Johan´s and my shared love and admiration of Viking handcraft and design could be much further developed. Both Johan and I have independently noted that much of what we do have a definitive connection with shapes seen in Viking artifacts, even when we did not do it, on purpose. We decided to take this influence one step further by documenting Viking era items that we found interesting, either through their shapes or their function. This research material was then used as input for practically every decision on design, shape and function. Elegance was however a primary goal, which means that all influences have been extensively reworked to create a result that is elegant but still uniquely GoS." -- Patrik Sjögren, Watchmaker
GoS Sarek Gents
Some of those Scandinavian details were emphasised on the Sarek Gents watch last year but many more design choices will appear in future.
With the distillation and clarity of design motifs now recognised, GoS will introduce more of their Viking legacy in design details, as shown below for watch crowns, hands and hour markers.
GoS Design Elements - crown
Immediately, we can see Viking motifs on the crowns of the Sarek watches. Shapes from Viking sword handles were the main source of inspiration for the new GoS crown.
Viking sword
GoS Design Elements - hands and index ring
Sarek National Park
Sarek National Park
Johan Gustafsson has a prodigious ability to engender natural vibrant colours in his hand forged steel. The patterns and natural colours of the Sarek Damascus steel dials are inspired by the Sarek National Park in Northern Sweden, where the natural beauty of the sky, water and land convene. Sarek National Park is a Swedish national treasure and is often called, "Europe's last true wilderness".
It hosts the largest European Moose (Alg or Elk) and is also home to 100 glaciers and six of Sweden’s 13 highest peaks.
Alg
First GoS Ladies Watch
Sarek Damascus steel dial
Traditionally, Damascus steel is associated with manly things (knives and guns) and bloodsports.
However, GoS believe that the Sarek is the most elegant watch collection that they have presented and after handling the watches, I'm prepared to believe them.
GoS Sarek Ladies
For 2017, Patrik and Johan present the first GoS ladies watch: Sarek Ladies is the first ever women's watch with a Damascus steel dial.
The 31.5 mm diameter ladies model shares some of the Viking inspired details introduced on the men's Sarek, while adding new details such as the strap screws.
GoS Sarek Ladies
The elliptic grooves on the case ring have been made more elegant on the ladies' Sarek and the whole case is high gloss polished.
The index markers of Sarek Ladies are also different, being opened to show the coloured steel below.
The slightly sloped case interior provides more light to the indexes and provides a surface on which the coloured Damascus steel is reflected.
GoS Sarek Ladies red-purple dial; white leather strap
GoS Sarek Ladies
The hands of the Sarek Ladies are high gloss polished in a dauphine finish with a center ridge to reflect Viking arrow and spear heads.
Sarek is powered by an automatic winding movement with a customised GoS Viking triskele rotor.
Soprod A10 movement GoS rotor
The Sarek Ladies is available with black Sarek Moose Leather strap or optional pastel coloured straps in high quality calf leather, all fitted with a stainless steel folding clasp.
GoS Sarek Ladies
GoS Sarek Ladies - yellow orange dial
GoS Sarek Ladies
The retail price of either Sarek Ladies or Gents model is US$7,800 + applicable taxes.
It is so Scandinavian that there is no gender differential in price!
GoS Sarek Ladies
Specification - GoS Sarek Ladies
Case: 31.5mm x 9mm (5 ATM)
Lug width: Single lug, 16mm strap
Glass: Flat sapphire glass with double sided anti-reflective coating (extra hard outside)
Movement: Soprod A10 with GoS triskele rotor, dark satinised and additional rhodinised counterweight
Dial: 164-layer Damascus steel with a Pool pattern. Tempered coloring of dial results in unique combinations for every dial.
Index ring/rehaut: Two layers that combine previous GoS designs with inspiration from Viking bracelets. The polished GoS logo applied to the lower ring. Both rings with polished bevels and satinised top surface.
Hands: GoS spear shape in high gloss polished Rhodinated finish.
Crown: GoS design in high gloss polish with satinised grooves. 6.5mm in diameter and secured with double gaskets.
Case finishing: Stainless steel worked with inspiration from Viking rings.
Strap: 16-14mm in either black moose leather or pastel coloured high quality leather with stainless steel GoS deployment buckle.
Every watch engraved with “Unique piece 1/1” and a serial number.
Five year guarantee
GoS Sarek Ladies and box
Presentation Box
Individually crafted birchwood box using 'svepask' technique.
Coloured with natural white pigments mixed in linseed oil.
Covered with high grade natural wax and polished to a deep finish.
What will your lady think?
The current Mrs MTF is leaning towards the 43mm diameter Sarek automatic watch instead......
GoS Sarek Gents selection
Regards,
MTF
....acceptable. I did not notice the case height when taking this photograph... It may be because the mono-lugs allow light and space for an airy feeling. The elliptical patterns on the case sides draw your eyes through the bezel and inner index rings and on to the tempered Damascus steel dial. In the context of Viking motifs, it seems coherent but I understand if some people may prefer thinner watches. That may require solid caseback (thinner than sapphire back) and thinner movement without cen
Thank you for your explanations and feeling. Best wishes Alkiro
I do like things in damast steel very much! But I prefer the 'Winter Nights' or something similar, if I had the choice, that one is very nice! To me it seems f.ex. that the GoS script got a little bit big and imposing on this ladies watch, compared to how discret it looks on the other watches. I would almost like to order a custom piece with a plain flat dial, no index or anything else on it! That would bring out the beauty of the damast pattern even more. But anyway, they do nice stuff, and def
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