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Bifrost: the first GoS Dress Watch
Gustafsson o Sjögren: Bifrost - the first GoS Dress Watch
The partnership between master blade smith Johan Gustafsson and watchmaker Patrik Sjogren was forged to provide truly unique watches, inspired by the beauty of northern Scandinavia and the ancient Swedish tradition of metallurgy.
Update on the Bifrost collection, introduced during Baselworld 2014.
Bifrost is the name of the sacred rainbow bridge in Norse mythology. The rainbow bridge was thought to connect the earth (Midgård) and the realm of the gods (Asgård).
GoS tempered damascus steel dials require natural light to generate their dynamic colours, much in the same way that a rainbow appears only when light shines through the moist air.
Patrik Sjögren:
"The production is well under way and the first pieces have already been delivered. The feedback has been tremendous and we feel we have succeeded with our major goal, which was to create one of the most expressive dress watches available. I think we have been able to retain the GoS spirit and expression, in spite of the reduced overall size and the more refined design, and I hope you'll agree.
This year’s BaselWorld saw the debut of our new Bifrost collection, and the main attraction was a prototype of the Isbla? (ice blue).
The Bifrost collection is the first GoS dress watch and what we believe to be the first ever damascus steel watch of its size. This is one of most expressive dress watches available, and owing to its more modest size it looks great on a woman’s wrist as well."
The Bifrost collection represents the first GoS model to feature Johan Gustafsson's newly developed "high contrast" stainless damascus steel. The case features this fantastic new material, as does the rotor which is shaped like the GoS triskele symbol.
The design of the case and case back is such that the weight of the rotor is hidden, showing only the movement and the triskele shaped damascus steel rotor.
Patrik Sjögren:
"One of the major design differences between the Bifrost and our previous models is in the bezel.
We chose to emphasize the pattern of the dial and present a more refined case. The sunray burst of the steel bezel draws the focus towards the dial where the index ring has been redesigned to give the dial more space to shine."
Johan Gustafsson invented and refined the process to make his "high contrast" stainless damascus steel during the autumn of 2013. This material allows GoS to create even more intricately defined patterns, providing a true step forward over previous models. There are only a handful of bladesmiths who have succeeded in making pattern-welded stainless steel. However, Johan has taken it to the level where he is now able to create the same kind of dense and expressive patterns in his new stainless damascus steel as when he is working in carbon based steel.
The hands of the Bifrost Isbla? are formed from solid white gold, bearing the same the GoS sword shape that premiered in the Stockholm model. All hands and index rings are hand finished with polished bevels and a “satinised “ top.
The Bifrost Isbla?’s strap is crafted from soft, black nubuck. The matte surface of the strap blends well with the damascus steel finish of the case. These handmade GoS straps are paired with a stainless steel GoS buckle, and are secured by screws to the case’s lugs.
The initial Bifrost Isbla? models will be limited to 25pcs , with further versions based on additional colour themes to follow, including bi-colour gold/damascus steel versions.
Nordic Design
The GoS triskele is a triple blade shape with a design that is loosely based on triskele symbols that are common in ancient Nordic and Celtic culture. One of the most famous of these symbols is the interlocked triple horn that symbolise the god Oden (and his drinking habits).
Viking stone carving featuring different triskele symbols
Bifrost: the first GoS Dress Watch
Batman?
