Armin Strom Watch Repair & Service

Armin Strom is an independent manufacture in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, and builds every calibre in-house. It has no US office or US service center of its own. Warranty and service go through the manufacture in Biel or through its authorized retailers, of which the brand lists eleven in the US. The authorized retailers are intake points: the brand's own documents tell owners to take the watch to "Armin Strom or an authorized Armin Strom retailer," and the brand does not say that any US retailer does Armin Strom work on site.

Armin Strom factory service

• Warranty: "Your Armin Strom watch is warranted against manufacturing defects for a period of five years from the original purchase date" (Owner's Guides). The General Terms and Conditions repeat the "five-year warranty for manufacturing defects with effect from the purchase date".
• Warranty claims: you must "present to Armin Strom or any Armin Strom authorized Retailer, your warranty Certificate duly completed, dated, stamped and signed by Armin Strom or an Armin Strom Authorized Retailer".
• Who may work on the watch under warranty: "Within the framework of this warranty, any servicing or repair work on your Armin Strom watch must be carried out by an authorized Armin Strom service center." The Terms add: "only the service points authorised by Armin Strom may provide warranty services and such services provided by unauthorised third parties will result in the loss of all warranty and guarantee claims."
• Warranty exclusions include "defects or damages resulting from unauthorized modifications or repairs", normal wear, misuse or accident, and "damages resulting from the contact with water if water resistance tests have not been performed every two years and each time the case was opened".
• Service interval: "We generally recommend that a maintenance service should be carried out every 3 to 5 years." Water resistance: "We recommend having a water-resistance check conducted every two years." Watches in the Owner's Guides checked are rated water resistant to 30 m.
• Where to take it: "To ensure that the service is carried out professionally, take your watch to Armin Strom or an authorized Armin Strom retailer."
• How to request service: the Terms say "The Concierge Service shall be notified forthwith of potential defects or services required" and give concierge@arminstrom.com, +41 32 343 33 44, Armin Strom AG, Bözingenstrasse 46, CH-2502 Bienne, Switzerland. The Contact page gives info@arminstrom.com and +41 32 343 33 44 for "inquiries about timepieces, service, or visits".
• Shipping, who pays, turnaround, published service prices: not stated on the brand's site.
• Named US service centers: none. The brand names no US location specifically for service, only authorized retailers.

Armin Strom at a US retailer

Armin Strom's warranty requires that service and repair be done by "an authorized Armin Strom service center", and the brand's Terms say unauthorized third-party work "will result in the loss of all warranty and guarantee claims". For a watch inside its five-year warranty, the practical route is one of the eleven US authorized retailers the brand lists, or the manufacture directly in Biel. The retailer takes the watch in; whether any US retailer performs Armin Strom work on site is not stated by the brand.

Every Armin Strom calibre is built in-house (the brand's FAQ: it "develops and builds every calibre itself, rather than sourcing base movements from external suppliers"), and the Resonance calibres use the brand's own resonance clutch spring. Parts are not available through generic supply channels, so an independent watchmaker will generally need the manufacture for anything beyond a case, crystal, gasket or strap job. Out of warranty, an independent with manufacture-grade experience can handle routine work, but confirm the parts route before you ship.

Before you ship, ask

• Are you authorized by Armin Strom, or will service here void the warranty?
• Will the work be done at your bench, or sent to the brand? If it is sent on, does the quote add a fee on top of the brand's charge?
• If the watch goes to Biel, who arranges the shipping and insurance, and what is the expected round trip?
• Can you source Armin Strom parts for this calibre, or does any movement work require the manufacture?
• Will you perform and document a water-resistance test after the case is opened, as the warranty requires?

Providers on this page were researched against our Standard at the time they were listed and are rechecked periodically. Details can change between checks, so confirm terms, pricing and turnaround directly with the provider before sending your watch.

Sources: Owner's Guide Tribute 1 AMW21 (2023), Owner's Guide Dual Time GMT Resonance ARF22, General Terms and Conditions, Contact, FAQ, Downloads, Find a Retailer