Gustafsson & Sjögren Watches (GoS) proudly presents – Nordic Seasons – a new series of watches that are designed with inspiration from the rich contrasts of the Nordic seasons.
The partnership between the bladesmith Johan Gustafsson and watchmaker Patrik Sjögren aims to provide truly unique watches, created with inspiration from northern Scandinavia and the long Swedish tradition in metallurgy.
This is the first GoS series to feature a case in stainless Damascus steel. The design of the case is based on the previous distinctive GoS cases to accentuate the Damascus steel features. One unique feature of the GoS case is the larger diameter of the case back and bezels, which highlight the curved surface of the Damascus steel case and mirrors the pattern on the polished surfaces. A Damascus steel bezel inset frames the dial. The trademark oversize crown in Damascus steel has a larger diameter than previous GoS models but the height has been reduced to increase overall wearability as the case diameter is 45mm.
The hands of the Nordic Seasons are in the GoS spear shape, which premiered with the Stockholm model. We designed an index ring with similarly shaped hour markers to complement the hands. All hands and index rings of the Nordic Seasons watches are made in solid 18 carat gold with a nuance selected to match the colour scheme of the season dial.
Nordic Seasons will be produced in a limited edition of 20 pieces with 5 pieces for each season.
The Nordic Seasons watches are the first GoS watches with a Damascus steel movement as an option. Four movements are currently planned for the series and the first movement has been fitted into the first version of the Autumn model, No 1/5. The finishing that Patrik achieves is unlike anything else in the watch industry as it combines a raw Damascus steel finish with traditionally finished bevelled edges and holes. To their knowledge, this is the first time watch movements with bridges in solid Damascus steel have been produced.
They decided to fit the Nordic Seasons watches with a strap in soft and velvety Nubuck leather. The natural-looking surface of the straps blends well with the Damascus steel finish. These GoS straps are handmade in Switzerland by a Swedish artisan and are fitted with screwed lugs.
Metalworking has a long history in Sweden: the Vikings were among the first to develop a patternwelding technique to make their swords superior to others. The processing techniques that were developed during this time in Scandinavia improved the quality of tools as well as ironwork throughout the world. The main technique for making superior swords was hot forging of the sword material and quenching, to retain the martensitic structure. It is said that the Vikings quenched forged swords in beer and read their fortunes from the lines and patterns that were formed. A sword was not just an instrument of war: it represented national as well as an individual pride, protection for one’s kin, honour, and, above all, it was a symbol of heroism. The hand-forged Damascus steel in GoS watches is forged by Johan Gustafsson. He uses modern Swedish tool steels, which are renowned for their superior qualities. Johan has reinvented the ancient techniques in his smithy and has developed new techniques and patterns that are his inimitable trademarks. He has a long career as a master bladesmith and knifemaker, and his work is renowned by collectors of knives and colleagues worldwide. GoS also uses gold for parts such as hands and index rings. This gold is either white gold or Swedish red gold. The unusual high amount of copper gives Swedish gold its red colour.
Traditional Scandinavian handcraft
Johan Gustafsson and Patrik Sjögren share a deep passion for their craft and for the ancient Scandinavian craft tradition. Patrik and Johan also have similar design ideals and their teamwork is natural even though their respective crafts are very different in character. The Scandinavian craft tradition is manifest in all parts of the GoS concept, from the presentation boxes, the watch straps to the watch parts themselves. The watch straps are optionally available as traditional Sami reindeer straps manufactured to GoS specifications.
Designs inspired by Scandinavian history and nature
Scandinavian nature and history are key sources of inspiration when Patrik and Johan design the elements of GoS watches. One example of this is the series Nordic Seasons, which shows the contrasts of the seasons in Scandinavia with a colour scheme for each season. Another example is the Northern Lights, which was used as the inspiration for the Aurora watch. GoS has also revived ancient Viking patterns, using them in the dials and other parts. GoS watch hands were designed with such patterns in mind and are then handmade and hand-finished by Patrik Sjögren.
Unique combination of quality watchmaking and hand-forged steel
Patrik Sjögren is a skilled watchmaker and has received praise for the GoS watches from the most demanding watch aficionados. His work with GoS movements and their bridges in Damascus steel has received worldwide recognition. Patrik Sjögren manufactures not only the crowns, dials and dial components but also the watch hands and movement parts. Every part is then finished by Patrik to his own high specifications, which means that at least one working day is spent on finishing a set of watch hands alone. The finishing of one Damascus steel bridge takes at least one full week, as it is very labour intensive. The resulting combination of raw Damascus steel surfaces and high-gloss polished details is another unique feature of GoS watches. GoS watches are based on high-quality Swiss mechanical movements, which are available in different variations, with the Damascus steel modifications being the most exclusive option. GoS uses the best materials and suppliers to ensure that a high level of craftsmanship is used on all parts of a GoS product. The best suppliers are chosen for parts that are not manufactured in the GoS workshop. The cases for the Nordic Season watches are manufactured by the best watch case maker in Germany. Highly skilled local artisans develop wooden presentation boxes and display material to GoS specifications. The watch straps are handmade, e.g. the straps for the Nordic Season watches are handmade in Geneva by a Swedish artisan.
Watch Model – Nordic Seasons Spring
- Dial: Hand-forged explosion Damascus steel, tempered to receive a yellow nuance
- Hands: Solid 18 carat gold with red Swedish gold nuance
- Index ring: Solid 18 carat gold with red Swedish gold nuance
- Limited edition: 5 pieces
Watch Model – Nordic Seasons Summer
- Dial: Hand-forged wildflower Damascus steel, tempered to receive a red main nuance
- Hands: Solid 18K gold in the red Swedish gold nuance
- Index ring: Solid 18K gold in the red Swedish gold nuance
- Limited edition: 5 pieces
Watch Model – Nordic Seasons Autumn
- Dial: Hand-forged ladder Damascus steel, tempered to receive a main nuance of blue/purple
- Hands: Solid white gold
- Index ring: Solid white gold
- Limited edition: 5 pieces
Watch Model – Nordic Seasons Winter
- Dial: Hand-forged explosion Damascus steel, in natural steel finish
- Hands: Solid white gold
- Index ring: Solid white gold
- Limited edition: 5 pieces