Straum Unveils the Jan Mayen Basalt Limited Edition
Pre-orders open on October 23, 18:00 CET. A small batch will be available first to existing customers and those who meet us in person at Windup New York, October 18–20.
Building on the success of previous collections such as the Jan Mayen Core Collection, Fratello × Straum Jan Mayen Limited Edition, and Jan Mayen Glacial Rift Limited Edition, Straum has forged a new path with a bold new design. Each dial is crafted from wafers of basalt rock, creating a striking visual impact. Available in three base variants—grey, reflecting the island’s monochromatic volcanic landscape, red, symbolizing the magmatic world that lies beneath the island, and lumed, capturing the fog, weather, and the ethereal filtering of light on the island—these designs are all part of the same 100-piece limited series.
A Watch Built for Exploration and Endurance
Straum’s signature 39mm case, designed to endure the harshest Arctic conditions, houses the delicate basalt dial. Paired with an integrated stainless steel bracelet, this watch is a companion for the daring. Whether navigating the urban jungle or embarking on outdoor adventures, the Jan Mayen Basalt Limited Edition is built to withstand extremes, much like the island that inspired its creation. Every detail, from the screw-down crown to the 10ATM water resistance, ensures resilience and durability.
Jan Mayen Basalt comes in three variants.
The Jan Mayen Basalt Magma Red reveals the fiery heart of Jan Mayen, an island shaped by volcanic forces. Its vibrant red sunburst dial captures the intense energy of the molten magmatic world that lies below the island.
The Jan Mayen Basalt Radiant Mist glows like the island’s ethereal mist rolling over jagged basalt rock. The dial features a fully lumed base plate with a fumé treatment that produces a subtle gradient glow. The glow emanates from the center outward, blending perfectly with the natural patterns of the basalt, ensuring legibility while highlighting the distinct texture of the volcanic rock.
The Jan Mayen Basalt Volcanic Grey draws its essence from the island’s hidden cliffside caves and echoes the monochromatic beauty of this remote arctic terrain, formed by millennia of volcanic activity. The sunburst, grey base dial captures basalt in its hardened, permanent state.
All variants are equipped with basalt wafers, ensuring no two dials are the same. All variants share the same 100-piece limited series.
“Our adventure began two years ago with a challenging 10-day voyage from Svalbard to the isolated island of Jan Mayen. Accessible only by boat, Jan Mayen is one of the most remote places on Earth, dominated by the towering Beerenberg volcano, the world’s northernmost active volcano. Our goal was clear: scale the volcano and collect basalt rock samples formed from ancient volcanic eruptions,” says Øystein Helle Husby, co-founder of Straum.
These expeditions are rare, as most of Jan Mayen is a protected nature reserve. Special permits were secured from the Norwegian government, ensuring that the collection of basalt was done responsibly and sustainably.
The basalt rocks collected are the result of lava cooling rapidly and solidifying, trapping gas pockets inside, which creates the porous, spongelike texture that makes each dial unique. This natural beauty is at the heart of every Jan Mayen Basalt watch.
Creating these dials was a complex, multi-step process. Collaborating with experts across Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, and China, Straum perfected the delicate art of cutting, stabilizing, and polishing the brittle basalt material. These thin, fragile wafers were carefully treated and polished to optical clarity before being bonded to the base dial.
“The final assembly is a labor of love,” Husby adds, “involving several stages of precision work to ensure the basalt remains intact and retains its natural beauty. This attention to detail results in a watch that is as technically impressive as it is visually stunning.”
It is thanks to Beerenberg Volcano that the island exists at all. Dominating the northern part of Jan Mayen, the world’s northernmost active stratovolcano bursts straight up from the Arctic Ocean, culminating in its fearsome peak, 2,277m above the sea level. Inspired by this foreboding mountain, Straum’s founders assembled an expedition unit and set off in search of the summit. And all in the name of watch design...
The goal of the mission was clear: To study the rarely disturbed nature of the island, its geology, and the volatile weather systems that frequently batter its shores. Straum was able to distill these firsthand experiences into a series of dials that recalled the curious color palette and remarkable rock formations of Jan Mayen, and fit them into a case that was designed to withstand the harsh conditions of this remote location.
Adventure in Every Dial
“Every Jan Mayen Basalt dial holds a piece of this incredible journey,” says Lasse Roxrud Farstad, co-founder of Straum. “The dial you see is crafted from basalt rocks that we hand-carried back from our expedition. Each one is distinct—capturing the unique patterns formed from the interplay of lava, gas pockets, and time.”
Founded in 2020 by industrial designers Lasse Roxrud Farstad and Øystein Helle Husby, Straum watches embody the raw beauty of Norwegian nature. Designed in Norway and Swiss Made, each Straum watch is crafted for adventurers and explorers seeking to conquer the great outdoors.
For more information, please contact:
Email: contact@straum.co
Website: www.straum.co
Press kit: https://bit.ly/straum-janmayen-basalt