The Aurora Borealis, AKA the ‘Northern Lights’ are a natural display of light found on the northern hemisphere. If you’ve had the chance to witness them first-hand you’ll know, they are nothing short of spectacular. Streaks of blue, green, purple and yellow light shooting across the sky in mesmerizing fashion. The same effect is achieved with the Gustafsson & Sjögren watches due to its Damascus steel features. We go hands-on with number 1 of 5 of the new GoS Aurora, which took inspiration from this arctic sunrise.
The GoS Aurora is named after the Aurora Borealis which in turn is named after a Roman goddess, and the connection between the Swedish brand and Scandinavian heritage is obvious. Damascus steel is being made in Scandinavia for hundreds of years, and the Aurora Borealis draws thousands of tourists to the arctic regions. The team of master blacksmith Johan Gustafsson and master watchmaker Patrik Sjögren tried to capture the essence of the northern lights in the Aurora, which was officially introduced at Baselworld this year. Just prior to the fair we had the opportunity to spend some hands-on time with the very first watch in the series of 5 timepieces.
Overall Appearance
The patterned Damascus steel is the main attraction of the watch, but with the Aurora the steel is used in more than just the case and dial, the movement gets a bit of Johan Gustafsson’s touch as well. The strikingly colored dial catches the eye quickly and its uncluttered design gives full view of the swirls in the steel.
The large size of the case gives the Aurora a great deal of wrist-presence but isn’t too large to bear. People are intrigued by the design of the watch, and the patterns in the steel. When asked what they think it is, most people say “engraved” but on further inspection say “no, it’s something else but what….?” Explaining the process and characteristics of the watch is part of the fun in this business (for us anyway), and there is quite a bit to talk about here.
Features
In terms of actual features, there is nothing here that we haven’t heard about or seen before. Central hour and minutes hand, a small seconds indicator at 6 o’clock and a crown at 3 o’clock are a clear giveaway of the base of the movement; an ETA/Unitas 6498. No harm in that however, they have proven to be very reliable, and Gustafsson & Sjögren have played around with it to set it apart from the generic movement. More on that later…
The traditional methods in creating the steel for the case and dial date back further then the techniques used in watchmaking. They require skill and knowledge that is hard to come by. The greatest feature is not a complication, not some fancy indication of something you need, desire or just lust after. No, the greatest feature is steel, Damascus steel.
