As we approach the annual watch fest that is Baselworld 2018, we heard news of the first bronze Gustafsson & Sjögren watch -- GoS Väring.

No doubt, the announcement today will be informative about the aspects important for a corporate press release but as an early adopter of GoS watches, I wanted to focus on the Art and Rationale that drives Johan G and Patrik S, founders of the brand.

We are all familiar with the damascus steel that has become synonymous with GoS watches. They have made cases, dials, crowns and even movement mainplates from damascus steel. This is natural as Johan Gustafsson is a renown Swedish bladesmith.

Why bronze and now?

Have they just jumped on the bronze bandwagon in the watch industry?
The clue is in the company's tag line: "Signs of Viking Past."

It always goes back to history for GoS.

 Väring and GoS

Viking Voyages

The Byzantine Emperor established a mercenary Varangian guard around the end of the 10th century to serve as elite troops and his personal body guards. The guard members were Vikings and the origins of the name Varangian is from the Norse name Väring and the word Vár, which means Fidelity. A man called Väring, destined to be a local viking leader, was born in the village of Kareby.

Kareby later grew to become Linköping, which is where GoS watches is located.

Constantinople

Most Vikings from southern Sweden traveled east for trade and established settlements along the way towards Miklagård ('Great City' Viking name of Istanbul) and further east. The evidence is Viking treasure hoards of Arabic silver coins. However, Väring of Kareby and his followers had another fate; they decided to support King Cnut in his claim for the English throne 1015-1016.

King Cnut ruled Denmark, England and Norway. Remember King Æthelred the Unready of England?

Æthelred died and his son, Edmund Ironside failed to withstand the Viking invasions. Prince Cnut of Denmark needed brave and skilled men to help him claim the throne of England. Väring gathered a crew of the bravest men in Kareby to join the large fleet during spring of 1015. The fleet set sails for England with an estimated 200 longships and was described by Queen Emma of Normandy to have “so many kinds of shields, that you could have believed that troops of all nations were present. … Gold shone on the prows, silver also flashed on the variously shaped ships”. Winning England bit-by-bit, Cnut claimed the throne in 1016.

Two years later, the bulk of the fleet could be disbanded and returned home with the riches of 'Danegeld'- the tribute that Vikings collected. King Cnut had almost 30 tons of silver coins minted during his first two year in England. Some of Väring´s men stayed in England to join the King´s elite troops while Väring returned to Kareby with his share of the Danegeld. His younger brother died in battle and Väring honoured him with a large stone carved and erected on a hill near Kareby.

“Väring raised this stone in memory of Tjälve, his brother, the warrior who served with Cnut."

This stone is now a part of the foundation of the Landeryd Church on the outskirts of Linköping. This church dates back to 1753 but remnants of a wooden church on the same location has been dated to late 11th Century. The local saying is that Väring sponsored the original wooden church.

Design

GoS honours the Swedish Vikings by creating their first bronze watch. Bronze was the most common metal to be used and mastered by Vikings. Although steel was used for weapons, bronze was preferred for most other items, both decorative and functional. The case of GoS Väring has a center band in stainless damascus steel while all other parts are made of bronze. The shape and overall design of the case is recognizable from previous GoS models but with new viking-inspired details added.

New Bronze

Bronze case back patinated 

 

Subtle changes like the change in lug shape to look like bow ornaments of viking ships, may escape attention but obvious Viking elements such as the Viking loop knot patterns on the lugs are immediately recognized.

The bronze lugs are finished with Viking designs and patinated

The chapter ring and hands are also made of bronze and share the same finishing elements with rich contrasts between pre-patinized slightly darkened surfaces and polished chamfers. The hands for the Väring watch features the familiar viking spear outline but the newly developed surface finishing is seen for the first time. It makes the surface appear to be curved, just like spear heads. It is inspired by the traditional Swiss Côtes de Genève but is a new Swedish way.

New GoS chapter ring in Bronze – Fine degaussite stone is used to shape the bevels before polishing.

GoS watches are presented in walnut wood boxes, handcrafted by the local sculptor and artisan Kanevad.

Specification – GoS Väring – limited to 12 pieces

Watch series - Väring

Case: 43.5mmx10.5mm (5ATM) made in Stainless Damascus steel and Bronze (CuSn8)
Lug width: 22mm
Glass: Flat sapphire glass with double sided AR coating, extra hard on outside

Movement: GoS02 caliber based on Technotime TT718 and manufactured to COSC specifications. The movement has a center second hand and ticks at 4Hz (28,800) with a 120 hour power reserve. It has a classic finishing with deep polished beveled edges and satinized top

Dial: 192 layered steel Damascus steel with a pools pattern. Tempered coloring of dial available as an option. Index ring/rehaut: Solid Bronze, hand-finished patinized surfaces and polished chamfer. The bottom layer of the index ring is white/green luminescent and provide raking light on the damascus steel dial

Hands: Solid bronze, handfinished with pre-patinized surfaces and polished chamfers
Crown: 8.5mm in fine-grained stainless damascus stainless steel, fileworked edge, double gasket crown inset

Case finishing: Stainless damascus steel, high gloss polished with GoS logo engraved on case side. Bronze parts satinized and patinized to slightly darken the Bronze. All chamfers hand-polished to a high-gloss Bronze surface that will patinate with use.

Strap: Handcrafted Moose leather fitted with stainless steel GoS buckle
Every watch engraved with its production number 1-12/12
Five-year guarantee

Delivered in handcrafted presentation box in Walnut, made by Kanevad wood artists in Linköping and engraved with viking knot patterns.

The technical specification of the GoS Väring watch is shared with the second edition of the GoS Winter Nights below...

Winter Nights Gold and Steel

The movement is based on the Technotime TT718 which is manually wound and with a five days power reserve.

GoS02 caliber

Here, endeth the Teaser.....

MTF

ADDENDUM: Click to read the Update MORE ABOUT GOS VARING